《Hero Of Harmony》 Chapter 1: Lavender the Dryad It was just another peaceful morning out in the forest; birds were happily chirping while flying through the canopy of trees, nocturnal beasts were heading to rest while every other beast was beginning to awaken from their slumber. Deep in the forest, where the more powerful beasts resided, there was a heavily injured and disheveled human woman lying on the ground with ragged breaths; she also seemed to be holding something close to her body tightly in a protective manner. A few minutes go by with the woman just lying there while the sun''s light slips through the thick canopy of trees and illuminates her body as if a beacon; however, all of a sudden, a hand starts erupting from the trunk of a nearby tree, which goes unnoticed by the injured women. Along with the hand comes an arm, and then quickly, the tree managed to form an entire body in a matter of seconds; once the womanly body has been completely formed, it, or I should say she, separates her body from the tree and gracefully lands on the ground below before eyeing the injured human before her. ___ ___ ''The plants were not lying; there really is a human here. Weird, this forest is quite deserted, not a single village, settlement, or town within a two-hundred-kilometer range, so why is there a human woman here?'' Lavender thought in confusion as she approached the injured woman. "Analyze." Said Lavender quietly as she used her ability to check the women''s status. //////////////////// Name: Silo Augustus Species: High-Human Age: 87.8 years Tier: 1 Level: 53 Experience :[56%] Class: Villager(Common) Sub-Class: Title(s): ___ Lifeforce: 2%¡ý Mana: 0/ 3,678 ___ Condition: Severe bleeding, Severe mana exhaustion, Severe weakness, Severe exhaustion, Poisoned. //////////////////// What I found surprised me; it''s believed High-Humans have long since gone extinct after the great war between the Humans, Elves, and Demons that took place thousands of years ago, yet before my very eyes was a High-Human; granted, it didn''t look like she would live for much longer. Still, what confused me about her was how did she even arrive here? The injuries she sustained are, without a doubt, from a sword or a bladed weapon, meaning none of the beasts in this forest have harmed her, and she has the class of a villager, meaning while it is possible, it is doubtful that she happened to be near this forest when she was assaulted. "Meaning the most likely case was that she fled from her attackers and ran over two-hundred kilometers non-stop with those injuries. No, that can''t be it; if she had a combat-oriented class and some skills, I''d believe it; however, she is merely a level 50 villager with no combat-related skills." Muttered Lavender in confusion as she bent down and gently rolled the woman onto her back, only for the confusion she felt to be cleared up. "I see; that makes much more sense. When a child''s life is in danger, a mother can do things previously thought impossible." Said lavender with a small smile of sadness and respect as she looked at the newborn wrapped in a blanket, tightly held by the women. As much as I wished to help the mother, I wasn''t in the best condition to do so, not to mention I didn''t have any healing skills potent enough, nor did I have a Class specifically related to health, vitality, and or vigor. ''If she had at least 10% of her life force, I could''ve possibly prolonged her life by an hour or two.'' Thought Lavender in sadness as she reached down and attempted to grab the baby, though the women''s grip tightened when she did. Looking at her eyes, I could tell she was only acting on her subconscious; even now, she probably couldn''t comprehend her situation, and the only thing keeping her alive was her adrenaline and the will to keep her child safe. "There is no need to worry any longer, child; I don''t know what you''ve gone through in the past few days for you to end up like this, but just know you''ve accomplished your mission. You''ve reached safety. Your child is safe." Stated Lavender with a small smile as she gently placed her hand atop the lady''s face, not even knowing if the woman was conscious enough to hear or understand her words. "A-Alexander." Said the woman quietly as all strength swiftly receded from her body. With a sad sigh, I unhooked the child from the woman''s clutches while tightly bringing the child close to my body to protect them from the elements of nature. Commanding one of the nearby trees, I had them lift the woman''s body with their roots before gently placing her in a prebuilt grave I had them construct after I checked her status. "You may have left the realm of living too soon, but just know, you will always be with your child, Alexander." Said Lavender as she tightly wrapped the bloody blanket around the sleeping child. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. With a bow of respect to the mother, I quickly left the area as I was sure the blood would attract nearby beasts who were searching for a morning snack, and while I could deal with all the beasts in this forest, I didn''t wish to put a child in harm''s way. ___ ___ "My home is not equipped for a child; however, I suppose I''ll have to make do." Announced Lavender as she stepped into her treehouse filled with various small flowers. Stepping into my bedroom, I quickly created a crib using the excess wood I had lying around; luckily, I was a dryad; otherwise, this could''ve taken hours to complete. Filling the crib with various leaves and fibers so the baby wouldn''t need to lay on the hardwood surface, I gently placed the baby inside the crib before removing the blanket covered in blood and replacing it with a blanket made with leaves. Setting the bloodied blanket on a nearby desk, I stared at the sleeping Alexander, wondering what to do with him. ''Haa, I can''t care for a human child; I''m a Dryad; our biology is too different. I don''t know what I''m even going to feed him; he can''t be breastfed; Dryads don''t produce milk from their breasts when pregnant; we get most of our energy from the sun and the soil, not to mention I''m not even pregnant.'' Thought Lavender in annoyance while sighing once again. Unluckily, I wasn''t given much time to think about the situation I put myself into, as I noticed Alexander stir awake. "Hello, little Alexander." Said Lavender with a kind smile as she peeked at Alexander from atop the crib, though her reaction wasn''t what she had hoped. "WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Cried Alexander loudly as he started thrashing around, almost causing the crib to knock over; luckily, Lavender stabilized it. "What''s wrong, little Alexander? Are you cold? Hungry?" Asked Lavender as she gently reached down and grabbed Alexander, though his thrashing only got more violent when she did so. "Why are you thrashing so violently? I''m not going to harm you, see? I''m a nice Dryad." Said Lavender sweetly as she tightly held Alexander so he wouldn''t escape while gently rocking him back and forth, hoping to calm him down. ___ ___ "Haa, finally, Alexander, you stopped crying. I know children are supposed to be hard to raise, but you''re quite the handful; if it were any normal person in my position, you''d have already injured them, you know that?" Stated Lavender, full of irritation after attempting to soothe Alexander for over an hour. "Haa, you''re lucky you''re too cute to stay annoyed at." Lavender said with a defeated sigh as she eyed those beautiful purple crystal-like eyes full of curiosity and wonder. ''Now that you''ve finally calmed down let''s take a look at your status, as I''m pretty sure a Human newborn shouldn''t be this strong, even if you''re a High-human.'' Thought Lavender with slight anticipation as she used her [Analyze] skill on Alexander. After using the skill, I waited for Alexanders'' status to show up; however, even after a minute, nothing happened. ''Hmm, that''s weird; why isn''t it working?'' Lavender thought as she attempted to use the skill again, but just like previously, nothing happened. ''Hmm, for my Analyze skill not to work on my target, there are a few possible reasons. One, the target is of a much higher level or tier than me, which isn''t possible for Alexander. Two, they have a passive skill that blocks any attempts at someone spying on them, which is possible; however, even so, it shouldn''t be powerful enough to stop me. Third, they have a higher tier class than me, which, once again, while possible, still wouldn''t be enough to stop me. Last, but not least, they''re the apostle of a god; however, that also isn''t the case, as I would be able to distinguish if Alexander was an apostle of a god or not.'' Pondered Lavender in confusion as she eyed Alexander, her curiosity only growing. "Given my condition, I know I shouldn''t do this; however, I can''t help it." Muttered Lavender as she eyed her status screen. //////////////////// Name: Lavender Vestalis Species: Dryad Age: 2367.2 years Tier: 3 (7)¡ý Level: 379 (4876)¡ý Experience: [32%] Class: Grand-Warlock (Legendary) Sub-Class: Botanist (Rare)[Endurance / Intelligence] Sub-Class: Potion Alchemist (Uncommon)[Intelligence] Title(s): Grand-Archmage (Legendary), Daughter of Yggdrasil(Legendary), Leader of the Gypsies(Epic), SS Class Adventure(Epic), Princess of the Dryads(Rare). ___ Lifeforce: 43%¡ý Mana: 143,345/143,345 (1,922,440/1,922,440)¡ý ___ Vigor: 776 (7,436) Endurance: 2,402 (32,613) Agility: 1,934 (15,895) Dexterity: 2,163 (22,587) Intelligence: 14,345 (192,244) Perception: 3,387 (35,256) ___ Condition: Weakening, poisoned Etc. //////////////////// Seeing my dwindling status, I sighed deeply before shaking my head and focusing on Alexander, channeling all of my available strength into restoring my skill [Analyze]. //////////////////// Skill: Analyze-lvl5 (Uncommon) ¡ú Analyze-lvl5 (Rare) ¡ú Analyze-lvl5 (Epic) //////////////////// Once my skill was properly restored, I quickly used the skill on Alexander without wasting any time, as I didn''t wish to worsen the already bad damage I would sustain from using this skill. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 2 Days Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience :[00%] Class: Hero Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero, Reincarnator ___ Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 620/620 ___ Vigor: 8 Endurance: 9 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 2 Intelligence: 56(62) Perception: 12(15) Traits: Heroes Aura, Heroes Will, Heroes Physique, Heart of a Hero, Enhanced Perception, Enhanced Intelligence. Skills: ??????, Heroes gaze¨Clvl1, Omnilingual¨Clvl1, Rebirth¨Clvl1 ___ Condition: Hungry //////////////////// Reading Alexander''s status nearly gave me a heart attack; throughout my life, I''ve seen many crazy things; however, for a newborn child to have such crazy high stats along with so many skills, traits, and titles was something I never thought possible. "Though while I''ve heard the term Hero before, it is only as a title, not a class. Also, why does he have three different Subclass slots? To my knowledge, two is the most one can ever get; not even a Mythical class is exempt from this rule-Ughh." Said Lavender in confusion as she closed her eyes in pain, feeling her body weaken even more. //////////////////// Name: Lavender Vestalis Species: Dryad Age: 2367.2 years Tier: 3 ¡ú 2 (7)¡ý Level: 279 ¡ú 124 (4876)¡ý Experience: [32%] Class: Grand-Warlock (Legendary) Sub-Class: Botanist (Rare)[Endurance / Intelligence] Sub-Class: Potion Alchemist (Uncommon)[Intelligence] Title(s): Grand-Archmage(Legendary), Daughter of Yggdrasil(Epic), Leader of the Gypsies(Epic), SS Rank Adventurer(Epic), Princess of the Dryads(Rare). ___ Lifeforce: 43% ¡ú 29%¡ý Mana: 143,345/143,345 ¡ú 93,670/93,670 (1,922,440/1,922,440)¡ý ___ Vigor: 876 ¡ú 553 (7,436) Endurance: 2,402 ¡ú 982 (32,613) Agility: 1,934 ¡ú 1,234 (15,895) Dexterity: 2,563 ¡ú 1,876 (22,587) Intelligence: 14,345 ¡ú 9,367 (192,244) Perception: 3,987 ¡ú 2,825 (35,256) ___ Etc. Condition: Severe Weakening, poisoned //////////////////// "Great, I''ve just lost so many years off of my life; me and my foolish curiosity. Haa." Whispered Lavender, berating herself for her rash actions as she felt her already frail body weaken even more before looking at Alexander. "Now then, it''s time to get you some food, little Alexander." Said Lavender with a smile as she looked down at the adorable baby boy. Chapter 2: MONSTER!! With little Alexander still in my arms, I stood up and exited my bedroom, heading toward the room where I craft and store potions. Opening the door, I entered the room and approached the large shelf in the back where I keep all the potions I brew; while I searched through all of my many potions, I sighed in relief as I finally found something that might substitute for milk. "This is all I got, Alexander; if this doesn''t work, I might need to capture a pregnant beast and have you drink their milk." Said Lavender with a chuckle when she noticed his confused expression. //////////////////// Name: Refined Tree Sap Rank: Rare Description: Sap collected from a tree and refined nearly to perfection; Consuming this will slightly cleanse the body of any Impurities. //////////////////// With the bottle in hand, I sat down in one of the chairs I had in this room while gently placing Alexander on my lap before uncorking the bottle and slowly attempting to feed him. At first, he was pretty hesitant to consume the tree sap, as every time I brought the bottle to his face, he would always squirm around, which continued for roughly five minutes. "Fine; since you don''t want to eat the tree sap, then it seems like you''re going to sleep hungry, though I wonder, how long will you be able to ignore your hunger, Alexander?" Remarked Lavender with slight annoyance as she corked the bottle and placed it away from Alexander. Just like that, a couple of hours went, and neither I nor Alexander moved from our position; not like he was really capable of moving in the first place. My annoyance has long since passed, and currently, I''m using my finger to play with Alexander, the sight of his tiny hands gripping my finger was such a calming scene for me. "Ho, what''s wrong little Alexander? I''ve noticed you constantly glancing at the Tree sap. Do you wish to consume it?" Asked Lavender with a mischievous smirk as she grabbed the bottle full of tree sap and gently shook it above Alexander as if to tempt him. "Hmm, I don''t know, you didn''t wish to drink before, so maybe you just don''t want it? I know; you must''ve been offering it for me to drink; you''re such a kind child, little Alexander." Said Lavender as she once again uncorked the bottle and pretended to drink the contents. "Wahhhhh!" "Calm down, calm down, Alexander; I was just teasing you, see. All of the Tree Sap is still there." Declared Lavender as she quickly stopped her teasing and tried to soothe Alexander, which was relatively easy when he saw the entire bottle of tree sap. "Haa, now then, are you going to drink it now or not?" Questioned Lavender as she once again brought the bottle toward Alexander''s face. This time Alexander wasn''t squirming around everywhere when I brought the bottle close to him; however, I could tell he was still hesitant to drink the contents, which makes sense considering he was a reincarnator; I''m sure he has enough knowledge to know what it is edible for newborns, and what is not. "You don''t have to like it, but at least try it; from my experience, Tree Sap is quite tasty, especially Refined Tree Sap." Advised Lavender with a smile as she brought the bottle close enough to Alexander''s mouth to where he could consume it, practically begging him to do so. Seeing no reaction from Alexander, I released a sigh, and just when I was about to withdraw the bottle, I saw his now outstretched arms clasp the bottle as he tilted it slightly down so the Tree Sap could flow into his mouth. As it''s been refined, it was not nearly as viscous as typical tree sap, so it flowed down quickly into Alexander''s tiny mouth, and when I saw that, I promptly tilted the bottle back up as I didn''t need him drowning in it. However, seeing how that uncertain expression quickly morphed into ecstasy once he finished consuming the tree sap caused me to chuckle slightly. "Haha, look at you; we went through all that trouble for what? All you had to do was taste it, and we wouldn''t have needed to sit here for two hours." Stated Lavender with a smile of happiness and annoyance as she brought the bottle close to Alexander, so he may consume it at his heart''s content, though she made sure he didn''t accidentally drown himself. ___ ___ "I know you probably haven''t eaten anything for a while, but that is a bit excessive, don''t you think? You''ve just eaten enough for four newborns; now let me guess, you''re going to go to sleep." Remarked Lavender with slight surprise as she shifted her focus between the satisfied Alexander and the now empty bottle previously filled with tree sap. With a shake of my head, I placed the empty bottle down before picking up Alexander, who now is much heavier, and exited the room while returning to the bedroom. When I arrived, I was about to read Alexander a story; however, when I looked down, he had already drifted off into slumber. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''I was right.'' Thought Lavender with a smile as she gently placed Alexander into the makeshift crib before carefully covering his body with the blanket. When he is awake, he is quite the handful to deal with; however, seeing him sleep so peacefully makes me realize everything I did was more than worth it if I get to see this lovely scene every time. Silently backing away from the crib, I grabbed the bloodied blanket Alexander was previously wrapped in as I intended to clean it and quietly exited the room so as not to disturb his slumber. ___ ___ ''Ugh, where am I? Wasn''t I fighting that drunk dude? WAIT! What happened to the little girl!? Ugh, my head is killing me; I can''t remember much. I must''ve received a head injury or something.'' After some time passed, the intense head pain I was feeling slowly started to recede, and the memories of what had happened to me came along with it. ''I-I died? I remember after the drunk man stabbed me in the heart, he returned to the little girl he was attempting to assault and stabbed her multiple times before sluggishly walking off in the distance, leaving both of our corpses to rot in the alley.'' That memory greatly saddened me; however, what saddened me wasn''t my death; I didn''t have anything important going on in my life; my big brother died a few years ago in a car accident; my parents, I''ve never met them, the one who has always been taking care of me was my big brother; friends, had none, nor any girlfriend. I just wish my death could''ve at least prevented that little girl from dying; she was innocent and didn''t deserve such a short life. ''But then again, maybe it was for the best; she looked to have been abandoned by her family and was struggling to survive; maybe an end to her suffering was the best gift to her.'' With a mental sigh, I stopped thinking about that as I figured it would be best to ignore the past for now and focus on my current situation, whatever that might be. Since I was sentient, that means I''m still alive; was I possibly brought to a hospital, and the doctors managed to bring me back to life? I doubt it; the knife I was stabbed with wasn''t necessarily small. It was more like a dagger, not like I''d have the money to pay those greedy hospitals anyways. ''Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Well, given my situation, I must''ve been brought to the hospital; otherwise, I wouldn''t have the ability to think, so I must just be having an incredibly lucid dream.'' As I believed myself to be dreaming, all I needed to do was wake up, which I attempted to do, though that was easier said than done, apparently. After what felt like a very long time of me repeatedly trying to wake up, I finally opened my eyes as all the darkness surrounding me quickly vanished. From how intense the light was, I instinctively closed my eyes and tried to block the bright sunlight with my arms; however, I couldn''t do so, as It felt like it was the first time I''d ever controlled my arm. ''What type of drugs did they inject into my body?'' With irritated thoughts, I once again opened my eyes, slowly this time, as I didn''t feel like getting blinded by the light again; after some time, my eyes finally adjusted to the light. No longer did it feel like I was staring straight at the sun. ''This, this isn''t the hospital.'' From what I could see, I seemed to be surrounded by mother nature herself; unfortunately, because of the terrible control I had over my body; currently, I wasn''t able to get a better view of the entire area, nor was I able to do much other than flail my limbs, and even that took quite a lot effort. While curiously and nervously inspecting my surroundings, I noticed it suddenly darkened. However, when I looked up in search of the cause of the sudden darkness, I subconsciously held my breath as my eyes met that of a green humanoid monster with horns on its head and red vines for hair. The monster released a very pleasant sound when it opened its mouth; however, I wasn''t going to be so easily fooled by such a thing; that is probably how it lures in its victims. Not knowing what to do, I started violently flailing all of my limbs while screaming loudly in an attempt to frighten or drive away the monster. However, that didn''t seem to work; in fact, it seemed to have the opposite effect as the monster reached down and picked me up as if I were a baby. ''I know I wasn''t ever that strong, but I''m literally doing nothing to this monster!'' I don''t know how long time passed, but I continued violently flailing for quite some time before eventually giving up after realizing that this monster didn''t seem like it was going to harm me; besides, if it did plan to hurt me, it''s not like me violently flailing around is going to make much of a difference. Once I finally stopped, I carefully eyed the monster in curiosity, and while doing so, the monster released another pleasant sound from its mouth, though this time, as I wasn''t mindlessly failing my body, I noticed that the monster wasn''t just randomly releasing melodic sounds; it seemed to be talking, though I wasn''t entirely sure. ''Actually, now that I''m taking a good look at it, it very much resembles a woman; granted, she''s several times the size of a human if she can hold a grown man in her arm as if a child.'' She started talking a little more before she intently stared at me, though the moment she did, I could tell the way she looked at me was different, it felt like she was trying to see through me somehow, and it felt very uncomfortable. Luckily her actions failed; I don''t know how I know it failed; I just know; confusing if you ask me; nevertheless, it didn''t stay that way for long. All of a sudden, her eyes brightly glowed, and this time it felt even more uncomfortable than before; it felt like she was reading my existence like a book; everything that should be kept to myself was now available for her to see, luckily that feeling didn''t last for more than a few seconds, but still, I was not too fond of that feeling. Not exactly knowing what she did, I attempted to focus on myself to see if I could possibly find out what she did, although I knew my actions were probably just wasted effort; nonetheless when I did so, information suddenly appeared in my mind that left me in utter confusion. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 2 Days Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [00%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 620/620 Vigor: 8 Endurance: 9 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 56 (62) Perception: 12 (13) Traits: Heroes Aura (Mythical), Heroes Will (Mythical), Heroes Physique (Mythical), Heart of a Hero (Legendary), Enhanced perception (Rare), Enhanced intelligence (Rare). Skills: ???????(???), Heroes gaze¨Clvl1 (Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl1 (Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1 (Mythical) Condition: hungry //////////////////// ''Huh?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he viewed his status. Chapter 3: Coming to Terms ''Wait a second, is this information about me? No, that can''t be right, my name isn''t Alexander, it''s, wait, what was my name again? Ugh, anyways, I know my name wasn''t Alexander, and secondly, I''m not two days old; I should be at least twenty-two.'' Thought Alexander as he tried to make sense of the situation, though deep in his heart, he had an inkling of what was really going on. I wanted nothing more than to deny what I believed was truly happening; however, the more time that passed, the more I started realizing that not only did I most likely die, but I also happened to reincarnate, most likely in another world to boot. Though I wasn''t given much time to think as I noticed that the green monster lady was taking me somewhere, and after what she had just done to me, I was no longer feeling confident that she wouldn''t eat me or something. Unfortunately, with how tightly the lady held me, I couldn''t observe much of my surroundings other than the ceiling. ''Well, at least the ceiling is somewhat comforting to look at.'' Alexander reasoned as he tried to think optimistically about his situation. Several seconds passed with me staring at the ceiling, which I must say was quite beautiful before I noticed that the lady had already stepped into another room and was nearing what seemed to be a large shelf filled with bottles of various colored liquids, though from my position I could only view the top-half of the shelf. After a few minutes of watching her browse through her stash of bottles, I saw her grab a bottle filled with what looked like honey as she once again said something I didn''t understand before she gently set me down on her lap and tried to feed me the honey-like substance. ''Is she trying to feed me, honey? Doesn''t she know I''m supposedly a newborn!? I can''t drink, honey! At least I''m pretty sure I can''t consume honey.'' Thought Alexander as he constantly attempted to move his head away whenever Lavender brought the bottle of tree sap close to him. After several minutes of dodging the bottle of honey while hoping she wouldn''t force-feed me it, the lady finally stopped before setting down the bottle in the distance as she once again said something; this time, though, she wore an expression that reminded me of frustration. ''Now, I regret not consuming that honey; at least then she wouldn''t look so annoyed with me.'' Thought Alexander nervously as he carefully eyed the monster lady. Several minutes passed with me cautiously eyeing her before mentally releasing a sigh of relief, seeing as she didn''t plan to harm me, though what was weird was that even though I didn''t know her, I instinctively knew she wouldn''t harm me, it was a bizarre feeling; however, I wasn''t just about to trust my instincts, nor was I about to trust her, at least not yet anyway. Now that I didn''t need to worry about the monster lady harming me, right now at least, I focused back on myself and my current situation. I''ve already come to terms with my current circumstance; it''s not like I could really deny it when I''m stuck in a baby''s body; yeah, I realized I was no longer in my adult body just a few minutes ago when the green lady kept trying to feed me that bottle of honey, which for the record I don''t know even if that is honey, it just reminds me of honey. ''I just hope she wasn''t trying to feed me something potentially dangerous.'' Thought Alexander as he intently eyed the bottle in the distance, though when he did, another set of information suddenly appeared in his mind. //////////////////// Name: Refined Tree Sap Rank: Rare Effect: Consuming this will slightly cleanse the body of any Impurities. //////////////////// After scrutinizing the information in my head, I once again sighed in relief, knowing that while I may not be able to consume it with my body, at least it wasn''t something purposely meant to harm me. Then again, I don''t even know if what I had just read was related to that bottle; everything that''s happening is entirely new and foreign to me; for all I know, this game-like status panel could''ve been associated with the green lady, though I highly doubt it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ''Ok, so if that game-like status page is supposed to represent me, then let''s get some facts straight; first things first, my name, or new name, is apparently Alexander; I have no last name, so maybe last names aren''t common here, or maybe last names are like a status thing, where only nobles, royalty, and the wealthy have them? Anyways that doesn''t matter; secondly, I''m two days old and am being taken care of by a green plant lady, who obviously isn''t my mother; hell, she probably isn''t the same species as me, let alone being related to me. Thirdly, I believe it would be safe to assume I''ve reincarnated into some fantasy-like world, considering the game-like status windows I''ve seen along with the green lady who didn''t exist on Earth.'' Thought Alexander as he calmly reviewed his situation, which surprised him slightly. Another thing to note about this entire mess was how calm I''ve been; I mean, I wasn''t ever the type of person who was quickly nervous and or frightened, though that didn''t mean I wasn''t ever anxious or scared; however, given my circumstance, I feel like even the calmest and most confident person should be slightly hysterical. ''Well, nothing wrong with being calm, I, in fact, welcome it. Now, if this is really a fantasy world with game-like elements, let''s inspect my status panel or whatever it is called.'' Thought Alexander, weirded out by the prospect of a living being having all their capabilities listed in numerical value. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 2 Days Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [00%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 620/620 Vigor: 8 Endurance: 9 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 56 (62) Perception: 12 (13) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced perception(Rare), Enhanced intelligence(Rare). Skills: ???????(???), Heroes gaze¨Clvl1(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl1(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical) Condition: hungry //////////////////// Having played enough video games in my past life to understand what a status panel represented, it was easy to read and comprehend everything; however, there were a few things I didn''t fully grasp. ''Alright, I believe I got the general gist of it; it''s just like a status panel your character would have from a video game. Name, Species, Level, Experience, Class, Sub-Class, Titles, and Skills are pretty straightforward, though while I''ve heard the term High-Human mentioned a few times throughout my past life, I know nothing about them; not like I should be basing my knowledge of this world off of the fictional stories and video games from Earth.'' Thought Alexander, mentally reminding himself to gather information about this world as early as possible. I''m going to assume that lifeforce represents your overall health and/or well-being, while mana most likely represents magic or, specifically, the amount of magic your body can hold. Now Vigor should be the amount of strength your body can physically produce, while Endurance would most likely be the amount of stamina you have, how resistant you are to aliments, and how tough your body or physique is; however, If my previous two guesses are correct, both Vigor and Endurance are closely related to your health, or Lifeforce as the status panel labels it as. Agility should be a representation of your speed, acceleration, and flexibility. However, since all the information I''m basing this on is from my knowledge of video games, I could definitely be wrong, considering in most video games, when you increase your agility stat, either nothing happens, or you get a slight boost to your running speed, and that''s it. Dexterity, on the other hand, I don''t know much about it. Still, I do believe it is related to your hand-eye coordination and your ability to efficiently control your body, which I''ll need if I happen to have high agility; otherwise, I''ll crash into a wall or some hard surface. From my understanding, Intelligence relates to the amount of power your magic attacks have, your ability to comprehend, and your brain''s processing power; though, now that I mention it, I do feel like I''m smarter than compared to my past life. Finally Perception, this is also a common stat in video games; it usually represents your five senses and your ability to perceive danger, which some would call your sixth sense. Now, moving on to what I don''t know; Traits and Tier. I don''t know what Traits signify in video games, but in life, they usually represent a unique characteristic of a specific person. On the other hand, Tier is slightly harder to grasp fully; maybe Tier means a person''s rank, similar to how video games differentiate between a normal mob, elite mob, mini-boss, and boss?'' Thought Alexander deeply, not even noticing that his body had subconsciously reacted to Lavender''s playful touch. While I was still thinking, I happened to realize that my body was being touched by a large green hand, or at least large from my perspective, since if I now had the body of a newborn, then the green plant lady was most likely similar in size to a human woman. Watching her hand continuously caress my stomach, I, with much difficulty, managed to actually lift one of my short and chubby arms before reaching towards my stomach and grasping one of the ladies'' fingers with my baby hand. ''Please stop, green lady; I''m a grown man, and although it feels very comfortable being constantly caressed like this, It''s weird when it''s by a woman I met about an hour ago!'' Mentally exclaimed Alexander as he tried to voice his words, though all that came out from his mouth was baby noises, which only caused the Lavender to smile. Chapter 4: A Heros Life Continues Some time has passed since my attempt at stopping the green lady from caressing my stomach had failed, and while It felt slightly weird at first, I''ve gotten used to it. Well, honestly, it never felt bad being caressed by her; it actually felt quite wonderful, even if she wasn''t human, though not like I''d know what a woman''s touch even feels like; unfortunately, I''ve never had that opportunity. Anyways, getting back on track, while the green plant lady, or whatever species she is, continued playing with me, I finally figured out how to analyze objects, just like I did with that bottle of tree sap she attempted to feed me. Speaking of feeding, I''m pretty hungry, but I still don''t want to test my luck and see if I can safely consume tree sap, even if it has been refined. Getting off track again, that analyze ability allows me to see the information of whatever I wish; all I must do is look at the object intensely. Ever since I learned how to use it on command, I''ve been analyzing everything I could see, except for the green lady who constantly caressed me, as I had a feeling if I did that, she would notice, and I don''t want that; I wanted her to think that I''m just an average child. However, the most significant breakthrough I''ve made so far is when I attempted to use that analyze ability on my status panel, which allowed me to view everything in much greater detail; another thing to note is that I''m pretty sure my ability to analyze objects is because of the skill I have called [Hero''s Gaze¨Clvl1], though I''m not entirely sure as the information wasn''t precisely as detailed as I would''ve liked. Nonetheless, I noticed that whenever I used analyze on an object, or more specifically, [Hero''s Gaze¨Clvl1], my mana would go down by roughly one every second. After having finished inspecting my status panel in greater detail, I can confirm that most of my assumptions were correct; I was only incorrect about tier, but I wasn''t too far off. Now another thing I don''t know is how I would rank compared to other children; If I was to go by video game logic, which so far hasn''t failed me yet, then with all my Skills, Traits, and Titles, I should be pretty powerful, and that is me being modest about it. The lowest-ranked thing I have is a [Rare], while the highest-ranked thing I have is a [Genesis]; of course, I''m not one-hundred percent certain [Rare] is of a lower rank than [Genesis], but from using my context clues, I''m pretty confident it is. Not to mention that If I use game logic or just common sense, [Mythical] is usually the highest or second highest rank, which would mean my Class [Hero] and Title [True Hero] is the highest rank possible, though once again, I''m not entirely sure, these are all just speculations on my part; besides I find it very, and I mean VERY hard to believe that could be true. ''Haa, this is giving me a headache; all these Skills, Traits, and Titles that are related to being a Hero are not helping, not to mention that my Class is supposedly [Hero]!'' Thought Alexander in frustration as he grabbed Lavender''s finger, hoping it would calm him. I just don''t get it; how can I suddenly have the Class [Hero]? I do enjoy helping people who need it, but I''m not selfless to the point where I would die for a group of people, let alone one person. It''s true I did end up getting killed by that drunk man because I attempted to stop him from assaulting a little girl, but that shouldn''t count; I mean, what kind of pathetic excuse for a human would just let that happen? Unlike grown adults, who the world has corrupted, children are still innocent and pure and should stay that way for as long as possible. Besides, I have no desire to go on a conquest to protect Humans from the so-called threat of a Demon invasion with the Demon King/Queen leading them; when, in reality, the Demons and the Humans are just at war because they hate each, or for an even stupider reason, power and land. Not to mention that I wouldn''t be foolish enough to believe the claims of the Kings, Popes, or even Gods that the so-called Demon kingdom is evil; besides, it sounds very hypocritical when it''s spoken from a Human''s mouth because, as a Human myself, I know how we operate. Another thing to note, If a species is capable of coming together and creating a functional kingdom or empire, then there is no way they''re evil; maybe a few people in power might be evil, but I would rather die than believe that an entire race could be evil. ''I''m getting worked up over things that may not even happen, and even if they were to happen, it would be several years into the future. At least, hopefully.'' Pondered Alexander, having had an internal debate with himself for a long time. I must''ve been having a serious debate with myself for quite some time, as when I focused back on reality, I felt a great deal of pain in my stomach. ''Ugh, I''m hungry! But there''s nothing to eat! Well, there is that bottle of tree sap, ugh, I don''t want to, but it doesn''t seem like the green lady has anything else. Whatever, I''m just going to trust my instincts that she doesn''t wish to harm me.'' Thought Alexander, with newfound determination as he constantly eyed the bottle of tree sap. It seems my plan worked; constantly looking at that bottle of tree sap finally caught the green lady''s attention. Once she grabbed the bottle, she said a few things before uncorking it and consuming it herself. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ''NO, NO, NO! PLEASE STOP!'' Internally yelled Alexander while watching Lavender consume the bottle''s contents, though only incoherent yelling came out of his mouth. Luckily she was merely teasing me and wasn''t actually drinking the tree sap; otherwise, I would''ve gone to sleep starving. When she brought the bottle near my mouth, I hesitantly looked at it before commanding both arms to grab it. Once both my chubby hands had gripped the glass bottle, I forcefully tilted it down before opening my mouth and swallowing a mouthful of the tree sap. ''This, this is utterly delicious!'' Exclaimed Alexander internally, as his purple crystal-like eyes seemingly took on a heart shape. With how tasty the tree sap was and my extreme hunger, I couldn''t contain myself as I began devouring the bottle''s contents. Only when I finished the entire bottle did I finally stop, as I was forced to since there was no longer anything left to consume. ''That was incredible; I hope that green lady has more of that tree sap lying around, though I''ll have to save it for later; I''m starting to get sleepy.'' Alexander thought as every time he blinked; it would take longer and longer to his eyes. Before I fell asleep, the green lady once again said something while carrying me in her arms, though I couldn''t listen as I had fallen asleep. ''Good night, green plant lady.'' Thought Alexander right before drifting into a deep slumber. ___ ___ It was the middle of summer; the bright sun was positioned high in the sky as it beamed down on the forest below, its rays of light giving life to plants of all kinds, while various beasts would bask on the ground and enjoy the warmth the sun provided to them. Deep inside the forest, where various beasts were either quietly lurking around in search of prey to hunt or lazily lying in their territory, enjoying the peacefulness. However, every now and then, you''d hear a noise that would startle various beasts, causing many predators to growl angry at the loss of their prey, while some even tried to follow after the source of the noise in hopes of killing it to relive their anger; unfortunately for those beasts, the source of the noise was to fast for them to keep with. However, if they did manage to trail after the source of the noise, they''d notice a small frame swinging on the vines of trees, and while one would mostly like mistake it for a monkey, it was tailless. ___ ___ "Hahaha! Let''s see if I can go even faster!" Exclaimed Alexander with a giant smile as he constantly swung from vine to vine hanging from the trees. Wishing to see if I could go even faster, I attempted to fully maximize my momentum with each swing to increase my speed, and while I succeeded at first, It didn''t last long. When I released hold of the vine, I extended my arm towards the next closest vine, yet, right before I grabbed ahold of it, I sensed sudden movement coming from the same branch the vine was connected, and that caused me to divert my attention, which ultimately made miss the vine and crash face first into a tree. "Ow! Really, bird, why did you have to do that?" Said Alexander in slight anger as he eyed the bird. While holding onto a branch so I wouldn''t fall to the ground, I rubbed my head in pain before looking at the bluebird that caused me to miss the vine, yet the bird just gave me a weird look as it let out a few chirps. "Haa, I suppose that''s fair, but you could at least sound apologetic, and there she goes, flying off into the distance." Replied Alexander, seemingly having a conversation with the bluebird. Seeing how the bluebird just ignored me and flew off into the distance, I sighed before releasing my grip on the branch, falling roughly fifteen meters before landing on the ground perfectly fine. Dusting myself off and plucking any leaves caught in my hair when I crashed into the tree, I was about to continue traveling through the forest, but before I did, I sensed the tree behind me calling out to me. Turning around, I placed my hand on the tree, and in doing so, I communicated with the tree, though unlike before when I spoke that female bird, plants converse through conveying raw emotions. It was quite challenging to learn compared to learning how to communicate with beasts, but I honestly love speaking to plants; speaking by only using your raw emotions is an enjoyable feeling. "Ugh, Master is calling me; great, I''m going to get scolded by her again for venturing too deep into the forest." Muttered Alexander with a frown as he retracted his hand from the tree and began casually running through the forest, moving at a speed unimaginable to humans on Earth. Roughly ten minutes later, I exited the thick vegetation and arrived in an open clearing with nothing but a large tree in the middle, yet atop that tree was a small house, or more precisely, Master''s house. Once I arrived near the tree, I climbed my way up toward the entrance, and when I opened the door, Master was standing right there looking at me with crossed arms and a frown. "You''ve got some explaining to do, Alexander. Didn''t I tell you not to venture too deep into the forest?" Said Lavender with a frown while rhythmically tapping her feet. "Yes, Master." Replied Alexander with his head down, knowing any attempt to argue back would fail horribly and land him in even more trouble. "So then, if you knew, why did you disobey my instructions? There are dangerous beasts out there that''ll rip you to shreds." Questioned Lavender with an expression of anger. "Because I wanted to explore?" Answered Alexander, unsure if the words he said were good or bad. "Because you wanted to explore? You! Haa, I thought having a disciple who already has the mind of an adult would be easier to raise, but it doesn''t feel that way." Said Lavender as she grabbed her forehead in frustration and anger. ___ ___ //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 5 years Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [00%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 620/620 ¡ú 790/790 Vigor: 8 ¡ú 15 Endurance: 9 ¡ú 17 Agility: 1 ¡ú 10 Dexterity: 2 ¡ú 12 Intelligence: 56(62) ¡ú 72(79) Perception: 12(13) ¡ú 24(26) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced perception(Rare), Enhanced intelligence(Rare). Skills: ?????(???), Heroes gaze¨Clvl2¡ü(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2¡ü(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical) Condition: N/A ____ Chapter 5: Reincarnators First Magic Lesson "Sorry, Master, you know I didn''t mean to worry you; however, I can''t help it! If you were suddenly reborn in a new world, wouldn''t you also wish to explore it? Besides, it''s not like I''m necessarily weak, and most beasts that can easily kill me are land animals; as long as I stay high in the trees, I''ll be fine." Said Alexander as he attempted to justify his reason to Lavender while flexing his child-like arm, though he instantly quieted down when she started at him. "Not weak? That is probably the funniest thing you''ve said in the five years you''ve been in this world; maybe compared to your past life, you''re not weak, but here, in this world, even a worker ant could kill you with ease." Said Lavender with an angry and amused expression as she stared at Alexander. Hearing her say that even a worker ant could easily kill me shocked me, and I found it hard to believe; how could something several times smaller than my current finger kill me? Nonetheless, I believed Master, but it wasn''t only because she''s never lied to me; it was because my eyes are capable of seeing through all falsehoods, that included verbal lies. Though what I didn''t know was that Master and I were thinking about two different types of worker ants; the ants I was thinking of were the tiny ones from the earth, where not even ten thousand would be enough to take down a five-year-old child. Yet the ones Master was talking about were colossal ants the size of large cars and powerful enough to dig through entire mountains within a day, but of course, I wouldn''t know of this for years to come. "Haa, look, Alexander, I know you want to learn and explore this new world, but unlike the Earth you originated from, everyone here isn''t the same strength, nor is it as peaceful. I don''t want you to think I''m against you exploring the forest; I just don''t want my only disciple getting killed because he was being foolish and accidentally wandered into a powerful beast''s territory." Explained Lavender with a sigh as she reached forward and affectionately rubbed Alexanders'' head. "Anyways, since this isn''t the first time I''ve had this lecture with you, you and I know it also won''t be the last, so I suppose it''s about as good a time as ever to start training you. If you wish to leave this forest someday and explore what this beautiful and dangerous world has to offer, you will need to be strong; otherwise, you''ll be killed before you even know it, and I''m sure neither of us wants that." Remarked Lavender as she reached down and picked up Alexander before exiting the house. Hearing that Master finally agreed to teach me, I couldn''t be any happier; I''d been waiting years for this moment. In the past, I would constantly ask Master, but she always responded with a no, saying, "I''m too young to start training" or "If you wish to train so bad, go do some pushups". Not like I don''t have a workout routine, but since I''m still a child, while I do gain the benefits from working out, they don''t physically show, so I still look like an average, healthy child. Nonetheless, ever since I reincarnated, I''ve been waiting for this moment to finally be able to wield a form of energy thought to be merely fictional; granted, when I use [Hero''s Gaze], I already use mana, though it''s more of a subconscious action. And speaking of reincarnation, as you can already tell, Master knows I''m a reincarnated soul with memories from their past life, though I didn''t tell her since it''s like an unspoken rule that you don''t talk about your past life. Then again, Master found out all on her own; I don''t exactly know when she found out because every time I ask her about it, she''ll merely smile at me and ignore my question; however, I''m pretty sure she learned about it all those years ago when I had that uncomfortable feeling as if she was reading me like a book. Still, when Master first brought up that conversation, I nearly shat myself in shock, which wouldn''t have been uncharacteristic considering I was only two when that talk happened. ___ ___ "Master, isn''t this piece of meat a bit big?" Questioned the childish Alexander, sitting at the table with a plate of meat and vegetables while Lavender sat opposite him, eating from her own plate of food. "Just use the knife to cut it; besides, you''re an omnivore, and you need a balanced diet of meat and plants so you can grow up big and strong, unlike me, who is a herbivore." Replied Lavender while she ate from her plate, which consisted of various fruits and vegetables. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Um, how do you use the knife?" Asked Alexander while holding the sharp part of the knife. "Are you telling me you''ve never used a knife before? I find that very hard to believe, coming from someone who still has memories from their past life." Said Lavender with doubt, though her words caused Alexander''s eyes to open wide in disbelief. "Oh, don''t give me that look, Alexander. Did you really think I, your Master, didn''t know you were reincarnated? I hope you don''t take me for a fool." Added Lavender, finding Alexanders'' shocked expression amusing. "Y-You don''t hate me, Master?" Asked Alexander quietly, full of nervousness and anxiety after regaining his bearings. "Please do tell me why I would hate you, Alexander. I''ve known you were a reincarnated soul for quite some time, so it''s not like I just found out or anything." Replied Lavender with a light smile and a shake of the head. "I-I just thought that you might find it disgusting that you''ve been taking care of a grown man and not a child this entire time." Said Alexander quietly as his childish demeanor dimmed. "Well then, Alexander, how old were you when you died?" "Um, 22." Replied Alexander, even quieter than before, worried that his and Lavender''s ages were too close for comfort, considering she looked exceptionally young while he didn''t know her actual age. "Hehe, Hahahaha!" Lavenders said as her light chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. "M-Master, i-it''s not funny!" Exclaimed Alexander, on the verge of tears, as even though he has the mind of an adult, his child''s body dramatically affects his behavior. "Hahaha. I apologize, Alexander, but I couldn''t help it; you were worrying over nothing this entire time! How old do you think I am, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with a large smile after finally managing to calm down. "Umm, I don''t know, you look really young, so maybe 23?" Answered Alexander as he wiped the tears that had formed in his eyes. "You''re not too far off; just multiply that by 100, and that''s roughly my age." Said Lavender, her words causing Alexanders'' eyes to open again in shock. "You''re 2,300 years old!? You''re super old!" Exclaimed Alexander in shock, though he suddenly felt his body shiver from the piercing glare Lavender gave him. "You should know it''s rude to call a woman old, Alexander. It seems like you''re going to have to re-learn your manners. However, I''ll save that for when we finish eating; for now, tell me about the world you originate from." Stated Lavender with a dangerous look in her eye before she returned to normal. "Y-Yes, I-I''ll tell you everything you want to know!" Replied Alexander in fright, while hoping lunch never ends. ___ ___ After telling her everything I could remember about Earth, she punished me with a spanking, and ever since then, I''ve never once dared to mention her age. "Alright, Alexander, since this will be the first Magic lesson, it''ll just be an introduction to magic, and while other children may find it challenging to comprehend magic, I''m sure it''ll be much easier for you." Said Lavender as she set Alexander down in the large clearing while walking before him. "Now then, magic, also more commonly known as mana, is a form of energy present inside every living being; some have more mana than others, while some have less; however, no matter what, a living being will always have mana. Mana is also present everywhere in the atmosphere, though similar to living beings, some places will be more mana dense, while others will not be as dense." Explained Lavender as she expelled vapor from her hands which consisted of two colors, blue and brown. "Mana comes in various attributes or elements, as Mages call them; the four most common forms of mana elements are wind, earth, fire, and water. There are other elements, such as time, space, life, death, and neutral; if you want to go even deeper, I can start talking about the sub-division of elements or the combing of natural elements to create new elements, but we''ll leave that for a later date." Explained Lavender as she looked at Alexander to make sure he was following along, which he was. "I''m assuming people can be born with elements that they are more naturally attuned with than other elements?" Asked Alexander, once again relying on his game logic, which has surprisingly not completely failed him yet. "You''re correct; people can be born with a mana element that they naturally have a deep affinity with, though that isn''t always the case, as most people are born having no affinity." Said Lavender with a nod. "What about you, Master? You said you''re a mage, so that must mean you have an affinity with a specific element." Asked Alexander curiously. "Yep, and luckily, I was born with two elements I was deeply attuned with, the Earth element and Water Element." Stated Lavender as she raised both her hands to her side; the ground just below her right arm formed a water pillar, while the same happened to her left arm, but it was an earth pillar instead. "WOAH! Awesome!" Exclaimed Alexander in wonder as he looked at Lavender, causing the Dryad to feel a sense of pride in how her disciple looked at her. Chapter 6: Sensing Mana "So when can I use magic, Master!?" Asked Alexander excitedly with starry eyes while watching Lavender show off her mana elements. "I know you''re eager to use magic for the first time; however, you''re getting ahead of yourself; before you do any of that, you must first locate the mana inside your body." Replied Lavender with a light smile as she stopped using her mana and approached Alexander. "Ah, sorry, Master." Said Alexander as he sheepishly smiled, earning a chuckle from Lavender. "Fufufu, that''s alright, little Alexander; having a passion for magic is good; it''ll help you in the long run." Said Lavender with a light smile as she sat down right before Alexander. "The mana inside your body is usually stored in one specific spot depending on your species; since I''m a Dryad, the place where my mana is stored is in my heart, like most species. Other species, like Elves and Fairies, have their mana stored in their brains, though because of that, they are usually very talented Mages; in fact, roughly sixty-five percent of all mages are either Elves or Fairies." Explained Lavender as she pointed toward her heart, then her brain, before pointing toward Alexanders'' heart. "So, since you pointed at my heart, I assume my mana is stored there?" Asked Alexander as he gently placed his palm atop his chest, feeling his rhythmically beating heart. "Yes, just like Dryads, a human''s mana is stored in their heart, though you''re a High-Human, so I could be wrong. I may have lived for quite a while, but you''re the first High-Human I''ve met, technically, second." Said Lavender as she nodded in response. "You said that mana is usually either stored in a being''s brain or heart, but is there anywhere else they can be stored?" Asked Alexander curiously as he removed his hand from his chest, giving up on sensing his mana for now. "That''s a great question, and to answer it, yes, there is. What I told you are the most common places mana is stored; however, there are some outliers, such as Dwarfs, whose mana is stored in their abdomen or, more specifically, their liver. That is actually the main reason why Dwarfs are capable of drinking alcohol like it''s water; their mana naturally detoxifies any harmful substance they consume. So for them to get drunk, they must either drink a LOT of alcohol or have very potent alcohol. There are other examples, but we can talk about those later; I''m sure you''re more interested in sensing your mana." Stated Lavender with an awkward face while remembering all the times she''s seen Dwarfs down entire barrels of alcohol like it''s nothing. "So how do I actually sense mana? Do I just sit down and meditate all day until I eventually sense it, or is there some other way?" Asked Alexander with a frown as he imagined himself doing nothing but meditating for weeks on end. "The most common way would be to do as you said, meditate until you eventually sense it, but if you have access to someone very proficient in mana control who is willing to help you, they can use their own mana to sort of jolt it awake, so to speak." Said Lavender as she paused mid-sentence, though her words caused Alexander to smile happily. "Yes!" "However, I won''t be helping you." Added Lavender with a chuckle as she watched Alexanders'' smile vanish while a betrayed expression replaced it. "Huh!? Why!?" "Because assisting you won''t actually be helping you. You need to learn how to sense it on your own; it''ll help you out in the long run, besides it''ll be worth it, trust me." Replied Lavender with a smile as she stood up and walked toward her house. "Tch, It''d be foolish of me not to believe in the words of my Ancient Master, wouldn''t it?" Mumbled Alexander as he sulked, though he wasn''t quiet enough since Lavender still managed to hear him. "What did you say, Alexander? Mind repeating it again?" Questioned Lavender as she leaned down towards Alexander, tilting her head with a dangerous smile. "I-I-I said it''d be foolish of me not to believe in the words of my WISE Master." Declared Alexander quickly while nervously sweating from Lavender''s scary expression. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Ohh, I must''ve been hearing things; I could''ve sworn you said something rude about my age, but I must''ve been mistaken; my lovely little disciple would never rudely speak about my age. Right, Alexander?" Asked Lavender as she leaned in closer, their faces now practically touching. "O-Of course Master, I wouldn''t ever say anything rude about your age; not like there is anything rude to say anyways. M-Master is a very experienced woman still in her prime, after all." Stated Alexander, his heart rapidly beating in fear. "Fufufu, I knew my lovely little disciple wouldn''t talk about my age behind my back. Now then, I''ll leave you alone so you can practice sensing your mana; if you ever feel stuck, lost, or need help, just come see me." Said Lavender with a smile as she retreated from Alexander''s personal space before turning around and approaching her house. ''That was close, too close.'' Thought Alexander as he shook his head before quelling his rapidly beating heart. Once I had finally calmed down, I sat in a comfortable position before attempting to sense the mana in my heart, though since It was my first time meditating, I didn''t know exactly what to do. ''Let''s just focus on my heart.'' Thought Alexander as he closed his eyes and calmly sat in the clearing while focusing all his attention on his heart. With only the quiet sound of the wind blowing, It was easy to focus on my beating heart, and in doing so, every time my heart pumped blood through my body, I could feel how it coursed through my veins before eventually returning to my heart so that it can repeat the cycle again. Unsurprisingly, time seemed to flow incredibly slowly while I sat still, doing nothing except sensing my heart; what had felt like an entire hour had passed when it had only been twenty minutes, turning this whole mediating thing into a tedious ordeal. ___ ___ "Ugh, nothing! Five hours and absolutely nothing! Wasted my freaking time attempting to sense some mystical energy in my stupid heart!" Exclaimed Alexander in frustration as he stood up and walked around in circles before eventually lying on the surprisingly comfortable grass. ''Haa, maybe I''m doing something wrong? Master never said how long it usually takes for one to sense their mana, so maybe I''m doing something wrong.'' Thought Alexander calmly as he looked up at the dimming sky after having vented all of his frustration and anger. ''But since she didn''t explain much, she knew I wouldn''t need extra information to be able to sense my mana, so maybe it''s not that I''m doing something wrong; I''m just not doing it efficiently.'' "Well, I can think about it over dinner; Master should''ve finished by now." Muttered Alexander as he stood up and dusted himself off before heading toward the treehouse. The moment I opened the door, I got a whiff of a pleasant aroma that caused me to smile; swiftly closing the door behind me, I ran through the house, and when I arrived at the dining room, I saw Master sitting at the table that was practically filled with food. "Thanks, Master! Though, why did you cook so much?" Asked Alexander, though he wasn''t complaining since he quickly hopped into his seat and began eating. "Well, since today will officially mark the start of your teaching, I figured I should cook something special, so eat as much as your stomach can, as I know your stomach can hold quite a lot." Replied Lavender with a smile as she also began eating. "So, I take it your practice hasn''t been going well since before you arrived, I heard you angrily yelling about stuff." Mentioned Lavender as she suppressed her desire to chuckle at her disciple''s misfortune. "It''s not funny, Master." Said Alexander blandly with a dry expression as he looked at Lavender. "Hehehe, nothing can get past your eyes, can it? Though, seriously, how has your practice been going?" Asked Lavender as she stopped suppressing her desire to laugh before regaining her composure. "Well, in the past five hours, I''ve made absolutely no progress; all I could sense was the blood coursing through my veins, that''s it." Stated Alexander in frustration as he took a large bite of delicious Direwolf meat. "Would you like some advice?" "No, at least not yet; I''d like to try and figure it out on my own before seeking you for help, though; how long did it take you to sense mana?" Asked Alexander as he took the final bite of Direwolf meat before grabbing another piece the size of a grown man''s hand. "I can''t answer that, you see, unlike what I have you doing; I had assistance in sensing my mana, though if you wish to know still, it took about three to four hours." Replied Lavender, her words eliciting surprise from Alexander. "That quick! You would''ve already been done by now, while I haven''t made any progress." Remarked Alexander in low spirits. "Don''t sound so sad, Alexander; I got it the easy way, but if I could, I would''ve much rather taken the harder route. Besides, just because something is easy doesn''t necessarily mean it''s good; most great things are often received through hard work. Though just because something is hard, doesn''t mean you can''t find a way to make it easier." Said Lavender as she smirked toward the end. "I know, Master, but that''s the problem; finding an easier way isn''t easy. Apparently, nothing is easy when it''s related to mana." Said Alexander in annoyance as he once again filled his plate with Direwolf meat. "Well, you know what they say, ''Life ain''t easy''." Remarked Lavender, while Alexander nodded in agreeance. "Yeah, don''t need to tell me about that; life had already killed me once, and I ain''t trying to let it happen again." Said Alexander with a sigh, while Lavender merely chuckled before the two continued eating. Chapter 7: Mana Theory and Repercussions It was the next day, and currently, I was back outside, sitting on the grass, though just like some mornings, I was still tired as I hadn''t gotten much sleep last night. "Haa, alright, let''s try sensing my mana again today." Muttered Alexander with a yawn as he decided to lie on the ground instead of sitting. Unfortunately, I hadn''t come up with any methods to help me sense mana yesterday during supper, so I just did the same thing I did yesterday. Yet after another four hours, with seemingly no progress, I opened my eyes in frustration as I stood up and decided to bathe, hoping to relax my body and mind. ''I may even develop a theory to help me better sense my mana.'' Alexander wishfully thought as he headed toward the nearby pond at the edge of the clearing. Once I arrived at the beautiful crystal clear pond, I took off my shirt and pants, which for the record, were both crafted by Master using plant fibers; I also didn''t have any undergarments, at first it was quite uncomfortable, but I quickly got used to not being so restricted. Setting my clothes on a large stone beside the pond, I jumped into the water, causing a small splash as I sunk to the bottom of the pond; when I reached the bottom of the pond, I just let myself float near the seabed, or pond bed while I stared into the sky from the bottom. I stayed like this for several minutes, enjoying the water gently caressing my skin before I eventually swam toward the surface so I may actually start cleaning myself. Grabbing a cleaning sponge and some soap near the pond''s bank, I began meticulously cleaning myself for a few minutes before submerging myself into the pond again. ''Haa, nothing; I couldn''t come up with a single theory that might help me sense mana; it looks like I will have to do it boring and time-consuming way. At least it wasn''t a complete waste of time; I did manage to relax my mind.'' Thought Alexander as he emerged from the pond''s surface and began heading toward the bank of it. Setting the soap and sponge back in their designated spot, I got out of the water and put my clothes back on before glancing at the beautiful pond. ''Master had said she created this pond herself; I wonder how much mana she used to fill in this previously empty pit of water.'' Pondered Alexander as he stared at the pond, though the longer he stared at it, the faster the gears in his head started spinning. "That, that might work!" Exclaimed Alexander with joy and hope as he ignored the pond and headed toward the center of the clearing. I tried not to get too excited about the idea I came up with, but I was confident that it would work, or at least, logically, it should work. Arriving near where I usually practiced sensing mana, I sat down and activated [Heroes Gaze] before opening my status panel, which is surprisingly the correct term for this world. ''It''ll take a while, but if my theory is correct, which by all means, should be, that''ll make sensing my mana much easier.'' Thought Alexander as he eyed his Status panel and carefully watched his mana drop by two every second. Thankfully, I managed to advance my skill [Heroes Gaze] previous to this, otherwise this would''ve taken twice as long, though I don''t know if it''s because this is the real world and not some video game; it took me roughly four years to advance the skill by one level, and if we''re going by common sense or logic, it''s going to take longer than four years if I want to advance it again. //////////////////// Mana: 113/ 790 Etc. Condition: Mana exhaustion //////////////////// When my total mana reached just above one-twenty, I felt slightly weak, my heart was beating harder than usual, and I wanted to vomit all the food I ate yesterday; the lower my total mana got, the stronger those feelings became. I thought about stopping, but I decided to power through it until I was utterly empty of mana. Once my total mana dropped below forty, the condition on my Status panel changed from [Mana exhaustion] to [Severe mana exhaustion], and at that point, my heart felt like it was constricting itself as it violently pounded in my chest while I was even weaker than before; to top it all off, I could no longer hold back my desire to vomit. Leaning forward, I began vomiting for a full minute; everything I ate yesterday was now on the ground, yet even after going through all that, I still didn''t stop using my skill; at this point, it was my stubbornness not to stop after getting this far, I figured I might as well get my mana to zero. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ''I should''ve stopped when I got the condition for Mana exhaustion, but now I''m in too deep; I can''t just stop now.'' Thought Alexander as he sat back down in pain and looked at his Status panel with his bloodshot purple eyes while watching his mana now enter the single digits. ''9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4¡­, 3¡­, 2¡­, 1.'' Thought Alexander as he was only given a brief second to view his mana completely empty before he lay on the ground, and although it was slight, he did happen to sense a void feeling in his heart. //////////////////// Mana: 0/ 790 Etc. Condition: Severe mana exhaustion //////////////////// ___ ___ Groggily opening my eyes, I grunted while quickly grabbing my heart in pain as I started hyperventilating, though all the sudden, a warm feeling coursed through my body as the pain began subsiding, and although it was still present, the intensity was much weaker than before. "Ugh, what happened?" Said Alexander as he tried to remember what happened, but everything was blurry for him right now. "I''ll tell you what happened, Alexander; you emptied your entire mana pool!" Said Lavender angrily as she wished to slap him across the head, but she held back for now since he was still injured. When I heard Master''s angry voice, the memories of what happened started becoming clear, and once I fully remembered everything, I felt happy and angry with myself. //////////////////// Mana: 0/ 790 Etc. Condition: Severe mana exhaustion //////////////////// ''I don''t know how long I''ve been unconscious, but I should''ve regenerated some of my mana by now. So why is it still empty?'' Thought Alexander in confusion before ignoring his Status panel and focusing on the enraged Lavender. "How long have I been unconscious for, Master?" Asked Alexander timidly, trying his best not to anger Lavender further. "Hmph, thirty hours. You''ve been unconscious for thirty hours, Alexander!" Exclaimed Lavender angrily as she eyed the shocked Alexander. "T-Thirty hours!?" Yelled Alexander in shock as he attempted to sit up, though his sudden actions caused him to clutch his heart in pain. "I suggest you don''t move; the harder you make your heart work, the more intense the pain will be. These are the repercussions of emptying your mana pool." Remarked Lavender as she forcefully pushed Alexander back into the bed before gripping the bridge of her nose in anger, frustration, and worry. "Haa, I had thought that with how mature you were, you would be fine on your own; but it seems like I was wrong." Muttered Lavender in exhaustion as she looked down at Alexander, who was clutching his heart in pain. "To be fair, Master, I''m in the situation because of my maturity; I''m sure most, if not all children, wouldn''t be capable of persisting through the pain and uncomfortableness that I experienced." Replied Alexander with a slight smile once the pain in his heart became more manageable, though he went silent from Lavender''s furious glare. "Alexander, you seem to be taking this whole situation too lightly; do you know what usually happens to people who do something stupid like emptying their entire mana pool!?" Questioned Lavender as she took a deep breath to calm down before speaking, though she was once again enraged by the time she was finished. While emptying my mana, I never once thought about the possible repercussions I might face; sure, the fleeting thought that I might pass out once my mana reached zero was something I theorized could happen, but that''s it. I reasoned I''d wake up a few minutes later, maybe an hour at most, but I never thought I''d wake up with heart pain after being unconscious for over a day, and seeing how livid Master was, I''m sure the consequences could be disastrous. ''This all happened because of my stupid stubbornness and my inherent belief that this was some game world with how similar this world is to a video game. It won''t be easy, but I need to change my thinking; otherwise, I might die again because of my foolishness.'' Thought Alexander seriously as he reflected on his actions before replying to Lavender. "No, Master, but I''m assuming death is a possibility." "Yes, not only is it a possibility, it is the most likely scenario for newbies like you! You see, Alexander, since your mana is located in your heart, they are interconnected; the more empty your mana pool becomes, the harder your heart will have to work to offset your low mana. However, since your heart is a muscle, with enough training, you can greatly diminish the repercussion of emptying your mana pool; however, that takes many years of dedicated training and practice. Though you skipped all that and directly emptied your mana pool, you''re not only lucky to be alive but also to still be able to wield mana." Explained Lavender, having managed to calm down somewhat. "I-I guess I am lucky." Muttered Alexander as he felt fear of possibly dying again or losing the ability to use mana. "Yeah, I guess being foolish grants you extra luck." "So then, how long will I have to wait before I''m fully healed and my mana returns?" Asked Alexander while deciding it would be best to ignore that comment. "Well, believe it or not, when I found you passed out on the grass, your heart was in terrible shape; it could barely pump blood through your body, yet within one hour, your heart was healed and even slightly stronger than before. However, the reason why you still feel immense pain is that your mana pool is empty; though your mana should start regenerating within the next ten or so hours, the after-effects usually last for days, if not weeks, but with how quickly your heart healed, I''d imagine the time would also be lessened." Replied Lavender as she rested her glowing hands atop Alexanders'' body, causing his pain to diminish further before she stood up. "Even if that''s the case, Master, I still have to wait another ten hours, or possibly more, before the pain finally vanishes." Commented Alexander in dissatisfaction as he looked at Lavender. "Good, this is what you get for doing something so stupid; also, don''t think, just because this is happening to you, that I won''t be punishing you. I need to ensure you''ve learned from your mistake and that you won''t do something stupid like this again." Said Lavender as she exited Alexander''s room, leaving him lying in bed all alone. "C-Can I at least get some food?" Asked Alexander; he had gone more than an entire day without eating, though silence was all he heard. Chapter 8: Recurring Nightmare It''s been a few days since that little incident with my mana, and because of my stubborn desire to empty my mana pool, Master forbade me from practicing with mana outside; well, at least until I can actually manipulate my mana, so until then, I''m forced to practice inside the house, not like it''s that much of an inconvenience. Once my mana had finally started regenerating, the intense pain that felt like my heart was constantly being constricted started diminishing until it completely disappeared when my mana pool was filled entirely, though it did take slightly longer than what Master predicted. Yesterday, I talked with Master about the theory that I came up with, which was the cause for everything, and she said that what I came up with would work; it should decrease the amount of time needed to sense mana and as long as you don''t do something stupid like I what I did, there should be no drawbacks. If anything, I''m killing two birds at once since if I''m constantly emptying my mana pool; then I am also getting more accustomed to having low mana. Now then currently, I''m inside my private room that Master had built for me shortly after I turned four; it''s nothing crazy, just a small bedroom, but it feels nice having your own private room, especially since I don''t have to share a bed with Master anymore. ''Although, while I do enjoy having my own room, I miss sleeping with Master every night; her body is so warm and comfortable, not to mention she smells like flowers.'' Thought Alexander while lying on his bed made out of wood, leaves, and plant fiber, which was quite comfortable. Shaking my head to banish such weird thoughts, I sat up and activated [Heroes Gaze] while intensely focusing on my heart so that I may be able to sense the location of my mana. After several minutes of constantly using the skill, I deactivated it when my mana was roughly twenty percent full; at this point, while I couldn''t directly sense my mana, I could feel that my heart had become somewhat hollow. However, unfortunately, even after two hours, I hadn''t fully grasped my mana''s location in my heart. As time passed, it became harder since my mana was constantly regenerating. Once my mana was sixty or seventy percent full, I''d repeat the cycle by activating [Heroes Gaze] for several minutes and stop just before or right when I gained the condition [Mana exhaustion]. For the rest of the day, I did nothing but practice sensing my mana, though while I didn''t find it, I felt like I had made progress, which is much better than before when I didn''t make an ounce of progress even after the same amount of time had passed. Well, not exactly the rest of the day; for most of the day, I practiced sensing my mana, and the rest of the day had been spent training my body; of course, this excluded things necessary for life, such as eating or defecating. I haven''t adopted anything too extreme for my physical training regime yet; however, after living in my new body for five years, my perception of extremes has dramatically changed. Even though I currently have a child''s physique, I''m capable of lifting a giant rock off the ground that should weigh at least a ton with relative ease; I''m able to outrun even the fastest of Earth animals easily and don''t even let me get started on my senses or perception as the status panel labels it. ''Anyways, that''s enough training for today; if I overwork myself too much, I won''t be able to train optimally tomorrow, well that''s a lie; I managed to heal an almost destroyed heart within an hour, I''m sure a few torn muscle fibers will be healed within a few minutes or so, and it''s all thanks to the skill [Rebirth].'' Thought Alexander as he yawned while approaching his bedroom door. "Goodnight, Master!" Yelled Alexander as he opened the door and entered his dimly lit room. "Goodnight, Alexander." Closing the door behind me, I do a little bit of stretching before getting into bed underneath the blanket, yet unlike all the other leaf blankets in the house, the one I''m using is blue and made from wool and cotton. This blanket is special to me as it''s the only thing that connects me with my deceased mother; I never did get to meet her, and unfortunately, Master doesn''t know anything about her either, but from the little bit she told me, she seemed like a wonderful mother. I''ve already visited the grave Master made for her; I see her quite often as well, usually once a week if not more, and I stay there for about an hour talking to her about my life and other things a mother would possibly be interested in knowing about their child. ''I''m getting tired; haa, goodnight, Mother.'' Thought Alexander as he shifted in the bed before closing his eyes while the blue blanket tightly hugged his body. ___ ___ Coming to, I open my eyes, and when I notice I''m not in my familiar room, I cautiously observe my surroundings as I stand up from the ground. "Master? Master, are you there!?" Exclaimed Alexander in a somewhat deep voice that surprised even him. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "This isn''t my voice; no, it used to be my voice, but not anymore. What''s going on? Wait, don''t tell me; it''s that dream again." Muttered Alexander with a frown as he began inspecting his body, which surprisingly wasn''t that of a child, and was instead the body of a man; granted, it was pretty small, not much larger than the average woman. ''Not only is it my old voice, but it''s my previous body as well. So that means I''m experiencing that nightmare again; since that''s the case, maybe I can save her this time.'' Thought Alexander as he ignored his body and began running through the poorly lit area in haste, only for him to hear the sound of a crying child. "P-Please, s-stop!" Said the child, full of pain in between her bouts of intense sobbing; however, it seemed like her pleas were ignored. "Ugh, s-shut up, girl! You''re needless c-crying is ruining t-the experience!" Stated a man in a deep voice who seemed heavily under the influence. Hearing the two of them, I increased my speed to my absolute limit while anger burned in my heart; I quickly turned the corner, only for me to come face to face with the sight of a large drunken man forcefully holding a little girl who could be no older than eleven years old by her arms. The little girl was entirely nude, allowing me to view her bruised and malnourished body, while the drunk man was using his free hand to loosen his belt; it didn''t take a genius to realize what was happening. Even though I''ve probably seen this sight nearly one hundred times, I still couldn''t stop myself from being filled with rage and absolute disgust; though, unlike the first few times this happened and despite the powerful emotions surging through my heart, I stayed calm and continued running full-sprint toward the large man, who was easily twice my bodyweight. "Huh, who are-" Said the large man as he groggily turned to his head to the right when he heard Alexanders'' footsteps, yet he was rudely interrupted with a knee straight to the face that caused him to stumble back, nearly falling to the ground. Gracefully landing on the ground, I quickly reached forward, catching the little girl and gently setting her on the floor behind me before turning around and focusing on the large man who had just regained his bearings. "Y-You bastard; I''ll kill you!" Exclaimed the large man as he grabbed his broken and bloody nose before focusing on Alexander and charging toward him. Seeing the large man charge toward me, I released a defeated sigh knowing that no matter what I did, the outcome would always be the same; while I knew doing nothing would be the quickest way to get this terrible nightmare over with, I just couldn''t bring myself to do that. ''I suppose It wouldn''t be too far-fetched to call me insane.'' Thought Alexander as he slid underneath the legs of the man before violently kicking his knees, causing him to lose his balance and collapse on the ground while grabbing his knee. Once he was on the ground rolling around in pain, I pounced on him and began violently pounding his face with everything I had; my hands were quickly engulfed in pain while covered in his and my blood, yet I didn''t stop and continued punching on him. Yet, from the moment I first attacked the large man with a flying knee, I could feel my strength slowly getting sapped away, and every time I punched him, the speed at which my strength diminished only increased; currently, I was probably about as powerful as the malnourished little girl. Knowing what was about to happen if I continued punching him, I stopped and quickly jumped back, just in time, too, as the man had just punched where I previously was; if I had not retreated, I would''ve been on the ground, unable to move, which had happened to me last time I experienced this nightmare. ''Everything up till now, I already knew what was going to happen; now I''m in new territory.'' Thought Alexander as he grabbed several small rocks on the ground and began chucking them at the man who was in the process of standing up, though his attacks did little more than annoy the man. "Ugh. I''M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Yelled the man in rage as he once again charged at Alexander, though he was sporting a bloody and mangled face this time. Having already predicted he might''ve charged at me, and knowing that no matter what I do, the man before me won''t learn, I once again attempted to slide between his legs, which worked. However, since I only had the strength of a little girl, when I went to kick the man''s legs, my attack did absolutely nothing, and before I could back away, I saw the man turn around while violently attacking me with his backhand. While I could see and perceive his attack, having the strength of a little girl meant that I wasn''t even remotely fast enough to evade or dodge the attack. With a wave of pain emanating from the right side of my face, my body flew a couple of feet to the side before violently slamming against a wall. Sensing intense pain spreading nearly all over my body, I ignored it and attempted to regain my footing, yet before I could, I was once again punched; this time, it was in the stomach, and it caused me to keel over and vomit whatever was in my dream body. The moment I finished vomiting, I was violently kicked in the face, which caused my body to collapse as I dropped onto the vomit-filled ground. Before I could even move, the man grabbed me on the shoulder, flipped me onto my back, and began violently bombarding me with punches. Each one carried the power to knock me out, yet whether it was because of luck or because this was merely a dream created by my subconscious, I stayed lucid through the whole thing. After who knew how long, the man finally stopped attacking me and backed away from my body while roughly breathing before ignoring me and approaching the little girl in the corner who hadn''t moved from the spot where I placed her down. "Tch, because of that bastard, I''m no longer in the mood." Said the man, who was covered in blood Seeing the man approach her, I tried my hardest to stand back up, yet I couldn''t feel my limbs; the only thing I could sense was the intense pain. So, while feeling utterly terrible and pathetic, I watched how the man violently beat the helpless and defenseless little girl until she was an unrecognizable corpse. Once he finished killing the little girl, he gave the little girl''s corpse one last glance before nearing me again. When he was standing right beside me, I saw him lift his foot directly above my head before slamming it down. That was the last thing I saw before I awoke from my slumber. Chapter 9: Jinx! Snapping my eyes open, I quickly jumped from my bed before landing on the ground in a fighting stance while carefully observing my surroundings; however, once I realized where I was, I breathed a sigh of frustration while tightly clenching my hands. ''Dammit! Every time I experience that nightmare, I can never change the outcome!'' Thought Alexander angrily with guilt as he attempted to slow his ragged breathing. Inspecting myself, I find nothing out of the ordinary except my pounding heart and sweat-filled body, which happens every time I awaken after experiencing that dream. Sighing, I looked out the window only to see the night sky dimly illuminated by countless stars and the three colorful moons; Azul, Midori, and Coccineum. Seeing how it was still deep into the night, and dawn didn''t seem to be arriving any time soon, I sighed one more time before quietly opening my door and exiting my room, as I didn''t wish to wake Master up as well. Sneakily walking through the house, I opted to leap through an open window instead of causing more noise by opening the front door. Quietly landing on the soft ground, I approached the tree before resting my hand on it while asking to keep what I was doing a secret from Master, and considering this wasn''t my first time, it agreed pretty quickly; it just said to return before dusk, or it''ll tell Master. "Thanks." Said Alexander with a small smile as he backed away from the tree and headed towards the pond in the distance to clean himself and his clothes. While approaching the pond, I took this time to appreciate the forest that gave off a different atmosphere than during the day. I found it to be much more beautiful as well, though that could also be because I''m rarely outside of the house during the night since Master forbids me from doing so, as she said that is when the most dangerous beasts are usually active. ''Well, I don''t doubt her, but I''m sure it''s fine as long as I stay within the clearing and don''t venture into the forest; for the five years I''ve lived here, I haven''t seen a single beast approach this forest out of their own accord.'' Pondered Alexander as he began undressing once he neared the pond that looked even more gorgeous at night while reflecting the night sky. Once I was in the nude, I threw my two pieces of clothing into the pond before jumping in, causing a small splash before the pond calmed down. Surfacing back to the top, I grabbed the soap and first began cleaning my clothes, which didn''t take too long; when I finished that, I exited the pond and placed my clothes on the rock to dry before jumping back into the water so I may now clean myself. When I finished cleaning myself, I stayed in the pond while lifelessly floating atop the water as I gazed at the beautiful sky. ''I''d say other than the concept of the Status panel, living on a planet that has three moons is probably the most shocking thing I''ve come to learn about this world after being reincarnated. Actually, I take that back; learning that this world has different intelligent species other than humans is probably the most shocking thing.'' Thought Alexander with a peaceful smile as he gazed at the sky, which caused him to slowly forget about his nightmare while enjoying the tranquility, though unfortunately, it didn''t last long. After peacefully floating atop the water for several minutes, I eventually decided to exit the pond and return home; I didn''t wish to possibly get caught by Master; I''m sure the punishment would be pretty rough. However, while I was putting on my clothes, I heard loud thumping emanating from the forest, along with the occasional roar, and as time went on, I noticed it was getting louder quickly. ''I don''t know what is happening in the forest; however, It sounds like it''s my cue to return to the house.'' Thought Alexander, with furrowed brows as he stared in the direction of the noise before quickly leaving the area, though unluckily for Alexander, he was a tad bit too slow. The moment I took my third step, I heard a thunderous noise which caused me to turn around, and when I did, I spotted a large wolf bleeding and covered in wounds, standing not too far away from the pond while an even more giant bear was standing next to several destroyed trees just at the perimeter of the clearing. ''Hmm, it seems like the bear must''ve been hunting it, and it accidentally chased it into the clearing, though it appears too scared to take a step out of the forest, and I don''t blame him, considering Master lives here.'' Pondered Alexander as he eyed the bear and wolf before using his skill [Heroes Gaze] out of sheer curiosity. //////////////////// Name: ______ Species: Runebear (Rare) The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Age: 22 Tier: 1 Level: 73 Experience: [34%] Title(s): Lifeforce: [100%] Mana: 423/500 Vigor: 300 Endurance: 374.5 Agility: 65 Dexterity: 55 Intelligence: 50 Perception: 101 Traits: Tough fur(Uncommon), Experienced hunter(Uncommon), Night vision(Common) Skills: Claw strike(Common), Ground pound(Common), Charge(Uncommon) Condition: //////////////////// Name: ________ Species: Direwolf (Uncommon) Age: 7 Tier: 0 Level: 45 Experience: [56%] Title(s): Lifeforce: [43%] Mana: 82/240 (82/320) Vigor: 27(35) Endurance: 23(39) Agility: 71(85) Dexterity: 43(57) Intelligence: 24(32) Perception: 34(45) Traits: Night vision(Common) Skills: Claw strike(Common), Dash(Common), Wind blade(Common) Condition: Bleeding, Exhausted //////////////////// ''Other than Intelligence, they completely surpass me in stats, though the gap isn''t as big as expected. Either way, they''re both out of my league, so I should quickly leave.'' Thought Alexander in surprise, though before he could turn around, both animals simultaneously eyed him, causing him to instinctively halt his actions. ''Fuck, they noticed me! Okay, I shouldn''t have to worry about the Runebear; he is far too scared to step foot within the clearing; on the other hand, I can''t say the same for the Direwolf. Ugh, why did I have to appease my curiosity and use my skill on them!?'' Thought Alexander in frustration as he reprimanded himself while not breaking eye contact with either the Runebear or Direwolf. "I advise that you both leave; I''m sure neither of you wants to confront the one who rules this territory." Said Alexander while eyeing the two beasts, though while the Runebear ignored him, the wolf growled back as he carefully turned his back toward the Runebear and faced Alexander. ''Damit! I figured my words wouldn''t work, but why did the Direwolf turn around and face me!?'' Thought Alexander with an increased heart rate while slowly backing up, and although he was scared, he never once lost his cool. "Hmph, that''s a stupid reason; you believe she isn''t here just because she hasn''t arrived yet to protect her territory? That''s a shallow thought process, though I shouldn''t expect too much from beasts." Said Alexander with a frown as he replied to the approaching Direwolf, who growled again. ''Tch, he''s not listening; you stubborn beasts always make reasoning with you so unnecessarily difficult.'' Pondered Alexander as he blinked, and the moment he laid eyes on the Direwolf again, he was already closing in on him with incredible speed. With how fast the Direwolf was, I probably had less than two seconds before he reached my location, and with that little amount of time; I was forced to devise a survival plan against this Direwolf until Master arrived. ''Shit! What do I do!? I can''t run away; with his agility, which is roughly seven times mine, that would be suicide; however, I also can''t fight back; he is just too powerful, and attacking him without any type of weapon would be futile. Whatever, my only option is to fight back, I won''t survive, but at least I''ll last longer.'' Thought Alexander while gritting his teeth as he eyed the wolf that was less than a second from reaching him. When the Direwolf was about eight meters away from me, he jumped towards me, and the sudden burst of speed almost caught me off guard; luckily, I had some knowledge of how predators from Earth hunted, so the possibility of him pouncing on me was present. While he was in the air, I waited as long as possible for him to approach me before suddenly ducking down, causing him just barely to miss me. Feeling the ground slightly shake from his landing, I quickly turned around, and while the wolf was in the process of turning around as well, I jumped on top of his back, which was the only place I could think of that would be safe from him, and started violently attacking his head. Unfortunately, my attacks seemed to hardly phase him, not to mention I was quickly forced to stop attacking and tightly hug him as he started violently shaking, nearly causing me to fall off of him. "I would love some assistance right about now, Master!" Yelled Alexander as he tightly held onto the Direwolf and occasionally attacked him when he got the chance. When the Direwolf suddenly stopped shaking, I released a sigh of relief, though my relief didn''t last for long, as the next thing I knew, I, along with Direwolf, was upside down in the air, and it didn''t take long for me to realize what he was trying to do. ''Are you joking me right now!?'' Thought Alexander in disbelief while tightening his grip on the Direwolf and bracing for impact, as he knew the only reason he was still alive was because he was on the back of the Direwolf. Thankfully because of my super strong child body, when I hit the ground, it wasn''t nearly as bad as I expected, even with the weight of the Direwolf; however, it''s not like it felt good; I would prefer if I didn''t have to experience that again. When the Direwolf stood back up and realized I was still attached to his back, he let out an angry growl before suddenly howling, which caused me to suddenly sense something, I''d only felt once before. ''Death?'' Thought Alexander as he rapidly searched for the source that caused him to feel the threat of death. While I was almost frantically looking around, I noticed a large blade of wind above me, and when I saw it, I knew I had found the reason why I sensed death. ''Dammit! He''s using Mana! I can''t defend against that! Don''t tell me I will have to test out my skill [Rebirth] in this situation!?'' Thought Alexander as he started bombarding the Direwolf with attacks, hoping to interrupt the process, though he was too late. While attacking the Direwolf, I kept an eye on the wind blade, and when I noticed it speedily heading toward me, I wasn''t even given enough time to react from the sheer speed it possessed; luckily, I heard a familiar voice. "Water Shield." When Master said that, a thin water dome surrounded my body almost instantly, just in time to protect me from the wind blade that threatened to slice my body in half. ''Haa, well, I''m glad I''m saved; however, my situation just went from bad to worse.'' Thought Alexander with an unnatural smile as he let himself fall off the back of the Direwolf, whose feet were buried by the ground. Chapter 10: Alexanders Trauma Lying on the ground, I looked behind me and saw Master wearing a nightgown while approaching me with a frown as she outstretched her hand toward the Direwolf. "Frozen Impale." Said Lavender as a giant icicle formed in front of her opened hand before launching itself toward the Direwolf, who was currently busy trying to free himself from the ground. Following the icicle, I saw it pierce right through the Direwolfs head, killing it easily, before exiting the other side and violently embedding itself into the ground beside the frightened Runebear. "Leave unless you wish to die as well." Said Lavender as she eyed the Runebear in the distance. "You heard, Master! Leave; otherwise, you''ll become just like him!" Exclaimed Alexander as he pointed toward the Direwolf''s corpse, which had a large hole in the middle of its head. Seeing the Runebear quickly flee while whimpering in fear, I let out a sigh while making sure to avoid eye contact with Master, who was currently staring directly at me. "Alexander, you better have an incredible reason for why you''re out at night, or so help me, Goddess Eywa; not even she''ll be able to protect you." Stated Lavender with a terrifying expression as she lifted Alexander from the ground using water mana while simultaneously cleaning him. ''Haa, thank goodness I actually have a good reason.'' Thought Alexander as he finally gained the courage to look Lavender in the eyes, though when he noticed her expression, he quickly regretted it. "About that Master; the reason I''m out at night is because of a dream- WAIT! At least let me explain!" Said Alexander quickly in fear when he noticed her expression shift to anger. "Fine, since you aren''t a complete child, I''ll allow you to explain." Replied Lavender as she created two places to sit with her earth magic while suppressing her rage. After that, I quickly explained to Master the nightmares I''d been having and why I came outside at night; while I felt slightly pathetic telling her about the dreams, I knew lying to her would only put me in a worse situation. "Haa, that''s everything, Master; you should know I wouldn''t intentionally explore the forest at night. Even I know how dumb that is." Said Alexander in self-defense, to which Lavender just snorted and ignored. "I''m glad you told me about those dreams; however, how come you only told me now? I would''ve been able to help you get over your trauma; I''m a very experienced woman, after all." Asked Lavender with a slight smile while attempting to lighten the mood, which slightly worked as Alexander lightly chuckled. "Well, I never told you, as I felt like it was something I had to deal with myself, not to mention I didn''t want you to view me as some child. Also, as a man, it feels somewhat pathetic to talk about my insecurities to someone, especially when said person is my Master." Replied Alexander while clenching his fist and also sighing in frustration. "I understand how you feel, Alexander; I''ve also had my own traumas and insecurities throughout my life, and to this day, I still have one. We aren''t all perfect; however, I don''t want you to think you can''t come to me and voice your problems; as your Master, I''ll always be there for you. Understand?" Stated Lavender with a rare motherly smile as she grabbed Alexander and embraced him. "I know, Master, thanks." Said Alexander quietly as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the pleasant feeling of being embarrassed by Lavender. "So, how long have you been experiencing those dreams?" Asked Lavender after a few minutes of enjoying the serene atmosphere with Alexander. "I believe it started a few months after I was born, so about the time I started to walk; since then, I would randomly experience that dream. Sometimes, I won''t have that dream for several months; other times, I''ll have it every night for a week straight; it''s very inconsistent." Replied Alexander quietly while staring at the night sky. "For your psyche to be forcing this dream on you, you must feel guilty about what happened to that little girl; and the only way to overcome such a trauma is to erase your guilt." Said Lavender, to which Alexander sighed at her statement. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Easier said than done, Master; I can''t suddenly just stop feeling guilty about such a thing; I''m sure, as you know, it doesn''t work like that. Nor can I somehow save that girl''s life; she''s already dead and in an entirely different universe." Remarked Alexander while sighing in sadness. "While I may not exactly know what a universe is, you''re not wrong; unlike my past experiences, the one you''re facing is much more difficult. From what you''ve told me, it seems like you feel guilty about being too weak to protect that little girl, so I''d say the best way to heal this specific trauma is to get stronger. Other than that, there isn''t really anything I can help with; you know that they say. Time can heal any wound." Said Lavender as she released Alexander from her embrace, much to his displeasure, before standing up and returning the ground to its original appearance. "Now then, let us return home, your little shenanigans awakened me from my sleep, and I''d like to rest some more before dawn; I might as well take this with me; with this, we are now fully stocked on Direwolf meat." Commented Lavender while waving her hand toward the Direwolf corpse as she encased it in a water bubble, which caused it to hover above the ground right behind Lavender. "Haa, Direwolf again, Master?" Said Alexander as he complained. "Yes, if you have a problem with Direwolf meat, how about you go and hunt your own food? Also, just because you had a valid reason for being outside during the night doesn''t mean I won''t be punishing you; you''ll be skinning this Direwolf in the morning. Understand?" Reprimanded Lavender, returning to her usual self as she headed towards her home. "Haa, yes, Master." Replied Alexander as he hung his head down while following behind Lavender. ___ ___ When Master and I returned home, we went back to sleep before awakening a few hours later at the break of dawn; I felt greatly refreshed from last night''s event, though my splendid mood didn''t last long as I remembered my punishment. So, the next few hours were spent skinning, butchering, and cleaning the Direwolf while Master was doing something in the forest. Once I finished processing the Direwolf, I headed toward the pond to take a quick bath, ridding myself of the blood and small bits of Direwolf scattered across my body. "Finally, I can smell something other than blood." Muttered Alexander with a light smile as he exited the pond and wore a new set of clothes since even though he had cleaned his old pair of clothes, they still smelled like blood. While I was walking around, letting the wind dry my hair, I saw Master exit the forest and enter the clearing, so I approached her as I was curious about what was so important that she needed to leave early in the morning. "Master, you''ve returned. Did you succeed when whatever your objective was?" Asked Alexander curiously while eyeing Lavender, though he noticed nothing unusual. "Yes, I have." Replied Lavender with a nod as she continued walking, heading in the direction of the tree house. "What were you doing, Master? It must''ve been something important if you did it first thing in the morning." Said Alexander while following beside Lavender, though because of the size difference, he was forced to walk nearly twice his normal walking speed. "With what happened last night caused me to think that the beasts in this forest might''ve forgotten about my presence after I''ve been inactive for nearly five years, so I decided to go and mark my territory again; otherwise, the beats will keep getting bolder, I can''t have that happening with you around." Answered Lavender as she looked down at Alexander, though his disgusted expression slightly startled her. "Mark your territory? Don''t tell me you went around the forest and peed on the ground because if you did, I''d like a different Master." Remarked Alexander as he backed away from Lavender while carefully eyeing her. "No, I didn''t pee on the ground, Alexander, and where did you even get that idea from? I just went around scattering my mana so that beasts would avoid the clearing." Replied Lavender with a frown as she stared at Alexander. "Ohh, sorry, it''s just the beasts from my home world would pee on the ground to mark their territory, so when you said that, I instinctively thought that''s what you did. Though, how does scattering your mana work as a deterrent against beats anyways?" Said Alexander awkwardly before his expression returned to normal. "It''s practically the same as how the beasts from your home world will mark their territory by peeing on the ground; the mana works the same as pee since my mana has traces of myself, but most importantly, they''re able to determine the strength of a person through their residue mana." Explained Lavender as she shook her head while ignoring Alexanders'' previous comment. "Hmm, I suppose if beasts can use magic attacks, they must be able to sense mana; it would only make sense." Commented Alexander with a thoughtful expression. "Anyways, while you can estimate an opponent''s strength through their residue mana, I would highly advise against it; sure, it might be somewhat useful against mages who mostly rely on their strong magic capabilities to fight. However, against physical fighters who rarely allocate their stat points to Intelligence, it would make them seem much weaker than they truly are." Advised Lavender as she approached the tree house. "Yep, I know, Master. I will continue practicing locating my mana; if you need me, just call me." Said Alexander with a nod while smiling as he watched Lavender''s body slowly get sucked into the tree. "Alright, just don''t do something stupid again, and be careful." Stated Lavender just before her head was sucked into the tree. ''Now then, let us make some progress on my mana; I want to have located my mana within the next four days!'' Thought Alexander eagerly as he set himself a goal. Chapter 11: Alexanders Uniqueness While I was meditating in the clearing, still attempting to locate my mana, all of a sudden, I perceived a warm current of energy flowing through my body, which caused my heart rate to increase because of excitement as I realized it was my mana; however, I made sure not to lose my focus at such a critical point. Following the path that the warm energy took, after several minutes of finding nothing, I finally started to sense other currents of energy coursing through my body. The next thing I knew, I felt like I was engulfed in a sea of that warm energy; as my senses bathed in it for who knows how long, I instinctively felt myself suddenly form some connection with it, and only then did I retract my senses and return to reality. "Hahaha! Yes, finally!" Exclaimed Alexander excitedly as he stood up from his sitting position and celebrated. "Even though it took a day longer than I wished, I finally did it! I''ve managed to locate my mana!" Added Alexander as he calmed down somewhat before sitting back on the grass. ''Now it''s time to view the fruits of my labor.'' Thought Alexander with an eager smile as he attempted to manipulate his mana to his will, though it was proving far more complicated than he imagined. While attempting to manipulate the mana residing in my heart, I noted it wasn''t nearly as easy as I thought it would be; in fact, my mana was hardly even listening to my commands; however, even so, I was still elated, since even though I didn''t have proper control of my mana, I could still manipulate it to some extent. ''This isn''t as easy as I would like, but it''s fine, one step at a time; besides, I have a Master who''ll teach me the proper way to refine the control of my mana.'' Pondered Alexander with an excited smile as he opened his eyes while staring at his left fist, which was filled with the minuscule amount of mana he manipulated. Raising my fist into the air, which was currently filled with a tiny amount of mana, I slammed it onto the ground beneath me, resulting in the ground very slightly trembling while the impact created a small cloud of dust. "Hahaha! Mana is fucking amazing!" Declared Alexander in between his bouts of coughing while eyeing the fist-sized hole in the ground that was as deep as his entire arm. "Language, Alexander." Reprimanded Lavender, who approached him from behind, startling him. "Ah, Master, sorry; I was just too excited. I''ve finally managed to locate the mana in my heart, and look what I could do with just a tiny bit of it!" Exclaimed Alexander with an eager expression as he looked at Lavender, the child side of him wishing for her praises. "I can see that, Alexander; congratulations on finally locating your mana, not to mention it has only been about nine days since I first informed you about mana. I''m very proud of your accomplishments." Said Lavender with a light smile as she affectionately ruffled his hair, much to Alexander''s satisfaction. "Still, punching the ground isn''t exactly the smartest way to test your mana capabilities; what if you didn''t have an aptitude for the neutral element? That little act of yours would''ve been quite painful." Added Lavender while shaking her head at his recklessness, though she couldn''t blame him too much as she was very similar. "Hmm, neutral element? Everyone can''t do what I just did? Also, how did you know I have the neutral element?" Asked Alexander as he tilted his head in confusion. "Nope, they can''t, and how do I know what your mana element is? Well, that''s because only people who have the element of neutral can strengthen their bodies with mana." Replied Lavender while smiling. "Oh, I suppose it''s good I have that element; if I didn''t, I might''ve broken my hand since I hadn''t held back my strength." Remarked Alexander with an awkward chuckle, while Lavender just smiled and shook her head. "So, now that you''ve finally located your mana, you should look at your Status panel; I''m sure the rewards will be worth all the time and effort you put in." Said Lavender with a smirk. Nodding at Master, I summoned forth my Status panel and began inspecting; however, with what I noticed, I still didn''t exactly know if the time and effort I put in were worth it or not; I don''t know how hard or easy it is to gain skills. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 2 Days Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [00%] This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 621/790 Vigor: 15 Endurance: 17 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 72(79) Perception: 24(26) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare). Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl1(Uncommon) Condition: N/A //////////////////// "The only thing that''s changed about my Status panel is that I now have a skill called [Mana Manipulation], not to mention it''s just a low-level uncommon." Stated Alexander with a frown as he closed his Status panel and glanced at Lavender, who was also frowning. "Hmm, something the matter, Master?" Asked Alexander in concern; he had rarely seen her frown. "The reason why I had you locate your mana by yourself is that you were supposed to acquire two uncommon skills, [Mana Manipulation] and [Mana Sense]. However, we can talk about that later; ever since I first scanned your Status panel and noticed you had three slots for a Sub-Class, I knew there was something unique about you, Alexander. However, what you just said, isn''t something you should say; while it''s true an uncommon rank is considered low-level in this world, a skill like that should be incredible for you, yet you just called it low-level." Stated Lavender as she eyed Alexander, full of curiosity, concern, and confusion. "Believe it or not, Master, I''ve been meaning to ask you about my Status panel; although I may be ignorant of how this world operates, even I know my Status panel is unnatural, to say the least." Said Alexander solemnly while ignoring the part about Lavender confessing that she had scanned his Status panel. "Really? Hmm, this might just be more unique than I previously imagined if even you think your Status panel is unnatural. Though maybe we are both just thinking too much about it; however, I think we both have a gut feeling that isn''t the case." Remarked Lavender with a thoughtful expression while frowning as she looked at Alexander. "Do you have any idea what the case might be, Master? You know way more about how this world operates than I do, not to mention you''ve already seen my Status panel." Asked Alexander while eyeing Lavender while emphasizing his last words, causing her to look awkwardly away. "About that, when I scanned your Status panel, it showed me everything; however, unlike usual, it didn''t show me the ranks of your Class, Skills, Traits, or Titles." Replied Lavender shamelessly while avoiding eye contact with Alexander. "Hmm, I don''t mind telling you what the ranks of my Class, Skills, Traits, and Titles are, Master; however, I think it would be best if I don''t physically speak about them. I have this weird feeling that if I tell you, something terrible will happen, and it''s honestly quite nerve-racking." Announced Alexander with a frown as he placed his hand atop his rapidly beating heart and stared at the sky while squinting, seemingly searching for something. "Then I''d recommend you don''t tell me; one thing I''ve learned throughout my life is always to trust your instincts; I couldn''t even tell you how many times I managed to escape death or danger because of my them." Stated Lavender calmly while looking at the distressed Alexander with an even more intense frown than before. "Besides, you don''t have to tell me physically, Alexander; you can just show me your Status panel." Added Lavender, her words slightly surprising Alexander. "How do I do that? I don''t have to join your party or something, do I?" Replied Alexander in a joking manner, though when he noticed Lavender nodding, he was again surprised. "Actually, that''s exactly how you do it. I''m surprised you knew about it." Stated Lavender while nodding her head in surprise. "Hehe, It was just a lucky guess. So, how do I join your party? Is there some kind of ritual we must do?" Questioned Alexander, who once again was surprised when he saw Lavender nodding her head in. "Yes, we must do a ritual, though it isn''t extravagant or ridiculous. However, are you sure you didn''t have something similar to Status panels back in your homeworld? You seem to sure know quite a bit about it." Replied Lavender, who nodded her head while suspiciously eyeing Alexander. "It''s quite complicated to explain in a short amount of time; I''ll tell you about it later." Said Alexander while shaking his head. "Anyways, returning to the ritual, it''s rather simple; just hold my hand, and the rest will be straightforward." Stated Lavender as she outstretched her hand toward Alexander, which he grasped with his small hand. While I was holding onto Master''s hand, and although she said the ritual would be simple, I expected I''d feel some energy flow through our bodies or like suddenly feel some connection between us. However, none of that happened; instead, an alert appeared on my Status panel. //////////////////// Accept party invitation from [Lavender Vestalis: Leader of the Gypsies]? //////////////////// ''Didn''t know Master was the leader of your group; awesome.'' Thought Alexander, curious to know more about Lavender''s past. Seeing how there wasn''t any accept or decline prompt, I just mentally accepted it as I didn''t have any idea what else I was supposed to do; however, when I did, the alert disappeared, and when I reopened my Status panel, I noticed I had a new title called [Member of the Gypsies] along with a plus symbol right after it. When I mentally focused on the plus symbol, there was a drop-down menu with several names, along with mine. //////////////////// Lavender Vestalis: Grand-Warlock (Leader) Simba Rey: Frenzy Brawler(2) Marlin Taly: Black Assassin(3) Lily Carnal: Lustful Cleric(4) Alexander: Hero(6) //////////////////// ____________________ Update //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 5 years Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [00%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+ Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 790/790 Vigor: 15 Endurance: 17 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 72(79) Perception: 24(26) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl1(Uncommon) Condition: N/A //////////////////// Chapter 12: Gods and Dragons Unite! Roughly five years ago, somewhere in the sky, there was a small floating island; such a sight would''ve been quite shocking to most people if it wasn''t obscured by clouds and fog, blocking its presence from mere mortals. Atop the floating island was a forest that could be described in many words; however, the only appropriate word for such a scene would be divine. Just the mere presence and aura of the forest would have mortals kneeling in reverence and awe, let alone the temple in the middle of the divine forest. The temple looked to be carved from the most precious metal in existence, and if one looked very closely, one would notice special markings embedded into the metal, glowing ever so dimly. Yet, those simple markings contained such raw power that no mortal could ever hope to comprehend. At the forefront of the temple, just before the stairs which lead up to the peak of the temple, there was a statue of a woman who was wearing a colorful robe while preciously holding a spherical object in hand, its appearance reminding one of an eye; speaking of eyes, her own eyes were covered by what seemed to be a cloth. Moving past the statue and following the pathway up the stairs, once you reached the top, you''d come face to face with a seat of curtains blocking the view of whatever is behind the curtains; however, all one must do is move them aside. Inside the room, which looked to be a place where one lived yet lacked many necessities, there was a woman meditating on a mat while seemingly examining a large eye; if one were to take a moment and closely examine the woman, one would notice she looks exactly as the statue from before. ___ ___ "Hmm, what is wrong with the Eye of Tiresias? Throughout my long life, nothing like this has ever happened before." Said the woman in confusion, her heavenly voice incomprehensible to mortals. "I foresaw this happening, though I had hoped to avoid it; it seems like I didn''t manage to acquire the desired future. Haa, oh well, it''s going to be uncomfortable, but it seems like I must use my own eyes." Muttered the woman while sighing as she let go of the eye; though it didn''t drop, it stayed floating in place. Taking a deep breath and preparing myself for the headache that was about to ensue, I reached toward my face and untied the cloth wrapped around my head, freeing my eyes from the darkness I''d grown ever accustomed to. Gently setting the cloth down, I slowly opened my eyes and viewed my room; slightly smiling as it''s been who knows how many years since I''ve seen something with my own two eyes. Unfortunately, I couldn''t bathe in the pleasure for long, as I soon began seeing billions upon billions of different future timelines; even with my mind and soul, which had ascended to godhood, I could tell it wouldn''t take long before it became unbearable. "Ugh, let''s get this over with quickly." Muttered the woman as her beautiful golden eyes glowed brightly. As I began observing the countless possible futures, nothing stood out or caught my attention, which was no surprise; however, I hadn''t found anything that could relate to why the Eye of Tiresias had stopped working. As the years went by, I slowly noticed that the amount of different future timelines began dwindling at a rapid rate; such a thing caused me to frown since this has only opened twice before, and both times they didn''t lead to a good outcome, in fact, it was quite the opposite. ''First, it was the battle with the Outer-Gods, then the war between the Dragons, and now this!? I should warn the other Gods quickly; if it''s going to be anything like the previous two, we will need to prepare in advance. While I''m at it, I should also inform the Dragons; there is a good chance we will need each other''s assistance.'' Pondered the women seriously while observing the future timeliness, which consists of only a few hundred now, and they are still dwindling. Seeing how I still don''t know what we will be facing in the future, I ultimately decided to return to the physical plane, lest I get noticed by our possible future enemies, which could result in our situation turning even worse. However, when I attempted to return to the physical plane, I realized I had no control over my astral body; I could do nothing, and that frightened me as It made me understand that not only had I been discovered, but the enemy we would be facing in the future is far more powerful than either the Outer-Gods or Dragons. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ''Dammit! To think that I, the Goddess of Time and Fate, would be defeated in my own domain without me ever even noticing! I must somehow escape and warn the Gods and Dragons; otherwise, they''ll be clueless about this inevitable future!'' Thought the woman as she prepared to sacrifice some of her divine power in order to escape; however, before she could, the scenery suddenly changed. Noticing the scenery suddenly changing, I quickly scanned the area with caution while ready, at a moment''s notice, to sacrifice some of my divine power to make an escape from whoever was binding me to this specific timeline; however, when I sensed the residue mana in the atmosphere and the destroyed landscape that spanned as far as I could see, I was stunned. ''This mana, it''s so powerful, nearly as powerful as some of the strongest Gods and Dragons; yet it''s merely the remains from powerful spells. I can''t even begin to fathom what kind of powerful being this mana originated from.'' Thought the women in awe and fear while following the traces of battle using the residue mana in the atmosphere. While following the leftover mana that hadn''t completely dissipated yet, I began sensing that the mana in the air didn''t belong to just one being; it originated from two different beings. That realization alone nearly caused me to lose some hope about possibly surviving; however, I also noticed that these two immensely powerful beings seemed to be at odds with each other, which is a good thing, as I don''t have much confidence in defeating just one, even with the assistance all the Gods and Dragons, not to mention there was two of them. ''Still, the devastation left from their battle has ravaged the world and destroyed countless kingdoms, forests, and mountain ranges; if this continues, even if we happen to emerge victories, it''ll be for naught if nothing is left of this world.'' Thought the woman with a frown as she started hearing catastrophic explosions and clashes in the distance, which resulted in the surrounding space trembling violently. Hearing the sound of combat, I quickly headed in that direction, and while doing so, I saw many mangled bodies I recognized, both from Gods and Dragons; however, while such a sight was concerning, I pressed on. As I continued moving, the sounds of battle became louder and louder until it was so loud it became hard to even think; however, by then, I had finally arrived at the battlefield, and what I saw was something I couldn''t describe with mere words, you''d have to see it to understand it. ''The sheer power those two have is unthinkable; I never knew someone could be this powerful. Not even the previous two strongest beings, the King of Gods and the Dragon King, came close to the might they wield.'' Thought the woman in both admiration and terror as she watched a young man with purple crystal-like eyes covered in lightning wielding two greatswords that were on the verge of destruction, fighting against a deranged young woman clad in a dark aura with long black hair while wielding a black scythe. While watching the two beings battle, I concluded they seemed to be about equal in power, and though I don''t know either of them, I instinctively wanted the young man to win; something about him drew me to him while the young women did the complete opposite. Though while I was observing the battle, they suddenly stopped and looked directly at me; I could feel the woman scan my Status panel, and I was helpless to stop her; however, I noticed that I was not bound to this future timeline anymore, and I could now return to the present at will. "Hahaha; it seems I missed a God." Said the insane young woman as she charged toward the Goddess, causing her to momentarily freeze in terror, though that was more than enough for the young woman. "Leave Kalintine; I have shown you a possible future, so return to the present and inform the Gods and Dragons. There isn''t much time to prepare the world for her." Said the young man solemnly, who suddenly appeared before the Goddess, blocking the deranged young woman from killing her. Hearing the young man''s words, I swiftly snapped out of my frozen state and left this timeline to return to the present, but not before attempting to scan their Status panel. When my astral body arrived back in my natural body, I only now realized my ragged breathing and how quickly my heart was beating in fear; ever since I''ve become a god, I''ve never felt death so closely before; it was almost a foreign experience. Once I finally calmed myself, I thought back to when I had just left that timeline and recounted every detail about the Status panel I managed to unveil, which for the record, was next to nothing. //////////////////// Class: Hero(Genesis) //////////////////// Class: Destroyer(Genesis) //////////////////// "The man had the Class of [Hero], and the women had the Class of [Destroyer]; however, more importantly, what is Genesis? I''ve been alive for countless millenniums, yet I''ve never heard that rank before. Whatever, I''ll save this for when I gather all of the Gods and Dragons." Muttered the Goddess as she wrapped her eyes with the cloth before grabbing a crystal from her pocket and infusing mana into it. "This is Kali; I''m requesting an emergency meeting with all of the Gods by tomorrow, another disaster is on the horizon, and it''s the worse one by far. Also, Include the Dragons." Stated Kalintine solemnly through the crystal before storing it back in her pocket, and though you couldn''t see it, her eyes widened in shock. "That man, he knew my name. Who is he?" Chapter 13: Status Panel "Hmm, Master, are these names of other people who are a part of your group?" Asked Alexander curiously while reading the names. "Yes; they are old friends, though I haven''t seen them in some time, fifty years, I''d say." Remarked Lavender with a light smile while reminiscing her past. "Fifty years is quite a while, Master, even if you have a long lifespan; though anyways, why am I number six, even though there are only five people in the group?" Asked Alexander as he closed his Status panel and glanced at Lavender, though he was slightly taken aback. The moment Alexander asked that question, my expression soured while I tightly clenched my fist, and I couldn''t help but feel an immense amount of rage and sadness; his question had brought up one of my biggest traumas, something I''d love to forget. "I-It''s nothing to worry about, Alexander; the Status panel might''ve just made a mistake." Said Lavender with a forced smile while shaking her head. I knew my response was stupid and terrible, not to mention I''m sure Alexander could see through my lie; however, I just didn''t wish to talk about it and bring up bad memories, luckily Alexander wasn''t a normal child; he was perceptive enough to understand that I didn''t want to continue speaking about it. "Well, hopefully, it fixes itself, anyways, Master; now that I''ve joined your group or party, can you freely observe my Status panel?" Said Alexander as he shifted the conversation back to the main topic. "Yes, and that''s exactly what I''m about to do." Replied Lavender with a slight smile while quickly shifting her focus to something else. Summoning my Status panel, I click on Alexanders'' name at the bottom of the group list. When I do, my Status panel is switched to his; while examining his Status panel, I could feel my eyes widen in shock while my mouth slowly opened. ''T-This, this is unbelievable! Excluding the Title [Member of the Gypsies], he has two Rare, one Epic and the other Genesis; he has six Traits, three Mythical, one Legendary, and two Rare. And lastly, he has five Skills, three Mythical, one Uncommon, and the last one is full of question marks; not even Alexander has any clue what it could be.'' Thought Lavender in disbelief as she scanned a Status panel that one would mistake for a Gods. "From your expression Master, I''m going to assume I''m quite unique?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he stared at Lavender''s astonished expression. "A-Alexander, be honest with me. Have you been lying to me this entire time?" Questioned Lavender seriously as she switched her focus to Alexander, her words slightly surprising him. "I haven''t, Master; besides, even when I do lie, you can see right through me. Is my Status panel really that impressive?" Replied Alexander, shaking his head back and forth while rubbing his head in confusion. "Impressive? No, your Status panel is far from Impressive; It''s Godly. I had thought you might''ve been a reincarnated God with how ridiculously your Status panel is, and while, in all honestly, I can''t completely rule that option out, I don''t think you''re a God." Replied Lavender with a frown, unsure how to feel about this. ''Besides, not even a Gods Status panel is this ridiculous.'' Thought Lavender to herself, as she''s had the opportunity to view a Gods Status panel in the far past when she was a mere weak Princess. "If my Status panel is as impressive as you say, isn''t that more of a bad thing than a good thing? I love the concept of me being special, but sometimes being too special will bring more negatives than positives." Asked Alexander with a frown as he viewed his status panel. "Yes, what you say is true; if you had the strength to back it up, then it wouldn''t be that big of a deal since no one would wish to make a powerful enemy. However, with how weak you are, I''m sure many people would love to kill you, and if you''re unlucky, they''ll capture you and perform painful transferring rituals." Stated Lavender with a frown while releasing a sigh of unease as she stared at Alexander''s status panel If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "T-Transferring rituals?" Muttered Alexander while gulping nervously as he imagined being experimented on. "No need to think too much about it right now, Alexander; we are in a remote forest filled with very weak beasts, not to mention no one even knows of your presence. So, for now, you''re safe; however, before you leave to explore the world, you''ll not only need to get much stronger than you are now, but you must also acquire a skill that''ll conceal your status panel from others. While I have a skill that''ll conceal your status panel from others, I can''t help you much when it comes to getting stronger; there are no true shortcuts to gaining power." Declared Lavender as she closed Alexander''s status panel and solemnly stared at him. "I understand, and since that is the case, I should get serious about improving myself, and now that I have access to mana, I can improve not only my physique but also my mana." Replied Alexander seriously as he raised his hand while intensely concentrating, resulting in small amounts of pure mana to expel from his palm. "However, before I begin my training arc, can you tell me about my Class? Or at least inform me about the ranks so I may understand how powerful my Class is." Asked Alexander curiously with an interested expression as he swiftly sat back on the ground, his sudden change of demeanor causing Lavender to chuckle to herself. "Yes, I probably should have informed you earlier; but I suppose now would also be a time to do so. Alright, listen up, Alexander; in this world, everything can be ranked into six different tiers or ranks; either one works. Going in order from lowest to highest, you got Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and finally, Mythical; of course, some items will vary in magnitude even if they are of the same rank; however, they''ll be insignificant the lower the tier or rank." Explained Lavender, though her words filled Alexander with confusion. "Master, are you sure there are only six? My Classes rank wasn''t listed." Said Alexander, to which, this time, Lavender was now filled with confusion. "I''m certain there are only six different ranks, and because I''m certain, that''s why the rank of your Class and Title is so utterly confusing and shocking. The rank of your Class and Title doesn''t even exist, yet at the same time, you''re living proof that they do exist; it just means, until now, no one has ever had anything with that rank." Replied Lavender as she rubbed her face in confusion and frustration, though they were overshadowed by her astonishment. ''Now then, here comes the easy and the most interesting part; to find out how powerful this so-called Genesis rank is. Although I don''t know how comfortable he will be with killing something, from what he told me about his past life, killings were scarce.'' Thought Lavender as she looked into the forest, seemingly searching for something. "Well, I don''t know what to think about that; I don''t want my Class to be weak; I just find it hard to believe that my Class could be more powerful than a Mythical Class." Remarked Alexander as he quickly closed his mouth shut with his hands and nervously looked at the sky, though after nothing happened, he released a sigh of relief. "Finding out how powerful your Class truly is will be easy; you''ll just need to kill something, so you may gain enough experience to increase your level since when you increase your level, you''re rewarded with a certain amount of status points, as we call them, given the rank of your Class. These status points will allow you to freely allocate them to whichever stat you desire, effectively increasing your power in the process." Stated Lavender, though her words caused Alexander to frown, something Lavender foresaw might happen. "I would like to increase my power just as much as the next person, and I''m not one opposed to killing, although I''ve never done it; however, I dislike the idea that to increase my strength, I must acquire experience by killing living beings if I want to level up. Killing living beings to protect my life or eat is one thing, but doing so out of the sole desire for more strength doesn''t sit right with me." Declared Alexander solemnly, and although he anticipated this day would come, that didn''t mean he was any less displeased. Hearing Alexanders'' response, I sighed in annoyance, as while I expected, he might be against killing, I didn''t expect this would be the reason why. When I looked at him, from his stature and expression alone, I knew I would have little chance of changing his thinking; not like I was going to do it now or anytime soon, considering most people don''t increase their levels by killing living beings with sentience after all. "Listen, Alexander; I can tell you greatly dislike the idea; however, this is crucial information that concerns your future, and sometimes you must do things you don''t wish to do. Besides, you''re still level zero; all you must do is kill a few small harmless creatures, not to mention; if you''re still opposed to the idea, you can take their corpse as food; that way, you''re not killing them for no reason." Said Lavender calmly, her words causing Alexander''s expression to lighten significantly. "Haa, alright, when you put it that way, Master, I''m not that opposed to it, though I don''t plan to do this often; however, I wish there was an alternative way to level up." Remarked Alexander with a light frown as he stood up and approached Lavender. "You don''t need to worry about that, Alexander. There are alternate ways to increase your level; however, we will discuss that later. For now, let us venture into the forest so you may increase your level." Stated Lavender while lightly chuckling as she began approaching the edge of the clearing before entering the forest, Alexander closely following her. Chapter 14: First Kill "So, Master, you spoke about ways I could increase my level other than killing animals; what were they?" Asked Alexander curiously while walking through the forest beside Lavender. "Well, although I did say other ways, there are only two known ways to increase your level; one is what we are doing right now, killing a living being. The other would be to do what your Class specializes in." Stated Lavender as she carefully observed the surrounding forest. "Hmm, since my Class is a Hero, would that mean I would have to do heroic acts to acquire experience? But by that logic, what or who determines whether my action was heroic?" Questioned Alexander in confusion. "The one who determines whether something would be considered heroic or not would be you, Alexander; it''s somewhat difficult to comprehend, but simply if you truly believe what you did was heroic, then you will acquire experience. However, while all this sounds nice, there is a massive downside to all of this." Replied Lavender before she suddenly stopped while looking in a specific direction. Seeing Master suddenly stop, I stopped as well while looking in the direction she was staring in, and when I did so, my eyes landed on a small gray and brown bunny with huge ears; the bunny, or rabbit, was currently nibbling on a few berries that fell from a nearby bush. "You see that Rabbit, Alexander." Said Lavender quietly, to which Alexander nodded. "I assume you want me to kill it, Master?" Replied Alexander with a slight frown. "Yes, I want you to kill it; you don''t need to worry about it retaliating; they will usually flee at the first signs of danger." Stated Lavender with a nod. "Haa, okay; however, I hope you don''t expect me to kill it with my bare hands. That''s a bit too extreme for the current me." Said Alexander blandly while holding his hands out toward Lavender, causing her to chuckle before handing him a dagger. "Here, this is a weapon I would always carry around during my adventurer days, though I rarely ever used it, so it''s in great condition." Mentioned Lavender with a smile before slightly retreating to give Alexander space. Once Master had backed away, I focused back on the rabbit while preparing to sneak attack it, though since this was the first time I was ever going to kill anything, I knew I should be feeling somewhat nervous; however, I was pretty calm, and that was all because of my Trait [Heart of Hero]. Although I knew how effective and powerful this trait could be, I was worried that it might affect my personality, or maybe it already has, without me ever noticing, though this is all something I should consider later. Shaking my head to get rid of those useless thoughts, with a hardened gaze, I eyed the rabbit and tightly gripped the dagger as I slowly approached my target while making an effort not to alert the rabbit as I didn''t want it escaping at least when I''m this far away. When I neared roughly the two-meter range, the rabbit suddenly stopped eating and carefully observed their surroundings; it even looked directly at me; however, thankfully, I was able to stay motionless while it looked at me. ''Haa, that was too close. Alright, after what just happened, I suppose this is as close as I can approach the rabbit; any closer and it''ll probably flee.'' Thought Alexander while releasing a sigh at not getting caught. While eyeing the rabbit, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before quickly opening them and charging toward the rabbit at the fastest speed I could muster; however, my sudden movements must''ve startled the creature as it observed its surroundings in fear until noticing me and attempting to flee. Though by then, it was too late; if it had simply run away instead of trying to find the source of the noise, I wouldn''t have got to it in time. Closing in on the rabbit, I quickly leaped on top of it right before it attempted to flee; feeling it struggle beneath in fright, I knew I wouldn''t be able to kill it if I took long. So with haste, I grabbed the rabbit from underneath me, and without even looking, I swiftly stabbed the dagger into the rabbit''s body, so hard that it pierced through the bunny and into my stomach. However, I could hardly care about the pain I felt as I was too preoccupied with being traumatized by the frightened voice of the rabbit that was full of pain as it pleaded for its life while slowly dying over roughly half a minute. "Good job, Alexander! Although your method of immobilizing the rabbit with your body was unique, your speed at killing the rabbit was impressive; you''re a natural." Stated Lavender with a cheerful voice as she approached Alexander, only to be taken aback by what she saw. "Alexander! Are you alright!? You''ve stabbed yourself!" Exclaimed Lavender worriedly as she quickly grabbed Alexander and carefully extracted the dagger from his body before tossing aside the rabbit''s corpse. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I wasn''t even responsive to what Master was doing, as I simply couldn''t get the voice of the frightened rabbit pleading for its life out of my mind; his voice replayed in my mind like a broken record. ''His voice, it sounded young, like a child''s.'' Thought Alexander absentmindedly while staring at the sky. "Haa, luckily, your stab wound wasn''t deep; it stopped once it reached muscle." Commented Lavender as she rested her glowing hands atop Alexanders'' wound, which was covered in his golden blood. "Alright, everything is healed, though you might feel a little sore in that area for a couple of minutes until your body fully repairs itself; I''m a mage, not a healer, after all." Added Lavender with a slight smile as she stood up from her kneeling position and lifted Alexander onto his feet. "Master, c-can we stop this? I-I don''t think I can continue after what happened." Muttered Alexander with his head down while tugging on Lavender''s clothes like a scared child. "Why, what''s wrong, Alexander?" Asked Lavender worriedly as she grabbed the dead rabbit, which still had the dagger embedded into its body. "I-I could hear his frightened voice, every cry, every plea; I heard it all as he died, and he sounded so young. I-I can''t do this anymore today, Master." Replied Alexander as he held back the tears that threatened to escape his eyes. "O-Okay, that''s fine; we can continue this another day when you feel better." Said Lavender with a comforting smile as she rubbed his head while internally berating herself. ___ ___ Once we arrived back home, I separated from Master and headed toward my room; when I entered my room, I closed the door behind me and laid on the bed while trying to calm my turbulent emotions; which I eventually managed to do, however, I still couldn''t get the sound of the rabbit out of my mind. Although it was my first time killing a living creature, I expected to feel depressed for a little while before I eventually moved passed it, yet, I never anticipated the aftereffects of taking a living being''s life would be so horrible. As I was feeling terrible and mentally exhausted, I tried to go to sleep, hoping that a goodnights rest could somewhat ease my mind; However, when I was about to drift off into a slumber, I heard my door creak open before closing along with the sound of footsteps that were seemingly approaching my location. I already knew who it was, considering there is only one other person who lives in this house with me; shifting to my other side, I saw Master arrive near me as she joined me in bed under the blanket. "I-I''m sorry, Master-" Said Alexander quietly while glancing at Lavender, though before he could continue speaking, she placed her finger atop his mouth. "Shh, you don''t need to apologize, Alexander; I''m at fault for your predicament. Because of my curiosity, I forced you to do something outside of your comfort zone, which ended up hurting you, and I apologize for that; you''re only a child; I should''ve waited until you were older." Said Lavender with an apologetic expression while gently caressing his head. "I''m not a child, Master; I''m twenty-seven! Besides, you''re not entirely at fault either, Master; I agreed with your idea, not to mention, In my past life, I was forced to do things I wasn''t comfortable with if I wanted to survive, and now that I''m in a world where strength dictates everything, I will need to constantly step outside my comfort zone if I wish to survive." Replied Alexander quietly yet with determination as his words caused Lavender to smile lightly. "Fufu, maybe by society''s standards, you''re mentally a man; however, in my eyes, you''re nothing but a little boy impersonating a man." Said Lavender with a chuckle as she pinched Alexanders'' cheeks, much to his annoyance. "Though you''re right; if you wish to thrive in this dangerous and deadly world, you will need to form a habit of constantly stepping out of your comfort zone, and as your Master, I''ll be here to help and guide your every step as you do so. However, still, I shouldn''t have started you off with something so extreme." Stated Lavender softly while affectionately caressing Alexanders'' face, which eased his annoyance. "It''s the first time I''ve heard a woman say that to me." Commented Alexander, feeling slightly embarrassed from Lavender''s display of womanly affection, his words causing her to release to beautiful laugh. "Well, you should get used to it, my dear disciple; with how cute you''re right now, I know for a fact you''ll grow into a handsome young man that''ll acquire the love of many women in the future; however, you must make sure to bring them back to me so I can make sure they are worthy of you." Remarked Lavender playful smirk. "Well, that''s nice and all, but what if I only want to quire the love from one woman?" Asked Alexander with a very slight blush while eyeing Lavender. "Fufu, then you better work hard to grow into a fine man, as I''m sure that woman has no interest in little boys." Replied Lavender with a smirk as she glanced at Alexander before closing her eyes. "Now then, let us rest, Alexander; I''m sure you''re exhausted." Added Lavender. "Y-Yeah, G-Goodnight, Master." Said Alexander quietly with an intense blush as he turned away from Lavender and attempted to rest, though because of how rapidly his heart was beating, it took nearly ten minutes before he drifted into a slumber. Update ///////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 5 years Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [30%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+ Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 790/790 Vigor: 15 Endurance: 17 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 72(79) Perception: 24(26) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl5(Uncommon) Condition: N/A Chapter 15: All Eyez On Me When I woke up, I was surprised to notice that it was early in the morning; with how early I had gone to sleep, I had expected to awaken in the middle of the night; I suppose that goes to show how mentally exhausted I was. Yawning, I got out of bed while taking note of Master''s disappearance, which didn''t surprise me considering she seemed like she didn''t need to sleep as much as me; that could be because she is an entirely different species, or maybe I''m just sleeping a lot since I''m a growing child. ''Anyways, I feel much better now, though I''m famished; hopefully, Master made breakfast!'' Thought Alexander as he exited his room and headed toward the kitchen, where he saw Master cooking. "Good morning Alexander; you appear to be in a much better mood." Said Lavender as she turned around and glanced at Alexander when she heard his approaching footsteps. "Yep, I feel much better! It seems all I needed was some rest." Replied Alexander with a smile as he approached Lavender. Standing beside Master, I attempted to view what she was cooking on the stove, which for starters, looked very similar to the one from Earth though it, of course, operated much differently; however, because of how short I was, I had to stand on my toes just to be able to see over the stove. "What are you making, Master?" Asked Alexander while looking at the pan Lavender was using. "Hehe, I''m making eggs with vegetables, one of my favorite dishes to eat in the morning." Said Lavender lightly while chuckling at the sight of Alexander, to which he was oblivious. "Eggs? I thought you couldn''t eat meat?" Asked Alexander curiously as he eyed Lavender since, throughout his five years of living with her, he''s never once seen her eat meat. "Well, eggs aren''t technically considered meat, but I can indeed consume them. I just can''t eat them on a daily basis; otherwise, I''ll get an upset stomach." Stated Lavender while focusing on the pan. "Hmm, but if this is one of your favorite dishes, how come this is the first time I''ve seen you prepare this dish?" Questioned Alexander while skeptically eyeing Lavender. "Because I didn''t have access to the specific eggs, which usually wouldn''t be a problem for me in the past as I could easily buy them from a merchant or a store; however, now, the nearest settlement is roughly 233 kilometers away, and that''s merely a one-way trip." Replied Lavender while removing the pan from the stove before splitting the food between two plates with a few pieces of bread already on them. "Thanks, Master. However, you didn''t answer my question." Said Alexander as he grabbed a plate before approaching the table and sitting down, followed by Lavender doing the same. "I was getting there, have some patience, boy." Remarked Lavender while shaking her head while sitting across from Alexander at the table. "The birds which produce these specific eggs had just recently migrated, and it seems some have settled here in this forest. Once I found out, I took the liberty to go and collect a few of them." Added Lavender as she took a bite of the food while savoring the flavor. "So, Master is a kidnapper? Well, it''s unsurprising; it wouldn''t be the first time you''ve kidnapped a defenseless baby." Commented Alexander with a slight smirk, to which Lavender responded with a bland expression. "For the record, If I had not kidnapped you, as you call it, you''d have died for the second time; also, I didn''t kidnap these eggs; I only took the ones that didn''t radiant any signs of mana, which means no life had formed yet." Replied Lavender dryly while eyeing Alexander. "Hehe, I know; but it''s gratifying to return the favor and make fun of you; I''m rarely given the opportunity." Said Alexander while chuckling, to which Lavender sighed and ignored his antics. Once I finished eating, I was planning to head outside to continue training, hoping that it would distract my mind from what happened yesterday, as I''m still somewhat affected by it; however, thinking about training caused me to remember the skill I acquired yesterday. "Oh yeah, Master; we happened to get off track yesterday, but you said that I should have acquired two mana-related skills instead of one?" Said Alexander while looking at Lavender, who had also finished her food. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Yes, you''re correct. You should''ve acquired the skill [Mana Sense] along with the skill you already possess, [Mana Manipulation]; however, you didn''t, which is weird considering, in order for you to locate the mana in your heart, you must be able to sense it." Replied Lavender with a thoughtful expression while tapping her finger on the table. "Hmm, how about trying your skill [Heroes Gaze]; when I was examining your status panel yesterday, I happened to read its definition, and considering it is a mythical Skill, now that you can wield mana, that might''ve indirectly unlocked one of its hidden capabilities." Stated Lavender calmly while looking at Alexander as she shared her wisdom. "Hidden capabilities? That''s a thing?" Asked Alexander in surprise, as he had never once thought of the possibility of a skill having a hidden capability. "Yes, it''s a thing; although high-level skills can have it, it''s much more frequently seen in titles." Replied Lavender while nodding her head. When Master said that, I instinctively looked at my title [True Hero] while ignoring my other Title [Reincarnator], as It already gave a pretty detailed description and provided me with two rare traits. However, while my title [True Hero], on the other hand, granted me one mythical skill and one mythical trait, its description was pretty vague and left more to be desired, so I believed if either of the titles had a hidden ability, it would be that one. ''Those are all things I can think about later; besides, let''s see if Master''s assumption is correct.'' Thought Alexander as he closed his eyes, only to open them, though when he opened them, his eyes were emitting a soft glow, capable of putting one into a trance from its beauty. Whenever I use the skill [Heroes Gaze], my eyesight is increased by many folds, practically turning my eyes into a microscope and telescope while also providing a detailed description of whatever I intently stare at. However, as my skill had recently leveled up, I could now see in all directions, essentially making me immune to sneak attacks, and while it was somewhat confusing at first, I eventually got the hang of it. "Beautiful." Muttered Alexander in fascination while observing the room. What I was seeing was mana freely floating through the atmosphere, and it reminded me of a rainbow because of all the different colors I could see, though if I had to guess, I''d assume the different colors represent different mana elements. "Alexander, can you see the mana floating in the atmosphere?" Questioned Lavender with widened eyes while eyeing Alexander. "Yes, and it''s gorgeous; I''ve never seen anything like it. Though how did you know?" Replied Alexander in awe as he continued observing his surroundings. "Well, In the past, I''ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to view mana with my own eyes a few times, and every time I did, I''d react exactly like yours." Stated Lavender with a smile while internally feeling slightly envious of Alexander''s eyes. After getting my fill of the beautiful scenery the mana created, I stopped using [Heroes Gaze], which caused my vision to return to normal. "Haa, now everything looks so boring and ugly." Said Alexander with a sigh, eliciting a chuckle from Lavender. "Hehe, I know exactly how you feel; after you''ve seen the world of mana, you can never see the normal world again as anything but ugly. However, at least we know why you didn''t acquire the skill [Mana Sense]; you''ve already had it, or a superior version of it, at least." Stated Lavender as she stood up while grabbing both plates before heading toward the kitchen. "Thanks for the delicious breakfast, Master; I''m going outside to continue training; even though I''ve finally managed to sense and manipulate my mana, my control over it is abysmal." Said Alexander as she hopped out of his chair and headed toward the front door. "Wait, before you go, let''s quickly check if you have an affinity with any other mana element besides the neutral element." Said Lavender as she exited the kitchen and approached Alexander, who had stopped moving. "Oh yeah, I completely forgot that was even possible; I''ve been too busy focusing on just locating my mana. I hope I have an affinity to the fire element; that way, I can make giant explosions!" Muttered Alexander excitedly as he gently slapped his head, imagining himself causing massive explosions using a large wand. "You know you don''t need to have the fire element to create explosions; sure, it''s much easier with the fire element, but with enough creativity and mana, you can make any element create explosions." Stated Lavender with a chuckle as she rummaged through a nearby shelf. "Hmm, what are you looking for, Master; weren''t you going to determine my affinity for mana?" Asked Alexander while approaching Lavender. "I am; however, if I wish to do so, I''m going to need a mana crystal; otherwise, I''ll have to do a very long and tedious process to determine your mana affinities. That is if you even have more than one; ha, found it." Said Lavender as she grabbed an old, dusty, and damaged-looking pouch which had a symbol of a leaf, though it has been faded and was hardly recognizable. "Follow me, Alexander; let us do this test outside and away from the house; with how unique you are, I wouldn''t be surprised if you caused the mana crystal to explode." Added Lavender as she headed toward the door before exiting the house, followed by Alexander. "Explosion? That can happen?" "Yes, they can, although very rare. Finding someone with a strong enough affinity toward a specific element that can cause a mana crystal to explode is not easy." Replied Lavender while nodding her head. Chapter 16: Mana Following Master, she continued walking until we were a decent distance away from the house before she stopped to turn around and look at me; after rummaging through the pouch, she retracted her entire arm while holding a transparent crystal sphere in her hand. "How does that even work? The crystal ball is bigger than the pouch!?" Exclaimed Alexander in astonishment while constantly glancing between the crystal sphere and the old pouch. "It''s just a pouch engraved with runes imbued with the space element, also known as a space or storage pouch. However, mine is very old and has been quite damaged, so its storage capacity is incredibly limited." Remarked Lavender calmly as she dropped the pouch on the ground while holding the mana crystal. "Anyways, enough about space pouches; they may be impressive to you right now, but they are widespread in this world, and you''ll quickly get used to them." Added Lavender as she signaled Alexander to sit on the ground, which he did after he regained his composure. "So, now that we have the mana crystal, how will it help determine my mana affinities? Do I just hold it while it scans my mana?" Asked Alexander while eagerly eyeing the mana crystal. "Not exactly, but it might as well be as simple as that. All you must do is hold the mana crystal and allow it to absorb your mana; like this." Said Lavender as she pointed toward the mana crystal, which was slowly getting filled with a mist-like substance. Once the mana crystal stopped absorbing Masters mana, the mana inside the crystal began to separate in two: blue and brown. When the two were fully segregated, they compressed themselves into a small yet evenly sized clump of mana, allowing anyone to clearly differentiate between the two elements. "Two different colors, which means two different elements; I''m assuming blue represents your affinity for water, and brown would be earth?" Said Alexander as he glanced at Lavender, who responded with a nod. "Yes, you''re correct; it''s as simple as that." Replied Lavender lightly with a slight smile while looking at the pondering Alexander. "Hmm, if mana crystals operate like that, couldn''t I just expel my mana from my body like you did when teaching me?" Asked Alexander curiously while looking at his hands with a focused expression. "You could indeed, but as you can see; you don''t have enough control over your mana to force it out of your body, and while we could wait until you''ve increased your command over it; that''ll take quite some time. Expelling mana from your body could be considered the first step on the path of a Mage." Explained Lavender while Alexander eyed his hands with a strained and focused expression before suddenly releasing a sigh. "You''re right; I can hardly command the mana that is present inside my body; I can''t imagine how hard it''ll be once it leaves my body." Stated Alexander with a frown while shaking his head and sighing. "Hehe, no need to worry about that; with me here, it won''t take that long, my class is a mage, so I have deep insights into mana and how to control it better. However, before we do any of that, let''s find out what you''re mana affinities are; I''m sure you''re equally as eager as I am." Said Lavender with a slight chuckle while tossing the mana crystal to Alexander, who, in turn, caught it. When I caught the mana crystal, I inspected it using [Heroes Gaze]; though I don''t know what I was expecting, the description was concise. //////////////////// Name: Mana Crystal Rank: Common Description: A crystal that has been bathed in mana for a substantial amount of time; Allows one to see pure mana. //////////////////// After reading the information, I stopped suppressing my mana, and allowed the crystal to absorb it, which didn''t take that long; once the crystal was filled with my mana, it separated into four different colored clumps of mana before they began compressing themselves while also gaining color. "Gray, red, purple, and green? I know gray represents neutral, and I''m assuming red represents fire, hopefully; however, what do purple and green represent? Also, does the different sizes matter?" Questioned Alexander as he eyed the mana crystal, which consisted of four different clumps of mana, though the red and purple spheres of mana were much larger than the other two. "Haa, I should be surprised with this result, yet I can''t bring myself to feel much after I finished inspecting your Status panel last night while you were asleep." Remarked Lavender with an exhausted and dry expression as she glanced between Alexander and the mana crystal, though her words caught Alexanders'' attention. "Since you''ve fully inspected my Status panel, can you tell me about my class rank? I''ve also fully examined my Status panel several times before, so I have an inkling of how powerful my class is; I just find it incredibly hard to believe that the rank of my class can be above Mythical, the supposed highest rank in existence." Stated Alexander with a doubtful expression while eyeing Lavender. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "You and me both, Alexander; however, I''ve read through your Status panel roughly ten times, just to make sure I wasn''t misreading, and I can say for certain your class and title are both above the Mythical rank. Whatever that means." Said Lavender with a sigh while looking at Alexander. "That''s good to know, I suppose; anyways, can we not mention that anymore Master? Whenever we talk about this, I always feel my heart tighten in fear for some reason, and the longer we speak on this subject, the worse it gets." Said Alexander with a frown which displayed how anxious he was, as he looked at the sky while his heart was beating rapidly, something Lavender noted. "Agreed, it''s probably for the best if we keep our mouths shut about this topic; who knows if someone could be listening." Replied Lavender seriously as she shook her head before they both focused back on the mana crystal. "Anyways, returning to the mana crystal, as you can see, you have been blessed with four different mana affinities. You were correct about the first two, Gray is the neutral element, and red is the fire element." Added Lavender while nodding her head as her demeanor returned to normal. "Yes." Said Alexander with slight enthusiasm, still feeling very uncomfortable from the previous topic. "Now the purple mana represents the space element, a scarce and difficult element to master, though the power and versatility it offers are only matched by the time element. Lastly, the green mana is wind or air mana; not as powerful as the fire element; however, it''s versatile and easy to control, a great element for beginners." Declared Lavender as her words brought a slight smile to Alexander''s face. "So, I have the neutral element to strengthen my body, the fire element to cause damage, the wind element to increase the damage I can create with the fire element, and the space element will allow me to be very maneuverable in combat; not to mention this is just the shallow information I have about each element''s capabilities." Stated Alexander with excitement that washed away any fear and nervousness he had previously felt. While I was in my own happy little world, imagining myself controlling my four elements, I suddenly heard a cracking noise, which managed to snap me out of my thoughts as I searched for where the noise originated from, only to see that the mana crystal in my hand had a large crack on its surface. "Umm, Master, I think I broke the mana crystal?" Said Alexander somewhat timidly as he dropped the mana crystal out of reflex, causing the mana in the crystal to escape through the crack and vanish. "Don''t worry; the mana crystal didn''t completely break; I can fix it, though if you continued to hold it, you would''ve certainly broken it. Speaking of that, this brings us to something you said earlier, and yes, the size of the mana does indeed matter, as the bigger your clump of mana is, the greater of an affinity you have toward that specific element." Declared Lavender softly as she grabbed the mana crystal from the ground and stored it in the old pouch she had previously picked up. "Well, considering how the fire and space elements were bigger than your two elements, while the wind and neutral elements were roughly the same size, I must be incredibly talented, no?" Said Alexander with a slight smirk while indirectly complimenting Lavender, which she noticed but merely smiled. "You''re not wrong; I already have a pretty strong connection toward the water and earth element, not to mention it has been bolstered because I''m a Dryad." Said Lavender as she nodded her head in agreement. "Hmm, so certain species have a deeper connection with certain elements? That''s not too surprising, nor is it surprising that Dryads have a more natural affinity toward the water and earth elements. Do Humans have a natural affinity toward a specific element?" Stated Alexander with a pondering expression before glancing at Lavender. "Yes; however, like Humans, not all species have a natural affinity toward an element. Although you''re a High-Human, and I don''t know much about them; however, by the information I have about High-Elves, you most likely don''t have a natural affinity." Declared Lavender with a thoughtful expression while rubbing her chin. "Haa, that''s lame; humans are always at the bottom of the totem pole." Muttered Alexander under his breath, though Lavender easily heard him and merely chuckled at his antics. "Hehe, stop being sour, Alexander; while it''s true having a natural affinity toward a certain element is nice, it''s not like it comes without its drawbacks. As I''m a Dryad, I have a natural affinity toward the water and earth elements, yet that also means it''s harder for a Dryad to have an affinity toward any other element, not to mention it makes it several times harder for a Dryad to learn any other element, as you don''t actually need an affinity toward an element to use that specific element, it just helps immensely." Explained Lavender with a slight smirk while looking at Alexander. "Well, I suppose it''s not that bad when you put it like that, though I''ve only seen you use the water and earth elements. Can you use any other elements, Master?" Said Alexander with a sheepish expression as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, I can use every major element, and other than the life element, which I''m quite proficient in, I don''t have much mastery in the other elements; not only was it challenging and time-consuming to learn them, I never really had a strong desire to master them. So, I can help you while you''re in the beginning and intermediate stages of mana; however, once you start to learn the more advanced applications of mana, I won''t be able to provide much help, if any at all, considering we don''t have matching affinities. Then again, you won''t need to worry about that; you''ll be well into your twenties before you even start approaching the advanced stages of mana." Stated Lavender as she showed Alexander her usage of every single major element. "So, now that all of that is out of the way and we''ve determined what your mana affinities are, let me teach you a few exercises that, while difficult and painful, will greatly increase your control over mana." Added Lavender with a slightly evil smirk, one that caused Alexander to shiver in fright. "Umm, I appreciate the thought, Master; however, I-I''ve already created-" Said Alexander nervously as he stood up while slowly backing away, though Lavender wasn''t having any of that. "Fufu, don''t worry, Alexander; this is the same training my teacher forced upon me, and when I was a child, I promised myself that If I ever have a disciple in the future, I''ll have them go through the same hell I experienced." Remarked Lavender with a smile as she dragged the struggling Alexander into the forest. "Nooo! I want to live!" Exclaimed Alexander as he and Lavender disappeared into the forest, never to be seen again, well at least until it was time for lunch. Chapter 17: Time-Skip! In a decent-sized forest, there is a small clearing located directly in the middle, which is situated in a remote area quite far away from any form of civilization; every now and then, you''d hear explosions accompanied by the occasional sights of water and steam above the trees along with the disturbance of mana, indication two beings were mostly liking fighting. This went on for nearly two full hours before everything began dying down, allowing the mana in the atmosphere to finally return to its peaceful state. ___ ___ While soaking wet, I breathed raggedly as I glanced at Master, who was standing roughly ten meters away from me, surrounded by burnt and charred grass, and pointed my hand toward her as I attempted to create attacks with the use of my mana; however, before I could, a giant ball water that was floating above me, which I wasn''t able to sense, suddenly exploded and drenched my already wet body. "Alright, I think that''s enough for right now, Alexander; I don''t want to push you to the point where you might collapse." Said Lavender with a slight smile as she fixed the ground in the vicinity using earth mana before approaching Alexander, who was lying on the ground. "How was that, Master? Surely I''ve improved since last week?" Asked Alexander as his breathing quickly returned to normal because of his incredible healing factor. "Yes, although it wasn''t much, I noticed you had slightly improved since last week''s spar. Though, I must say, Alexander, seeing you make improvements, even if slight, every week is impressive; your talent when it comes to mana is simply superb." Remarked Lavender with a soft smile as she squatted down next to Alexander. "Fufu, I couldn''t ask for a better disciple, and I can''t wait till the day you adventure outside this forest and begin making a name for yourself with your outstanding potential and talent. The world will come to know of Alexander, the invincible Archmage, the disciple of Lavender Vestalis!" Added Lavender with a prideful smile, earning a chuckle from Alexander. "Hehe, that''s good; slow but constant progress is already more than I could ask for; no complaints from me; though to be fair, Master, an Archmage is usually someone who has very high attainments in mana, something I''m currently incredibly far away from; however, speaking of Archmage, Master; I don''t think I want to be a Mage." Stated Alexander as he slowly stood up while nervously staring at Lavender, waiting for her reaction. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I was going to be disappointed or angry? I''ve always had a feeling that you weren''t going to be a mage, not to mention most mages don''t actively train their body like you''ve been doing for the past several years." Replied Lavender with a smirk while dismissively waving her hand, causing Alexander to sigh in relief. "Ah, well, I know you''re a mage, and since I''m your disciple, it would only make sense for me to inherit your status as a mage and follow in her footsteps." Said Alexander while awkwardly rubbing his head as he glanced at Lavender. "While that''s true, I don''t want you to feel obligated to follow in my footsteps or walk the same path as me; you''re different, you have a different mindset, a different goal, and various desires that may or may not be achievable if you decided to be a Mage. Besides, I don''t think you''re really cut out to be a mage anyways, we spend most of our time acting as hermits, and I don''t think you want to spend weeks, or possibly even months, without leaving your room." Declared Lavender lightly with a smile as they turned around and began approaching the treehouse. "No, I definitely don''t want to do that, though, since you''ve brought that up; have you done that before, Master?" Asked Alexander curiously as he followed behind Lavender. "Haa, yes, I have, and more times than I would like to count; I remember one time me and my colleague were close to achieving a breakthrough on our project that we stayed locked in our office for nearly two years and only exited when he completed the project." Said Lavender while sighing with a dejected expression, though contrary to her expression, her words were laced with joy. "Two years!? I know you''ve got a long life to waste away, but that''s absurd!" Exclaimed Alexander in disbelief while Lavender smacked him on the back of his head. "Hmph, since you think it''s fun to make fun of my age, you''ll be the one to make lunch." Remarked Lavender as she ignored Alexander and merged into the tree, as that was how she always entered the house. "Haa, I didn''t even mean it like that; old people are so sensitive." Muttered Alexander with a frown while sighing, though the ground beneath him started rumbling when he said that. Sensing Master''s Ire, without a second thought, I quickly ran towards the pond in the distance, not only to run away but because I also needed to wash after the spar I had with Master. Once I approached the pond, the rumbling from the ground vanished, causing me to release a sigh of relief before I took off my clothes and entered the pond. Though when I entered the pond, I made sure not to say anything about Master''s age, as since I was in the water, I was also inside her domain. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. While floating in the crystal clear pond, enjoying the water caressing my skin as it washed away any of the dirt that covered my body, I thought back to the past three years since I was first introduced to mana. ''It''s already been three years? Haa, when you''re enjoying yourself, time always moves fast; still, to think it''s already been eight years since I died and reincarnated. I''m technically 30 years old; damn, I''m old.'' Thought Alexander while floating through the pond. ''Well, at least these past three years weren''t for naught; I''ve improved quite a lot in the magic department, not to mention that my Status panel is practically completely different.'' Thought Alexander as he summoned his Status panel and inspected it, causing him to smile slightly. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 8 years Tier: 0 Level: 0 Experience: [30%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+ Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 790/790 ¡ú 1,890/1,890 Vigor: 15 ¡ú 27 Endurance: 17 ¡ú 30 Agility: 10 ¡ú 22 Dexterity: 12 ¡ú 22 Intelligence: 72(79) ¡ú 172(189) Perception: 24(26) ¡ú 45(50) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl5(Uncommon)¡ü, Shrink¨Clvl2(Rare)¡ü, Expand¨Clvl2(Rare)¡ü, Fire Blast¨Clvl2(Uncommon)¡ü, Fire Breath¨Clvl2(Uncommon)¡ü, Fire Ball¨Clvl3(Common)¡ü, Fire Shot¨Clvl2(Common)¡ü, Wind Blade¨Clvl2(Common)¡ü, Wind Shot¨Clvl2¡ü(Common), Wind Step-lvl4(common)¡ü Condition: N/A //////////////////// Looking at my Status panel, I couldn''t help but smile while feeling a surge of pride; although it may not look like much, considering I''ve been training with the assistance of Master for three years, it''s gratifying to see all the hard work I''ve done actually amount to something useful. Not to mention Master has said many times that my progress is very impressive, and while it doesn''t really feel like it, sometimes, I don''t doubt her words; I mean, who would question the words of someone as ancient as her? ''Hehe, now that I think about it, isn''t Master older than the calendar back on Earth? I died in the year 2020, and Master is roughly 2,300 years old, so she is indeed older than the start of the official calendar. She really is old.'' Thought Alexander as he closed his eyes and submerged himself in the water to thoroughly cleanse himself. Unfortunately, over the past three years, I''ve seen no improvement in the skills [Heroes Gaze], [Omnilingual], and [Rebirth]; speaking of [Rebirth], it hasn''t leveled up once compared to the other two skills. Still, I''m not surprised that the other two skills haven''t leveled up; I''ve pretty much spoken to every non-hostile creature in the surrounding vicinity of the clearing since Master won''t allow me to venture too far away, and it''s not like I planned to do so in the first place, even if I can somewhat protect myself now. The same could be said for [Heroes Gaze]; I''ve practically inspected everything there is to analyze, and I don''t think analyzing a few boulders or rocks will help, if at all. And for [Rebirth], I don''t even know how that skill hasn''t leveled up yet, I''m always passively using that ability, so I feel like it should''ve leveled up by now, but it might be because I haven''t used its activate ability. ''Ugh, but if that''s the case, that is very annoying as I don''t want to just use the ability when I do not require it; it would feel like a waste, not to mention, what if I''m in a situation where I need to use the skill, but it''s on cooldown, for however long that is?'' Pondered Alexander while washing himself. Once I deemed myself fully clean, I emerged from the depth of the pond and exited the water as I made my way toward where I had left my clothes; when I arrived near them, instead of putting them on, I raised my hand and commanded the wind mana to brush against my body, decreasing the time needed to dry myself, and while I would''ve liked to use fire mana along with wind mana, I wasn''t nearly proficient enough in magic to keep two different elements stable and intact. After roughly a minute of being blasted with a mildly intense wind comparable to an average thunderstorm, I picked up my clothes, and when I was about to put them on, I only now remembered they were in rough condition after the earlier battle with Master. "I like how comfortable and loose these plant fiber clothes are, but they aren''t very durable against magic attacks; I need to ask Master for better clothes." Muttered Alexander as he grabbed his clothes and approached the tree house in the nude, intending to wear clean clothes instead. Arriving at the tree, I jumped from branch to branch until I made it to the entrance of the house, carefully opening the door since I didn''t necessarily wish to be seen by Master while in the nude as even though she''s seen me naked plenty of times before, that doesn''t make it any less embarrassing for me. After using [Heroes Gaze] just to be sure Master wasn''t nearby, I very quickly ran toward my room, not even bothering to try to be quiet; once I arrived near my room, I promptly entered it, turned around, and shut the door behind me, only to be shocked by my stupid luck. "Ah, Alexander, I see you''ve finished bathing; here are some new clothes. I''ve been noticing recently that after every time we spar, your clothes are always greatly damaged, so I figured it was about time to get you some clothes with better mana resistance." Said Lavender calmly with a slight smile as she placed the new set of clothes on Alexander''s bed while looking at his nude and embarrassed appearance, causing her to chuckle slightly. "I-It''s not funny, Master!" Stated Alexander in anger and embarrassment as he swiftly covered his genitals while eyeing Lavender. Chapter 18: Ichor Once Master finally left my room, I dropped my guard while heaving a sigh of relief as I approached my bed and examined the new set of clothes, using [Heroes Gaze]. //////////////////// Name: Slime suit Rank: Uncommon Description: Clothes made from the body of slime, which has high mana resistance. //////////////////// ''Hmm, well, hopefully, this suit won''t get destroyed during my spars with Master.'' Thought Alexander as he examined the purple and black outfit before wearing it. When I put the slime suit on, although it was definitely too big for me to wear, I was surprised when it shrunk, tightly hugging against my body, though it was very comfortable and didn''t hamper my movements at all. "This is wonderful; I wish I had this a few years ago." Muttered Alexander while viewing his body in the crystal mirror embedded into his wall. Since the description said it was created from the body of a mana resistance slime, I assumed the clothes would also be fairly resistant to mana, and to test my assumption, I decided to attack myself with my mana, though I started off lightly in case it didn''t have good mana resistance. ''It is of an Uncommon rank, so it should at least be able to defend against a normal fireball.'' Pondered Alexander as he held his hand out just before his chest. Ever since I''ve come to learn more and more about how this world operates and how much it resembles a video game, I expected one would have to learn a significant amount of things through skill notes or something similar, like in video games; however, thankfully, I was wrong. While Master did say things such as skill notes exist, they are called skill crystals, and in order to learn the skills that those crystals contain, you must consume them; which I find to be very weird, but if it works, it works. Speaking of skill crystals, Master has warned me that while using a skill crystal will allow you to learn the skill instantly, you will not be able to evolve or upgrade that skill, unlike if you were to acquire a skill through hard work and time. That is also the reason why even after three years, I have so few skills, as Master wouldn''t allow me to use skill crystals, which I had found a few after snooping around Master''s office nearly a year ago. Anyways, I''m getting off track; focusing back on my little experiment, I concentrated on my hand while imagining a spark that would grow into a small flickering flame before finally expanding into a large red fire the same size as my head. //////////////////// Name: Fire Ball Rank: Common Description: A ball of concentrated fire mana that''ll explode on impact //////////////////// Although it looked large and intimidating, I had only used the smallest amount of mana required to use the skill [Fire Ball], so it was pretty weak; it would probably, at most, cause first-degree burns on my body, which is something that''ll heal in a matter of a few minutes, though it would still be painful. ''Well, here goes nothing; hopefully, the slime suit works; otherwise, it will be an awkward conversation with Master.'' Thought Alexander as he took a big breath and slowly brought his hand, which was holding the large red fire, toward his chest until a small explosion occurred, enveloping his chest and abdomen. "Should''ve covered my face." Commented Alexander while coughing as he waved his hands to disperse the smoke, only to reveal his unharmed body. Once the smoke had been dispersed, I inspected my body; however, seeing how my slime suit was fine and my body unharmed, I concluded it was resistant to mana, at least until a certain degree, as I had used a very weak [Fire Ball]. While I was curious to test its limit, what I did was already somewhat dumb, and I had no desire to collide with a powerful [Fire Ball] which could intensely burn my body, though I could always infuse neutral mana into my physique, in turn, offsetting most, if not all of the damage; then again, this is all considering if the slime outfit doesn''t protect me. Anyways, with the experiment finished, I exited the room and headed toward the kitchen, only to find it empty, prompting me to head to the next spot where I would find her office in the back of the house. Leaving the kitchen, I walked through the hallway before knocking on the door and slowly opening it; this time, finding Master sitting down at her desk, which was covered in several glass bottles, while inspecting a particular bottle filled with a golden liquid. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Oh, Alexander, what are you doing? Do you like the clothes?" Asked Lavender with a light smile as she set the bottle down and looked at Alexander, wearing the black and purple slime outfit, which happened to compliment his purple crystal-like eyes and snowy white hair. "Nothing, I was just looking for you, Master. And the clothes, I very much love them; they are tight fitting, yet super comfortable, and they don''t interfere with any of my movements." Replied Alexander as he neared Lavender while stretching. "I''m glad you like them; they''re a minor project I made in the past, and I remembered them recently." Remarked Lavender softly while looking at Alexander before focusing on the bottle containing a golden substance. Noticing Master seemed very invested with the golden liquid, I used [Heroes Gaze], curious to see if there were changes since the last time I checked. //////////////////// Name: Heroes Ichor Rank: Mythical Description: Blood that flows through the body of the True Hero, granting him an immense healing factor and other various benefits. Consuming this will alleviate any and all effects of Legendary rank and below. //////////////////// ''Hmm, nothing changed, though I suppose if I want to notice something different, I''d need to level up my skill [Heroes Gaze].'' Thought Alexander while eyeing his viscous ichor. "Have you discovered anything new about my blood or Ichor, Master?" Asked Alexander while standing beside Lavender. "Unfortunately, no; in fact, if you didn''t tell me about its capabilities, I''d most likely be completely clueless about the property of your so-called Ichor." Replied Lavender with a sigh while shaking the battle, causing the viscous ichor to shake slightly. "Well, have you tried consuming it? You''ve said that for it to be a Mythical rank, it should be much more powerful than what the description says. There is a possibility that I can''t completely analyze it, and some knowledge is still hidden." Stated Alexander; while he found the concept of Lavender consuming his blood to be very weird, the act would cause no harm, not to mention that she might get some ability. "About that, I had actually just consumed before you entered the room." Said Lavender while cutely smiling at Alexander, who just blankly stared at her. "And it did nothing?" Asked Alexander with a sigh while shaking his head at Lavender''s antics. "No, it did do something, just not as much as I expected, if I''m being honest, though that is probably because I''m completely healthy." Remarked Lavender lightly as she lied to Alexander while flexing her arm, and though Alexander would generally be able to discern if she was lying instantly, surprisingly, he didn''t notice anything wrong with her answer. "So what did it do, Master?" Asked Alexander, utterly clueless that Lavender had just lied. "It granted me a rare trait called [Natural Regeneration]." Replied Lavender with minor difficulties while casually eyeing the golden Ichor. "A rare trait; Isn''t that pretty good? Didn''t you say traits are very difficult to obtain?" Remarked Alexander with a curious frown while eyeing Lavender. "Of course, it''s good, but what I had just consumed was a Mythical item, so I expected more; however, it seems most of its capabilities lie with healing." Said Lavender with a slight cough as she stood up and approached a cabinet beside a large shelf. Once Master placed the bottle full of my Ichor into the cabinet, she rearranged some stuff on the shelf before returning to her desk. "Speaking of capabilities, I wanted to ask if you could increase the difficulty in my training. I''ve gotten pretty good at controlling my mana, so the training I''m doing isn''t that effective anymore." Stated Alexander while raising both hands, one hand creating a large reddish flame, while his other hand creating a small gust of wind which formed into a mini-tornado. "Hmm, I''m greatly impressed, but didn''t I just increase the difficulty two months ago? Yet here you are, requesting me to raise the difficulty once again; at this rate, you''ll finish the beginning part of your training by the time you''re ten." Questioned Lavender while raising her eyebrow in slight surprise. "Hehe, well, it''s not that surprising; I''ve been taking my training quite seriously over the past three years." Replied Alexander while chuckling in happiness from Lavender''s praise. "Alright; if you believe you''re ready, I''ll gladly raise the difficulty in your training regimen. However, before I do that, I have a little something I must take care of, so could you give me a couple of minutes?" Said Lavender with a nod as she quickly shut her mouth while gently pushing Alexander out of her office. "Ok, I''ll be waiting at the training area then, Master." Remarked Alexander as he exited the office while giving Lavender one last look before she closed the door. ___ ___ Closing the door on Alexander, I waited a few moments for him to leave the area; before I erupted into a fit of coughing while trying my best to keep it as quiet as possible in case, Alexander was still able to hear me. Leaning against the door, the intensity of my coughing increased to the point where I was forced to cover my mouth; otherwise, I''m sure Alexander would''ve heard me; it wasn''t until an entire minute had passed before I finally stopped coughing. ''Ugh, it''s worse than before; I should''ve been able to live another fifty or so years, yet my foolish action of examining Alexander''s status panel greatly accelerated the poison''s effect, not to mention having just lied to him. Now, I don''t even know if I''ll live half that long.'' Thought Lavender weakly as she let go of her mouth and eyed her hand, which was covered in green blood. Once I arrived near my desk, I plopped on my chair while breathing unsteadily as I eyed the ceiling through my hazy eyes, wondering about my inevitable death. "That bastard; he not only poisoned me, but he used a Mythical poison? Hehe, I guess he was really deadset on killing me." Remarked Lavender lazily while slightly coughing as she eyed the bottle filled with golden ichor on the shelf. ''I have always had an inkling he used a Mythical ranked poison, considering how helpless I am against its effects; however, I''ve hoped I was wrong since as long as it wasn''t Mythical, there was always a chance at surviving, no matter how minuscule it was. Now, my death is nothing but guaranteed; finding an antidote for a Legendary-ranked poison is already difficult enough, let alone a Mythical-ranked poison.'' Thought Lavender in anguish and sadness while quietly chuckling to herself. Chapter 19: Master & Disciples Dilemma After several minutes of just sitting down while waiting for the poison to recede as I attempted to contain it with my mana, which only ended up slowing the inevitable, but I didn''t have any other options unless I wished to die within a matter of a few hours. While I''ve come to accept my assured death, I still have a disciple to take care of; Alexander may have the intelligence of an adult, yet his knowledge of this world is minuscule, and if I were to die now, Alexander would have a tough life ahead of him; that is if he even manages to survive escaping this forest, as without my protection, I have no doubt the various beasts will claim this area as their territory. "Ugh, that''s right, Lavender, before you die, you must Educate Alexander of this world, at the very least. Even if you end up dying, Alexander is special; I''m sure that while his life will be difficult without me, with his luck, he''ll somehow preserve." Said Lavender resolutely as she slowly stood up and exited her office. Walking to the room in the distance to change my clothes as I''ve spilled some of my blood on them, I swiftly exit the room while feeling much better, which in turn damped my pessimistic attitude. "Alright, Lavender, stop being so pessimistic; you may not have a long life to live, but because of that, I need to make these remaining years count." Muttered Lavender while lightly slapping herself for encouragement. With an improved attitude, I leave the house and head toward the training area where Alexander is currently at. ___ ___ Having just left the tree house, I arrive at the edge of the clearing, only to leave its boundary and venture into the dangerous forest; however, while I say that, there usually aren''t any dangerous creatures in the vicinity of the clearing; what happened with the Runebear and Direwolf was a rare occurrence, which probably won''t happen again after Master remarked her territory. While walking through the forest, I would greet nearly every beast I came across with a friendly smile, and although most beasts are blunt, as long as you don''t anger them, they are pretty chill; well, that''s only taking into account herbivores and omnivores. Every carnivore I''ve interacted with, which isn''t many, have all been aggressive, though I can''t really blame them; the only times I''ve encountered them is when they''re hunting, so it only makes sense they are aggressive. "Still, I would like to have a conversation with a carnivore, granted I''m not that proficient in their languages, but I won''t improve without practice." Muttered Alexander as he suddenly stopped and looked around when he heard a cry for help. As I walked through the forest, I heard several high-pitched chirps crying out for their parents; stopping, I observed the surrounding forest before noticing a baby bird, or a chick, lying on the ground while seemingly attempting to fly from how she was repeatedly flapping her featherless wings. Not wanting to scare it needlessly, I made my presence known by calling out to her, causing her to suddenly snap her neck in my direction while shriveling up in fear when she noticed my large body. "Don''t worry, little child; I''m not going to hurt you; I only wish to help." Said Alexander softly as he slowly approached the chick to avoid spooking her. Once I arrived before her, I slowly reached down and carefully scooped the little chick into my hands before bringing her up to eye level; when I did so, I noticed a substantial amount of her fear had disappeared. Lightly smiling, I released a few words while telling her to prepare for what I was about to do; looking up at the tree directly in front of me, I spot a nest straight above us, and with another chirp, I gained confirmation that it was her nest. Seeing how high it was, I concluded it was roughly ten or so meters, pretty tall, but it wasn''t anything I couldn''t reach with a jump; infusing neutral mana into my legs, I suddenly jumped off the ground, causing me to shoot high into the sky, passing several meters above the nest. Now that I was high enough, I transformed my neutral mana to wind mana and summoned a large, dense gust of wind to surround me, causing my descent to slow down considerably, though; unfortunately, I wasn''t proficient enough in wind mana to stay afloat. As I was slowly floating down, the nest came back into view, and once we neared it, I quickly extended my arms before carefully setting the chick in the nest; once I finished, I grabbed the bottom of the branch. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Do be careful next time." Said Alexander with a soft smile as he gently petted the chick''s head, causing her to release a high-pitch chirp full of happiness. "Well, I''ve got to go, little one, but I don''t mind paying you some visits; hopefully, you''ll be soaring through the beautiful sky one day." Declared Alexander with a chuckle as he released the branch and dropped to the ground. Hearing her chirp excitedly, I looked up at the nest, only to see her cute little head peeking over the edge as she eyed me, waving her goodbye; I continued walking toward my destination while the sound of her high-pitched chirping slowly faded in the distance. While walking through the forest in a good mood, I decided to summon my status panel, yet when I did, my good mood swiftly vanished, and I was consumed by depression as I eyed my status panel. There was nothing wrong with my status panel per se; in fact, Master has said it was pretty impressive, excluding the crazy traits, skills, and titles I was born with, of course. The reason why I was so depressed is that I haven''t leveled up once; I hadn''t even gained a single experience point over the three years, and I honestly felt pathetic; I was even somewhat worried that Master might be disappointed with me. ''But this doesn''t make any sense, even if I haven''t killed anything since that one time three years ago; I''ve done a few heroic deeds. I literally just did one a few minutes ago by helping that chick return to her nest, so why haven''t I gained a single experience point!?'' Pondered Alexander while leaning against a random tree and sighing to himself. While leaning against the tree, I watched how several beasts of various sizes walked past me, some of them glancing at me and others completely ignoring my presence; each time a beast walked by, I stared at it and deeply contemplated whether to kill it for the experience. However, I just couldn''t bring myself to inflict lethal harm on them for no reason, and it didn''t matter that they were herbivores; even if they were carnivores, it wouldn''t change my stance; unless they were actively trying to hunt me. So with a sigh, I stood up and continued walking to my destination in a gloomy mood, which wasn''t too far away; it only took another three minutes of walking before I arrived at a miniature mountain, or more appropriately, a hill. The hill and the surrounding area were somewhat desolate and void of vegetation as it was mostly comprised of rocks, gravel, sand, and other minerals; however, that doesn''t mean there are no creatures that can thrive in this type of environment, at least that is what Master said. If I consider the knowledge of Earth and how life adapts to its surrounding environment, then it''s not surprising some creatures can survive here; granted, I''ve never seen such a creature yet. Walking up the desolate hill until I arrive at its peak, I spot a massive transparent crystal, a size so large it reminds me of a house. Approaching the crystal, which happens to be a mana crystal, I sit down next to it and wait for Master while thinking back to the first time I discovered this. ___ ___ "Haa, Master, could you let go of me, please? I promise I won''t try to run away again." Asked Alexander while Lavender dragged him by the leg through the forest. Shortly after I said that, Master let go of my foot, allowing me freedom and the ability to walk on my own; standing up, I dusted my clothes off before quickly catching up with Master in the distance. "So, where are we going, and what type of training is this?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Lavender, who he was now walking beside. "We''re heading toward a hill not too far away from our territory, one that you''ll be able to walk by yourself without worrying about possibly being attacked. The training I have planned for you is one that''ll improve your mana control, though it will be very exhausting, to say the least." Replied Lavender lightly, her words intriguing Alexander. I was pretty happy to hear that; I''ve just grasped the ability to manipulate and sense mana, so I need constant practice to improve my control. While wondering what kind of training Master had in store for me, I noticed the vegetation around us was quickly becoming scarce until, eventually, it was practically gone; only small patches of grass remained, and even then, they were rare. "When you said hill, this isn''t exactly what I had envisioned." Commented Alexander as he glanced at the desolate rocky hill before him. Although the sight of the hill slightly surprised me, I quickly got used to it as it was just a bunch of rocks; walking up the hill, once we arrived at the top, my eyes instantly spotted a massive translucent crystal sitting atop the hill. "That is a massive crystal!" Declared Alexander as he eyed the crystal the size of a house. "That right there is a mana crystal, the same one you had just previously used, and that is also what you''ll be using for your training." Stated Lavender as she approached the massive crystal that towered over her and tapped on it. "To think a mana crystal could be so massive, although I''m curious, does the size of a mana crystal affect how much mana it can hold?" Asked Alexander curiously while also lightly touching the crystal, though the moment he did, he instantly felt weak. Swiftly retracting my hand, I stumbled and fell on the ground while grabbing my rapidly beating heart as I had just felt nearly all of my mana get absorbed into the mana crystal in front of me. "Fufu, not only does the size of the mana crystal affect how much it can hold, but it also affects its absorption ability. Your training is quite simple, Alexander; all you must do is stop the mana crystal from absorbing all of your mana." Said Lavender with a chuckle as she casually touched the crystal while eyeing Alexander. Chapter 20: Alexanders Needless Worries Groaning at Master''s amused expression, I stood up carefully, making sure not to touch the massive mana crystal accidentally; I didn''t feel like passing out from instantly emptying my mana. //////////////////// Mana: 234/1,890 Condition: Mana exhaustion //////////////////// ''My goodness, I barely touched that crystal for a second and already have mana exhaustion!? I''m not one to shy away from something difficult, but this seems way out of my league.'' Thought Alexander as he viewed his status panel before eyeing Lavender, who seemed to be able to read his thoughts. "Don''t worry; I just wanted to mess with you." Remarked Lavender with a chuckle as she began infusing her mana into the crystal, causing it to become less translucent by the second. While observing the mana crystal absorbing Master''s mana, I was utterly shocked; I couldn''t even touch the crystal for a second without nearly all of my mana emptying, yet, Master was able to infuse her mana into the crystal so casually, like it didn''t even affect her. ''I''ve always known Master was powerful; well, at least powerful compared to me and every beast in the forest, but this is insane!'' Thought Alexander with widened eyes while eyeing the now blue and brown mana crystal. "There, done. Now with the Mana crystal nearly full of mana, you should be able to properly train with it; you don''t have to worry about suddenly losing all of your mana." Said Lavender as she released her hand from the massive crystal and approached Alexander. Although Master said that, I was still quite hesitant to touch the crystal again, so with meticulous movements, I gently placed my finger on the crystal; prepared to retract my arm as fast as possible if I started losing a ridiculous amount of mana. Thankfully, that didn''t happen; while the crystal was absorbing my mana, it was at a steady pace, roughly two mana per second, something I could handle. "So, all I have to do is stop the crystal from absorbing my mana, correct, Master?" Asked Alexander with furrowed brows while already attempting that. "Yes, and given how long it took you to locate your mana, I don''t expect it''ll take you too long to overcome this challenge. Though when you do, inform me about it so that I may increase the difficulty; otherwise, you won''t continue to improve yourself if you''re not challenged." Replied Lavender with a nod as she eyed Alexanders'' small frame before turning around and heading toward the forest, leaving him all alone. ___ ___ "Alexander, you alright?" Asked Lavender softly while gently placing her hand atop his shoulder, successfully snapping him out of his train of thought. "Hmm, yeah, Master, I''m fine; anyways, when did you arrive?" Replied Alexander as he shook his head and stood up while dusting his clothes off. "Just now, though, when I arrived, I saw you blankly staring off into space while deeply contemplating something." Said Lavender while eyeing Alexander with slight concern, something Alexander noticed. "There is no need for you to be so worried, Master; I''m fine. I was merely thinking back to when I first began training." Stated Alexander calmly while subconsciously avoiding eye contact. "Alright then, just give me a few seconds to expel some of my mana from the crystal so that you may continue training; speaking of training, how is your other training coming along?" Said Lavender as she placed her hand upon the crystal and began expelling the mana from the crystal by using her body as a medium. "The control of my spells is difficult like always, but the progress is steady; however, now that you''ve recently forced me to practice around those annoying and obnoxious birds, I haven''t made much progress. I can''t properly concentrate around those birds; they don''t even know how to be quiet for two seconds!" Replied Alexander with a huff of annoyance while eyeing Lavender. "Fufu, that''s the whole purpose of the training, Alexander; if you can''t even perform basic spells in an uncomfortable or loud setting, how do you expect to cast spells when in the middle of combat?" Stated Lavender with a small smile. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Haa, I know, Master; but that doesn''t really mean I like it. If it weren''t because those birds are exceptionally fast and agile, I would''ve beaten them to the ground; they aren''t strong, so they wouldn''t be able to fight back against me." Said Alexander while formulating a plan to do just that. "While I won''t stop you if you do such a thing, I would advise against it; individually, they aren''t a threat, but together they will be quite a fearsome opponent, not to mention they have spectacular teamwork." Said Lavender with a smirk while shaking her head as she released her hand from the crystal. "There, all done; now it shouldn''t be easy for you anymore; also, I expelled more mana than usual so that it will be more difficult than normal." Added Lavender as she approached the quiet Alexander. "Thanks, Master; if it isn''t too much trouble, could I ask you something?" Asked Alexander quietly. "Yes, of course; you can ask me anything, Alexander." Replied Lavender softly while nodding her head. "M-Master, are you disappointed with me?" Said Alexander while eyeing Lavender, who seemed taken aback by his question. "Disappointed? I''m not disappointed in you one bit, and what makes you think I would be disappointed in you? You''ve done nothing that should warrant my disappointment; you''ve lived up to my expectations and have even surpassed them on several occasions, so if anything, I''m beyond satisfied." Declared Lavender with a frown of curiosity while looking at Alexander. "It''s just; I can''t help but feel disappointed in myself when I failed to level up on that day a few years ago. I figured if I was disappointed in myself, you must''ve also been disappointed in me as well." Said Alexander while sighing to himself. "You''re telling me you''re disappointed in yourself over something so minor, like increasing your level?" Asked Lavender in confusion. "It may seem minor to you, Master, but besides my Brother from my last life, you''re the only other person I''ve ever cared for, and I don''t want to let you down, even if it is something you deem minor." Stated Alexander passionately while eying Lavender. Only after I said that did I release how embarrassing it sounded, and while looking at Master, I could vividly feel my cheeks burning in embarrassment. "I don''t know exactly how to respond to that, Alexander; as your Master, I want nothing more than for you to surpass my expectations, yet at the same time, I don''t want you to feel burned with my expectations." Replied Lavender as she rested her hand atop Alexander''s shoulder. "Listen, Alexander, I don''t care how long it takes or how many times you fail, but as long as you never give up, I won''t ever be disappointed in you, alright." Added Lavender softly as she attempted to alter his mentality. I could tell Master truly meant those words as I didn''t sense any falsehood, but just because she said that doesn''t mean I will suddenly think the same; I don''t want to fail to meet Master''s expectations even once. "I understand, Master." Said Alexander with a nod, though he didn''t sound very convinced. "Haa, alright, Alexander, since you''re going to act like that, follow me; you can train later." Stated Lavender with a sigh as she stood up and headed back into the forest. Confused by Master''s sudden request, I quickly followed behind her as we traversed deeper into the forest, leaving the safe area and heading into the dangerous parts of the forest, but of course, by Master''s side, no beast dared to approach us. "Master, where are we going?" Asked Alexander while glancing at all the large beasts while refraining from gazing upon them with [Heroes Gaze]. "Since you''re so caught up on what happened all those years ago, I''ll allow you to amend your past failure and finally level up. I intended to show you this place a little later, but it should be fine; it''s not like you can access this area without me escorting you anyways; too many powerful beasts roam around here." Stated Lavender while eyeing the various beasts who lowered their heads while quickly retreating in fear. When Master said that, I assumed she was bringing me to an area intensely populated with wildlife so I may kill to level up, and while I was against the idea, after everything I stated before, I couldn''t back away now; that would be many times more shameful that what happened the first time. So with an uneasy heart, I quietly followed behind Master as we traveled through the forest before eventually arriving at what looked to be a mountain, the same mountain I could see from our house, though it looked much larger up close. Looking around, I couldn''t discern anything unique about this area, and out of curiosity, I activated [Heroes Gaze] before again observing the vicinity; when I did, I noticed a hole in the side of the mountain, reminding me of a cave. However, before I could inform Master, she approached the mountain until she was standing right in front of the Cave, and without any prior warning, she phased right through the mountain and entered the cave. ''Hmm, it must be some kind of illusion or something similar.'' Thought Alexander as he also approached the cave entrance and copied Lavender''s actions. Other than feeling like I had just walked through a thin layer of water, there was nothing interesting to speak of. "Was that an illusion, Master?" Asked Alexander while observing the dimly lit cave. "Yes, it was; I''m also the one who placed that illusion there. I had used an intermediate-level illusion, but it seems like it didn''t have much effect on deceiving your eyes." Remarked Lavender lightly while eyeing Alexander glowing purple eyes, signifying his use of the skill [Heroes Gaze]. "Well, so far, I haven''t encountered anything capable of tricking my eyes." Said Alexander with a slight chuckle while rubbing the back of his head. Chapter 21: Level-up! "So, Master, since you hid this cave with illusion magic, there must be something special about this place, correct?" Asked Alexander while using the skill [Heroes Gaze] to view the poorly lit cave, seemingly without end. "Yes, although the correct term wouldn''t be a cave, but a dungeon instead." Replied Lavender while walking down the long passageway while Alexander followed closely behind. When Master said dungeon, I was slightly taken aback as I couldn''t help but think back to my video game knowledge, which wasn''t much, to begin with; however, anyone who has played a few video games should know that the term dungeon and monsters go hand-in-hand. ''But even if this dungeon happened to be a nest full of monsters, would they actually be monsters or just abnormally powerful beasts?'' Pondered Alexander with a thoughtful expression. "Master, is this dungeon, and possibly other dungeons present in the world, filled with powerful beasts, or maybe something similar?" Asked Alexander with furrowed brows as he and Lavender stopped walking since they had reached a split in the path. "Which way do you want to go?" Said Lavender, completely ignoring Alexander''s question. "Neither direction really matters, but my heart is leaning more toward the left passageway." Stated Alexander while pointing toward the left passageway, which looked nearly identical to the right one. With my response, Master nodded her head and, without an ounce of hesitation, began walking down the left passageway; of course, I swiftly followed behind Master as well; if this is anything like the dungeon I imagine it to be, I definitely don''t wish to separate from Master. While walking down the pathway, at first, it seemed to be the same as before, but the deeper we went, the wider the cave became, and it continued to expand until, eventually, it reminded me of a man-made cave from how wide it was. Just when I was about to ask Master about my suspicion about whether this cave, or dungeon, was formed naturally, I noticed numerous, various-sized holes on the side of the dungeon walls, along with the occasional pitter-patter, which seemed to emerge from the holes in the wall. ''This place, I take back my suspicion of it being man-made; Master said this forest is in a remote region anyway, so it''s highly unlikely I was correct.'' Thought Alexander as he intently eyed a hole, only for numerous small glowing orbs to suddenly appear. //////////////////// Species: Stone-Centipede(Common) Age: 2 years Tier: 0 Level: 37 Experience: [32%] Class: Monster Lifeforce: [98%] Mana: 143/150 Vigor: 167 Endurance: 157 Agility: 44 Dexterity: 23 Intelligence: 15 Perception: 38 Traits: Soul Sense(Common), Stone Skin(Common), Dig(Common) Condition: //////////////////// As I inspected the insect''s stats, which caused me to frown since it seemed to have abnormal stats given that it''s only a common species; however, without any sudden warning, it released a loud screech and exited the tunnel while charging directly at me with its pincers. While I was startled by such a sudden action, since the creature wasn''t that fast and there was a reasonable distance between each other, I had plenty of time to summon a fireball and launch it at the incoming insect. I don''t know whether it was because the insect was blinded by anger or if it didn''t know fear, but it didn''t even attempt to avoid my fireball; the moment they collided, a small explosion erupted, causing nearly the entire cave to brighten for a second before it darkened once more. Although there was a decent amount of smoke and debris floating in the air, with my eyes, It was of no concern to me; when I saw the insect''s stone skin glowing red, I figured I had done a decent amount of damage, yet a look at the creatures lifeforce gave me an accurate representation of how much damage I actually did, which was much less than I bargained for. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. //////////////////// Lifeforce: [72%] Condition: Burning //////////////////// ''Well, I suppose it''s not that bad considering I''m still level zero; however, for me to only take 26% of his total life force, I''m quite weak.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he once again materialized his fire mana, though this time he used a more powerful skill, [Fire Blast]. With how long it took me to cast this spell, I had no intention of using it, but thanks to my earlier fireball, it seemed to have disoriented the insect, which gave me an opportunity to use a much more potent spell. Once I was finished preparing the spell, the insect seemed to have regained its bearings as it let out another loud screech and charged toward me, yet the creature was in for a rude awakening. Throwing a dense ball of fire at the incoming stone-centipede, it, just like before, didn''t bother avoiding my attack, which did cause me to frown at its weird behavior, though since it was in my favor, I didn''t dwell on it for long. When my fireblast collided with the centipede, an explosion of an even greater magnitude happened, and this time, I didn''t just cause his stone skin to glow red; I managed to melt it, causing the insect to let out a screech of pain, or what I could only assume was a pain as for some reason I wasn''t able to comprehend it''s words. //////////////////// Lifeforce:[43%] Condition: Intense Burning //////////////////// Seeing how much damage I did slightly improved my mood; I cast one more fireblast and one last fireball, effectively neutralizing the threat. The moment the creature died, I had expected to suddenly feel myself get a significant boost in overall power, whether physical or spiritual; however, after waiting for a while and feeling no changes, I checked my status page in confusion. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 7 years Tier: 0 Level: 0¡ú12 (Available Status Points: 576) Experience: [07%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+ Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 1,007/1,890 Vigor: 27 Endurance: 30 Agility: 22 Dexterity: 22 Intelligence: 172(189) Perception: 45(50) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl5(Uncommon), Shrink¨Clvl2(Rare), Expand¨Clvl2(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl3¡ü(Uncommon), Fire Breath¨Clvl2(Uncommon), Fire Ball¨Clvl4¡ü(Common), Fire Shot¨Clvl2(Common), Wind Blade¨Clvl2(Common), Wind Shot¨Clvl2(Common), Wind Step-lvl4(common) Condition: N/A //////////////////// ''5-576 Status Points!'' Thought Alexander with widened eyes while looking at his status panel. "Congratulations, and now that you''ve finally achieved in increasing your level, will you stop worrying about that failure from three years ago?" Remarked Lavender with a slight smirk while eyeing the shocked Alexander. "Haa yes, I''ll stop concerning myself over my failure, though this was all achieved with no help from you, Master." Stated Alexander while glancing at Lavender with a bland expression. "Don''t give me that look, Alexander; the whole reason I brought you here was so you may kill a monster and level-up; I never had any intention of helping you. Besides, it''s not like you needed help in the first place; you had everything under control." Said Lavender with a cheeky smile, while Alexander just sighed in defeat. As I was about to ask Master something, she suddenly placed her hand atop my arm, and the next thing I knew, we were outside, standing just in front of the entrance to the dungeon. "W-What just happened? Did we just teleport?" Questioned Alexander in astonishment as he looked at Lavender. "Yes, although what I had used wasn''t the skill,[Teleport], but instead the skill, [Mass Teleport]. Teleport only allows the caster, which would''ve been me, to teleport; Mass Teleport allows me to bring along multiple people." Replied Lavender lightly as she turned around and began walking back into the forest. ''Since I have the space element, I''ll be able to do that in the future as well!'' Thought Alexander with an excited smile as he ran after Lavender. "So, what level are you now, Alexander?" Asked Lavender curiously while heading toward her house. "I''m level 12 now, which is a massive jump from my previous level 0, but given that I had killed a level 37 centipede, it''s not as much as I expected." Replied Alexander calmly, though he wasn''t complaining. "It''s because you''re still in my party, The Gypsies; because of that, all the experience you and everyone else affiliated with the party acquire is evenly shared between all its members. So although you, yourself, killed that monster, you only got 20% of its experience, while I and everyone else also got 20%." Stated Lavender, only to chuckle when she noticed Alexander''s annoyed expression. "That''s annoying; I did all the work, but other people get to benefit from it? I don''t mind that you took some of my experience, but I don''t like that three people I''ve never met have stolen my experience." Declared Alexander with a frown as he huffed in annoyance. "Fufu, no need to get so worked up; next time, if you so desire, just leave the party; you can do that after all." Said Lavender with an amused smirk. "Haa, whatever, what''s done is done; speaking of levels, I apparently have 576 status points from leveling up, and I assume I just mentally command where I wish for them to go?" Asked Alexander, though his words caused Lavender to nearly trip and fall on the ground. "5-576 status points!" Said Lavender with widened eyes while intently eyeing Alexander. "Y-Yeah, 576; I know it seems to be a lot, but isn''t your reaction a bit much?" Replied Alexander, taken aback by Lavender''s response. "Oh my goodness, what kind of ridiculous disciple do I have?" Muttered Lavender while taking a minute to calm her rampaging heart. Seeing Master state, I figured it was best to stay quiet and hold my question until she regained her composure, which was relatively quick, though she beat me to it before I could ask her a question. "Alexander, I''m sure you don''t realize it; but the amount of status points you have from merely leveling up 12 times is utterly insane, to say the least. To give you an idea, someone with a Common Class would only acquire three status points when leveling up, for a total of 36 status points for 12 levels; yet you have roughly 14 times the amount of status points." Stated Lavender as she rubbed her head while sighing. (Note: I''ve changed the skill [Fire Bomb] to be called [Fire Blast]) Chapter 22: Master & Disciples Conversation "I-I see why you would have such a big reaction now, but that''s only because you''re comparing me to a Common class, and I don''t mean to be arrogant, but common is merely common; there is nothing unique about it." Said Alexander while glancing at the still-shocked Lavender. "I suppose you''re right, but even for a Legendary and Mythical Class, the amount of status points you acquire per level is still vastly superior; If my calculations are correct, your Class, [Hero}, gives you 3 status points, which is considered the base as that''s what a common Class gets, plus an additional 45. So in total, you get 48 status points per level, compared to a Mythical class that gets 32 or a Legendary class that gets 21 status points per level; you''re far ahead of the curve." Explained Lavender as she glanced at Alexander, only to sigh. ''When Master explains it like that, it''s quite difficult not to be shocked by the sheer difference in status points that I acquire compared to everyone else.'' Thought Alexander, though he still couldn''t fully comprehend how truly powerful his Class was. "I appreciate the Information Master, but back to what I was saying earlier, before you almost collapsed in astonishment, how do I allocate my available status points to my desired stat?" Asked Alexander while observing his status panel as he brought the conversation full circle. "For the record, anyone in my position would''ve reacted the same way, if not worse; However, to your earlier question, which sparked this conversation, yes. To allocate your status points to your desired stat, just mentally command your status panel, just like how you command it to appear and disappear." Replied Lavender with a click of her tongue. Nodding at Master''s words, I summoned my status panel and started pondering which stats to allocate my status points to. "However, I''d advise against doing that right now." Added Lavender when she noticed Alexander''s pondering expression. "Hmm, why do you say that? Wouldn''t it be better to use them immediately?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he closed his status panel. "Yes, there is nothing wrong with using your status points immediately; I always did the same; in my line of work, you''d never know who could be lurking in the shadows, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill you. However, what I mean is, what will your profession be? You''ve told me you don''t wish to be a mage, but do you have anything else in mind?" Stated Lavender as she glanced at Alexander, only to see his troubled expression. "You clearly don''t have a profession in mind right now, so until then; you should save your status points until you decide your calling. Since the moment you allocate your status points, it is nearly impossible to change anything." Replied Lavender seriously. ''I suppose Master is right; it''s not like I''m in need of power right now; besides, if something bad happens and Master isn''t able to prevent it, I won''t be able to do anything either, even if I were to use my status points.'' Thought Alexander as he listened to Lavender''s advice. Having walked through the forest for some time, we eventually arrived back at the clearing with our treehouse in the center; however, while we were doing so, I asked Master something I''ve been meaning to ask ever since I first laid eyes on that stone-centipede. "Master, that stone centipede that I fought earlier, something seemed off about it; its very presence caused me to feel uncomfortable. However, the most alarming thing was that I couldn''t understand it. I haven''t spoken to many insects, but I would at least be able to comprehend some of its words, yet the only noise he produced were incomprehensible screeches." Said Alexander with furrowed brows and slight unease as its image appeared in his mind. "Feeling uncomfortable in their presence is normal; I''ve been doing this for over two millenniums, and I still feel uncomfortable when near them; it''s just something you''ll have to get used to if you wish to become an adventure. However, even though you have the skill, [Omni-lingual], which allows you to comprehend every language, it only makes sense you wouldn''t understand it as it has no soul to speak of." Remarked Lavender, though her words only filled Alexander with confusion. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "No soul? How can that even make any sense? If that stone centipede had no soul, it should''ve been dead; yet it was obviously full of life as it came charging at me with the intent to kill." Said Alexander as he fell deeper into a pit of confusion. "Confusing, I know; I was very much the same when I first learned of it. However, that is the truth, and that is why we call them monsters since they are nothing but soulless animals driven purely by instinct and their innate hate toward any creature with a soul." Stated Lavender with a lack of empathy and a cold expression. Hearing Master speak so coldly and emotionless was a first, yet at the same time, it was slightly freighting as I''ve only ever seen her cheerful and full of energy; the rare times I do see her sad and or angry, it''s never been as intense as it is now. ''Although Master looks scary, her cold expression gives off a different charm.'' Thought Alexander while sneakily peeking at Lavender''s emotionless face. I still found it hard to believe that soulless beings could exist and somehow live; however, knowing they were nothing but empty vessels was very calming, as I no longer felt bad for killing that stone centipede. "Speaking of souls, Master, I noticed that the centipede had a trait called [Soul Sense], so does that mean it can hunt down anyone with a soul?" Asked Alexander, to which Lavender''s cold expression swiftly vanished. "Yes, and every single monster has that same exact trait; however, depending on the tier of the dungeon, it''ll be of a different rank. The dungeon we were just in was merely a Common rank dungeon, so the monster''s trait, [Soul Sense], will only be of the common rank, and I''m sure you can figure out the higher tier dungeons on your own." Replied Lavender as she approached the treehouse, and instead of climbing the tree like Alexander, she submerged herself in the tree. "Although we got tremendously off track since I''ve increased the difficulty in your training, it should prove to be much more effective now. While you''re training, I will continue experimenting with your Ichor; its properties are fascinating, to say the least." Added Lavender lightly as she fully submerged herself in the tree. ''Oh yeah, I had completely forgotten about my training; we really did get off track.'' Thought Alexander while looking at the sky. Turning around, I began walking away, heading toward the desolate hill where my training takes place; however, while doing so, I started pondering on my future profession. ''Well, obviously, since I wish to adventure and explore the world, I''ll need to be quite powerful to avoid or survive certain situations, which may or may not happen. While I''m at it, why not also follow in Master''s footsteps a little and become a certified adventurer? Besides, whenever Master speaks about her adventuring days, it seems to be a very lucrative job.'' Pondered Alexander with a thoughtful expression while walking through the forest. I was very fond of my idea, even if being an adventurer was quite dangerous; however, since I''m leaning towards being an adventurer like Master, I''ll need to start focusing on a particular fighting style, whether it involves becoming a mage, a warrior, or whatever other options there were. Feeling my heart suddenly beat faster, I stopped walking and rested my hand atop my chest while intently focusing on my heart as I listened to its words, or more like feelings since it can''t speak, only communicate through raw emotion. "Hmm, Master? Ahh, yes, that makes sense; Master would be the perfect and only person to ask, though while I''m leaning toward being a warrior, I''m sure she could better guide me in the correct direction. However, I''ll ask her later after I complete my training for today." Said Alexander to himself as he continued walking. ___ ___ Arriving at the base of the rocky hill, I make my way up and approach the massive mana crystal; once I''m near the crystal, I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I prepare myself a little before placing both hands atop the crystal. The moment both of my hands touched the smooth crystal, I instantly sensed the crystal pull the mana, which was located in my heart, to my hands before absorbing it. Feeling the power behind the crystal''s absorption, I was slightly startled as it was nearly three times as powerful as before, which is a very massive jump in not only this specific training but all types of training. I mean, imagine if your physical trainer just suddenly upped your bench by three times the usual; I''m sure you''d also be startled at the very least. ''Why did Master increase the difficulty by such a large margin?'' Thought Alexander as he concentrated on keeping his mana inside his body, though he only managed to slow it down. With this sudden spike in difficulty, I couldn''t even hold out for five minutes before my mana got dangerously low; at that point, I reluctantly retracted my hands while taking big gulps of air. "Going from being able to keep my hands on the crystal for as long as I wanted to not even being able to handle 5 minutes is a little depressing." Remarked Alexander with a sigh while sitting on the ground to recuperate, which he managed to do within several seconds. ''Being able to heal from mild exhaustion in only several seconds is nice, but I wish it were also extended to how quickly my mana regenerated. Master probably knows something that''ll help; she''s a mage, after all.'' Thought Alexander while doing physical training as he waited for his mana to regenerate. Chapter 23: Caught In the Act! Once my mana had regenerated, I continued my mana control training until my mana, once again, reached dangerously low levels, and just like that, for the remaining time of the day, I did nothing but that; training my mana control, and when I ran empty on mana, I would switch to physical training. When I finished my training for the day, I''d like to say I was exhausted, as it would give me a sense of accomplishment, but other than being mentally tired, I felt perfectly fine. ''I think this is the only time I''ll curse having such a powerful healing ability.'' Thought Alexander as he walked back home while the sun was beginning to set behind the horizon. While walking back home, I took in the sights of the forest, and although I live in the woods, I still find nature to be so beautiful; the peace and harmony it brings me are almost otherworldly in a sense, which is somewhat ironic given I''m in a different world. Just observing how the cycle of life operates is so fascinating to me; the sun provides nutrients to plants they then use as energy to grow while sprouting leaves, fruits, and vegetables, which animals, mainly herbivores, will then consume, and too, will be consumed by predators before even they will one day die, allowing the earth to feast upon their corpse; creating a never-ending cycle. Of course, the process of life is much more detailed and complicated than I described, not to mention some of the things might not be precisely correct, but even so, I find it to be enthralling. That is one of the reasons why I despise needless killing; many people would kill animals for sport, depriving them of the chance to fully experience the beauty life had to offer, yet sadly it just continued to get more and more popular; don''t even get me started on humans killing each other. "Haa, I''m getting too caught up in my own thoughts." Muttered Alexander while shaking his head as he exited the forest and entered the clearing, heading to his nearby treehouse. Climbing up the treehouse, I entered the door while announcing my presence, though I didn''t get a reply back, which only made me assume Master was still in her office fiddling about with her potions; just out of curiosity, I sneakily approached Masters office and peeked through the slightly open door. "Ugh, why isn''t it working? Combining these two potions should''ve caused them to fuse without a hitch, not nearly combust!" Remarked Lavender with a frustrated expression as she rubbed her temples while eyeing her messy desk filled with various potions. I had only intended to take a quick peek, but when I laid eyes on Master, I found it hard to look away, and although she currently seemed frustrated, I could vividly see her passion for alchemy. Seeing Master concentrate on something she held so much passion for was mesmerizing; I couldn''t look away from her charming, bright orange eyes, and swiftly, I began to lose track of time while watching her. "Hmm, Alexander?" Said Lavender as she eyed Alexander after suddenly noticing him from the corner of her eye. Hearing Master suddenly look at me and call my name, I got incredibly embarrassed at having been caught staring at her, that out of instinct, I tried to run away, but because of that, I happened to trip on my foot and fall into Master''s office. By the time I had comprehended what had just transpired, I felt so humiliated that I just stayed lying on the ground, figuring it would be better than facing Master. "Alexander, you okay?" Asked Lavender while doing her best to hold back her laugh. "I-I''m fine, Master." Replied Alexander with a thumbs up while keeping his head down, not allowing Lavender to see his blushing face. "Alright, well, I''m going to go and prepare supper." Said Lavender with an amused smirk while glancing at Alexander before shaking her head as she stood up and exited her office. Even after Master left, I waited a few seconds before standing up, and when I did so, the first thing I did was run to my room and shut the door behind me. Jumping into my bed, I dug my face into my pillow, wishing to have what just happened erased from my memory. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ''Ugh, great! How am I supposed to confront Master during dinner after she just caught me staring at her through the gap in the door like some pervert!?'' Thought Alexander, ashamed of his actions as he kicked his feet in the air like a young girl in love. For the next several minutes, I prayed to whatever god the people of this world believed in that Master would somehow make a mistake while cooking, allowing me to skip dinner, but as if all my prayers were merely a joke, I heard Master''s voice, which is something I usually love to hear, yet this time it was quite the opposite. "Alexander, supper is already; come eat." Said Lavender from the kitchen, her voice reverberating through the entire house. As much as I wanted to make an excuse to miss dinner, I knew that would only make things even more awkward, not to mention Master is quite good at telling when I lie. So while full of shame, I slowly exited my room and made my way to the kitchen, only to see Master calmly eating at the table; seeing her like that did ease my nerves somewhat. ''Maybe Master doesn''t know I was staring at her?'' Thought Alexander, with newfound hope and confidence, as he grabbed his plate and sat opposite Lavender. I had no idea whether Master knew that I was staring at her or not, but if she didn''t know, I had to act like everything was normal, as that wouldn''t draw any unwanted attention from Master; thankfully, I had a trait suited just for that, and although it doesn''t seem like it''s been taking effect, it has been. "So, Master, what type of potion were you working on this time?" Asked Alexander as he ate, trying his best to sound normal. "I was attempting to brew a Soul Enhancement potion, but of a higher quality, using only normal ingredients. Unfortunately, it didn''t work out, though I''m sure you already know, considering you had been staring for quite some time." Replied Lavender with a mischievous smirk as she glanced at Alexander while eating. When she said that, I could feel my heart speed up as I momentarily froze in place while eating, but not to arouse any suspicion, I continued as if nothing happened. "Hmm, I-I don''t know what you''re talking about; I had just arrived when you noticed me." Said Alexander calmly, though his heart was beating rapidly. "I hope you don''t think that just because I was focused on my alchemy, I''m unable to sense my surroundings; I had noticed you from the moment you approached my door. Besides, you''ve never been a good liar, Alexander." Remarked Lavender with a smirk while eyeing the blushing Alexander. "I-I''m sorry, Master; I deeply apologize for my shameful behavior! I promise it won''t happen again!" Stated Alexander as he bowed his head, which was bright red from embarrassment and shame. "Fufu, don''t worry about it, Alexander; I''m a beautiful woman after all; besides, even if your body is that of a child, your mind or soul isn''t." Said Lavender with a light smile while slightly chuckling, though her response only severed to make Alexander more embarrassed than before. "Even if you say that, Master, I shouldn''t be looking at like that; doing so would be the equivalent of being attracted to my own Mother; that''s very unsettling." Said Alexander while refusing to make eye contact with Lavender, who chuckled at his words. "I suppose from your perspective, you''re not wrong; however, I do not mind if you look at me like that; unlike a lot of men I''ve interacted with in the past that merely looked at me with lust-filled eyes, you don''t. Being looked at by your mesmerizing purple eyes filled with pure intent as you appreciate my beauty is very comforting." Stated Lavender with a lovely smile while looking at Alexander, causing him to blush in response. "Though, just because I don''t mind you appreciating my beauty, that doesn''t mean you can watch me whenever I clean myself; If I find out you''re doing such a thing." Added Lavender with an evil smirk. "I-I would never do such a thing, Master!" Exclaimed Alexander quickly as he felt a shiver run down his spine while looking at Lavender. "That''s good to hear. Now, I''m heading to sleep early, so good night." Said Lavender as she stood up and placed her empty plate and utensil in the sink before exiting the kitchen. When Master finally left, I released a sigh of relief, and although I was still ashamed of what had happened, I was very pleased Master didn''t care too much about my actions. ''Though, now that I think about it, I had most likely overreacted; why would women be upset someone was appreciating their beauty? Brother had always said women love attention, and I doubt that fact has changed just because I''m in a different world.'' Thought Alexander as he shook his head and quickly finished his food before heading to his room. Hopping into my bed, I got comfortable under the sheets while deciding to ask Master for advice about my future, as I''m still undecided whether I wish to be a warrior or something else. ''If I intend to be a warrior, what kind of weapon shall I use? Probably something simple like a sword, spear, hammer, or battle axe; no need to pick something crazy.'' Thought Alexander for a couple of minutes before closing his eyes, only to drift into a slumber a few minutes later. Chapter 24: Secret Stash! Waking up from a good sleep, I exited the bed and did a few stretches before leaving the room; entering the kitchen, I saw Master preparing breakfast as usual, and though we had that talk yesterday, I was still a little awkward around her. "Good morning, Alexander." Said Lavender as she glanced at Alexander. "G-Good morning, Master." Replied Alexander with a light blush as he sat at the table and waited for Lavender to finish cooking. Once Master finished cooking breakfast, which just consisted of eggs, waffles, and a few slices of bacon, I thanked her for the meal like usual, while the two of us ate in relative silence; I was still a little awkward from yesterday, and Master seemed to be enjoying the peace. Only when the two of us finished eating did I gather enough courage to ask Master, resulting in the tranquility that silence brought to be broken. "I''ve concluded that I wish to be a warrior, and I would like it if you could offer your thoughts on the matter, Master." Stated Alexander seriously while looking at Lavender, who raised a brow and frowned at his statement, slightly catching him off guard. "Do you not like it, Master? Should I not be a warrior?" Implored Alexander. "No, that''s not it, Alexander; if you wish to be a warrior, I will not stop you; however, I personally think deciding to be a warrior instead of a magic warrior is wasting your massive talent in magic." Said Lavender solemnly while sighing. "Magic warrior? Isn''t that the same thing as a warrior? Don''t they both use mana?" Questioned Alexander in confusion. "Ah, I must''ve not informed you about a magic warrior; I could''ve sworn I had thought I did. Anyways, a magic warrior and a warrior are two different things; a warrior is someone who relies only on their physical attributes, making them a formidable opponent in close-quarters combat, yet as long as you keep a distance from them, they are hardly a problem. On the other hand, Magic warriors rely both on their body and mana, causing them to be a scarce sight, yet they''re a terrifying opponent to face whether it''s close-quarters or long-distance combat." Explained Lavender with a frown before sighing and shaking her head. "I didn''t know there was a difference; I had thought all warriors used mana, or at least neutral mana, to enhance their physique." Remarked Alexander with a nod of his head. "Not at all; neutral mana, while relatively common, isn''t awakened inside everyone; most warriors you''ll meet in the future won''t have any affinities toward mana, and those that do will either have very low affinities or will be completely clueless about their affines." Said Lavender lightly while taking a sip from her glass cup. "Well, anyways, I don''t have any desire to give up using mana, so it looks like I''ll be a magic warrior; however, I still don''t have any idea what kind of weapon I shall use." Muttered Alexander with a frown. "As your Master, I can solve that for you; follow me; I''m about to show you my hidden stash." Declared Lavender with a slight smile as she stood up and headed toward the house''s entrance. Although confused, I followed Master as I was also interested in what she was about to show me; since we exited the house, I figured we would have to enter the forest to arrive at the desired location, but I was wrong. ''Behind the tree? It can''t be an illusion; I would''ve noticed it by now.'' Thought Alexander as he tilted his head in confusion while standing beside Lavender. "Hold my hand, Alexander." Said Lavender as she reached her arm toward Alexander while her other hand was partially sinking into the tree. "Umm, Master, you''re not about to do what I think you''re about to do, are you? Will this even work? I''m not a Dryad!" Declared Alexander anxiously as he hesitantly held Lavender''s hand, which slightly eased his nerves. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Fufu, don''t worry, this isn''t the first time I''ve done this; just whatever you do, don''t let go of my hand; I''m sure you don''t wish to become one with a tree." Said Lavender with a slight smile as she began to enter the tree while Alexander reluctantly followed. Quickly taking a big gulp of air in case, for some reason, I got stuck in the middle of the tree; while holding Master''s hand, I felt her suddenly yank my arm into the tree, which caused me to lose my balance and fall into the tree. I was about to yell at her, but I managed to stop myself just in time before I wasted my precious oxygen; looking around, I noted everything was pitch black, though that didn''t surprise me, considering I was currently in the middle of a tree. As I used the skill [Heroes Gaze], all of a sudden, the darkness disappeared, and what welcomed my eyes was like an ethereal network of infinitely expanding lines; It was an incredible sight to see. ''This must be how Master navigates through trees; those colorful dots must be trees, and the ethereal lines must be pathways to various other trees.'' Thought Alexander while eyeing the ethereal network. ''It''s quite a sight, Isn''t it?'' Questioned Lavender with a light smile. ''Yeah, it is, though; how are we even communicating? Neither of us are speaking?'' Replied Alexander curiously. ''We''re speaking through our souls or mind; whenever someone traverses through the network of Eywa, their body is put into suspended animation, and only their soul remains active.'' Said Lavender as she began to float downwards while pulling Alexander with her. With Master pulling us down, she suddenly stopped before I noticed parts of my body began disappearing, causing me to believe we''d reached our destination. Once Master''s body entirely disappeared, I prepared myself in case she wanted to suddenly yank my arm again, yet she only pulled me normally, causing me to look blankly at her once I fully separated from the tree. "We''re here; this is everything I''ve collected throughout my life." Announced Lavender with her hands on her hips while displaying a prideful smile. Seeing how Master was blatantly ignoring me, I also ignored her and observed the massive room we were in, and I was pretty shocked by the sheer amount of objects I could see. There were many items such as rings, bracelets, body armor, clothes, magic wands or staffs, floating objects that I had no idea what they were, weird objects that I could tell were dangerous with one look, and many other things I didn''t even know how to describe. "That''s a lot of stuff, though I hope this is already organized." Remarked Alexander as he whistled in amazement while walking down the stairs from his elevated position. "Ugh, don''t even remind me about it; organizing all this stuff was a pain in the ass." Muttered Lavender as she huffed in annoyance while following Alexander. "Anyways, where are we? Seeing how we seemed to have exited from some roots, I assume we''re underground?" Asked Alexander curiously. "Yes, and quite deep underground, I believe nearly a full kilometer deep. I can''t have anyone accidentally discovering this place." Replied Lavender with a nod. "So, since this is all stuff you own, and considering you don''t seem to have any family members, will this all be mine in the future?" Asked Alexander, though it seemed Lavender didn''t like his question as she smacked the back of his head. "Ow, what was that for, Master!? It was just a question." Exclaimed Alexander with an annoyed expression as he eyed Lavender. "For the record, I do have a family; a younger sister, three nieces, one nephew, a few grand-nieces and nephews, and last time I''ve checked, they haven''t had any kids yet. Then again, it''s been about 100 years since I''ve last seen them." Stated Lavender as she glared at Alexander. "But yes, since you''re my disciple, all of this stuff will be yours; my family isn''t really in need of any of this, though, just so you know, you''ll only be acquiring this after I die." Added Lavender. I was decently surprised to hear Master had a family, considering I''ve never once heard her speak about them, and from how she spoke, it didn''t seem like she had a bad relationship with them either. "I didn''t know you had a family, Master; how come you''ve never mentioned them? I''ve heard you mention your little adventurer group more than your own family." Asked Alexander curiously, though from how he worded it, she almost smacked him again. "Little?" Muttered Lavender as her face twitched in annoyance. "There is no reason I''ve never mentioned my family; I just never have; also, I''ve spent much more of my life with my ''little'' adventurer group, so if anything, they''re more of a family to me than my blood family. Well, they should''ve been, at least." Said Lavender with a shake of her head as she mumbled the last part to herself. "I suppose that makes sense." Said Alexander while nodding. Once we arrived at the bottom of the stairs, which were quite long, I had Master take the lead as I had no idea where I was going; while following behind her, I would glance at the various objects we passed by before we finally reached our destination. "Why do you need this many weapons? Were you trying to supply an army or something, Master?" Asked Alexander rhetorically as he eyed the tens of barrels filled with weapons. "No, I had already done that; this is merely the leftover weapons I decided to keep." Replied Lavender lightly, her words shocking Alexander. ''I can''t tell if she''s joking or not.'' Thought Alexander as he found it hard to believe her, even though he knew she was telling the truth. Chapter 25: Surprising Discovery While looking at the numerous barrels filled to the brim with various weapons, I didn''t really have any idea where to begin, so I just started with the closest barrel; picking up what seemed to be a golden halberd, I swung it around a few times, and although I felt like I could cause some serious damage with this thing, I wasn''t necessarily fond of it. "Hey, Master, since you were a mage, what staff or magic wand did you use?" Asked Alexander curiously while simultaneously testing out different weapons. "The staff I used was a family heirloom called ''The Staff of Ethos''. it was gifted to us by Goddess Eywa many generations ago; it was a staff made specifically for us Dryads, meaning that it gave a passive boost when casting water and earth spells." Said Lavender lightly with an amused smile, observing Alexander swinging around a club the size of a troll, nearly knocking over several shelves. "Passive boost? Sounds powerful; however, for your family to be given a specialized artifact by a Goddess, you must be from one prestigious family, Master." Remarked Alexander with a raised eyebrow while glancing at Lavender as he set the massive club down. "Fufu, I suppose you could say that." Said Lavender softly while chuckling. "Seeing how you''re just picking random weapons, I assume you don''t have a specific type of weapon you''d like to use?" Asked Lavender as Alexander grabbed a tiny dagger the size of a finger. "Well, I was leaning more towards being a swordsman, but after seeing the numerous options available, I figured I should test a few of them out, though so far, I haven''t found anything that has piqued my interest." Replied Alexander as he carefully placed the tiny dagger back, not wishing to break it. "The sword isn''t a bad choice, probably the best option if you don''t manage to find a weapon suited just for you; it''s well-rounded, reliable, and you don''t need to have been a master swordsman to use it properly, unlike some other complicated weapons" Stated Lavender with her hand on her chin while nodding her head. I had no intention of testing out every weapon since if I were to do that, I''d be here for weeks, probably months, besides I didn''t need to test every weapon as my heart would occasionally help me out, though it only assisted with bad weapons. So for the next ten or so minutes, I continued testing various weapons while talking to Master until I eventually stopped picking any weapon and only grabbed swords, which there surprisingly weren''t a lot of. "Oh, to think you''ve found that sword; I''ve forgotten about that thing." Said Lavender in mild surprise while eyeing the sword in Alexander''s hand, a long sword covered in pulsating blood-red veins, though only on the blade. Looking at the living sword in my hands, I felt disgusted just looking at it, let alone holding it, not to mention when I laid eyes on the pulsating veins, my heart started beating quickly, warning me to stay away from this thing. "Master, what sword is this, and why do you have it?" Questioned Alexander while eyeing Lavender as he held the sword away from his body. "It''s called the Blasphemous Blade; it''s a very powerful weapon I discovered shortly after becoming an adventurer and encountering a series of unfortunate events. In fact, without that weapon, I probably wouldn''t have escaped my predicament back then; however, while I advise you not to judge a book by its cover, it''s a terrible weapon, one that I only used twice in my whole life, then again, that''s not saying much; I''m a mage after all." Said Lavender as she entered a little rant. "For you to call it powerful yet terrible, I assume it has some adverse side effects or maybe steep requirements to use it to its full potential?" Asked curiously while eyeing the pulsating sword. "It''s because of its terrible side effects; to use the Blasphemous blade, you must offer a portion of your very essence to do so, and that is something I''d never recommend unless you truly have no other option. Though I will admit, it''s incredibly powerful; however, the main reason I have it is that I don''t want it to be used in the wrong hands, since in order to use it, the wielder doesn''t have to offer up their own essence, it just requires essence, and any will do." Replied Lavender with a shake of her head while looking at the pulsating sword Alexander had just put back in its original spot. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ''I don''t know what essence is exactly, but it sounds essential; let''s stay away from that sword.'' Thought Alexander as he backed away from the blade while heating his hands with fire mana to burn any traces of the blade. For the next half an hour that I spent scavenging through the barrels in search of swords, I didn''t come across another sword like the blasphemous blade, which was good, but I also didn''t find a sword I really liked. I did happen to discover a few swords that I thought were decent, but I didn''t want just decent; I wanted a weapon I could trust with my life; besides, I have this feeling there is something here just waiting for me to pick up, and I won''t be leaving until I find it. "Is this everything, Master?" Asked Alexander as he set the last sword down and approached Lavender. "It should be; I might have some weapons hidden throughout this area that I''ve forgotten about, but I doubt they will be worthwhile, though if your hellbent on your weapon being a sword, I suppose giving a quick look wouldn''t be terrible." Replied Lavender with a thoughtful expression, though her words caused Alexander to frown as he remembered how big this place was. Hearing Master''s words, I looked at the ceiling and sighed in annoyance before going in a random direction; unfortunately, my heart didn''t seem in the mood to guide me in the right direction. ''I swear, my heart only guides me when it feels like it.'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he began scrutinizing every shelf for possible weapons while Lavender seemed to be doing her own thing. ___ ___ "Haa, how long have I been here for? It feels like days." Remarked Alexander while lying on the ground with a few weapons beside him, which he had found in the past few hours. Standing up, I grabbed the weapons on the ground; not a single one happened to be a sword and took them to the area where all the other weapons were. Placing them in a random barrel, I once again headed in a random direction, though I avoided the areas I''d already searched. ''At this rate, I''m going to die of old age before I find what I''m looking for.'' Thought Alexander while searching through a nearby desk covered in miscellaneous items. Shifting through the items on the desk, I found two silver spheres the size of my hand; I thought nothing of them other than them being quite shiny; grabbing them, I looked at my reflection, and out of curiosity, I activated the skill, [Heroes Gaze], yet when I did so, I was utterly flabbergasted. //////////////////// Name: ____ Tier: Mythical Description: Item forged with unalloyed Pulsar by Blacksmith-Master Hewg amid his ascension to Godhood. //////////////////// Although that wasn''t much of a description, for a Mythical item to be just lying around in Masters basement, it seems like she wasn''t aware of its presence; or maybe she was, but I highly doubt it. "Master, can you come here; I''ve found something very important." Yelled Alexander while holding the two silver spheres in his hand. Not even a second later, Master suddenly appeared beside me while wearing weird glasses, but I ignored it and quickly showed her the items, which she took from my hands and examined them. "What is it, Alexander? I mean, I''m surprised after all these years, they''re still in pristine condition, but I don''t think it''s something important." Stated Lavender with slight confusion while holding the two silver spheres. "I know they''re silver spheres, Master; that''s not why I called you; examine it with your skill, then you''ll see why It''s so important." Said Alexander as he practically pushed Lavender''s two hands into her eyes. "Calm down, and I already have Alexander; other than them being made from refined quartz, which is quite expensive, there is nothing unique about them." Stated Lavender calmly as she handed the two spheres back to Alexander. When Master said that, I was perplexed, rechecking the items to make sure I wasn''t mistaken, yet it was the same as before; how could the two of us see different descriptions? ''Wait, the skill I used is of the Mythical tier, and while I don''t know the exact tier Master''s skill is, it''s most likely not Mythical; so is it possible that someone, likely Master Hewg, placed some sort of illusion on the item, deceiving Master, while I saw it''s real description?'' Thought Alexander with a thoughtful expression while Lavender fiddled with her weird glasses. "Master, I think what you''re seeing is only a fake; since these are not made from refined quartz but unalloyed Pulsar, whatever mineral that is." Declared Alexander seriously while looking at the shocked Lavender. "D-Did you just say Pulsar?" Asked Lavender with widened eyes while intently staring at Alexander. "Yes, Master; the description says ''Item forged with unalloyed Pulsar by Blacksmith-Master Hewg amid his accession to Godhood.'' It is also of the Mythical tier, though it doesn''t have a name." Replied Alexander, though when he finished speaking, the silver spheres were no longer in his hands. "To think this entire time, I''ve had a Mythical tier item just in my storage room." Muttered Lavender with a frown while intently examining the two spheres in her hands. Chapter 26: Two Makes a Pair As I waited for Master to be done examining it, I thought back to the sensation I felt when I first laid eyes on it, and although I have only been following my instincts, even without my heart guiding me, I could tell this was what I''ve been searching for. ''Although this is the only Mythical rank artifact I''ve ever seen, I just know that even compared to other artifacts of the same rank, this one is unique; I can even see slight signs of life emanating from the item.'' Thought Alexander in interest as he glanced at the two silver spheres in Lavender''s hand. Once Master finished scrutinizing the item, she frowned with a pondering expression as she handed the two spheres back to me; while I continued to wait for Master to say something. "You said, Blacksmith Master-Hewg, correct Alexander?" Asked Lavender as she glanced at Alexander. "Yes; Master-Hewg had apparently crafted these during his accession to Godhood, which probably means they are thousands of years old at the very least." Said Alexander with a nod while intently eyeing the two spheres. "Besides the basic information nearly everyone has access to, I don''t know much about Gods, except for Goddess Eywa; however, I did know quite the experienced blacksmith, and he would tell me legends about the Godsmith Master-Hewg. From what I know, Master-Hewg ascended to Godhood roughly 7,300 years ago, long before I was born." Stated Lavender lightly. "7,300 years? That''s quite a long time for these spheres to have survived without a single blemish on their body; Pulsar must be one amazing metal." Remarked Alexander with a raised eyebrow. "But of course, there aren''t any scratches on the artifact; they were crafted with unalloyed Pulsar, which is more commonly referred to as Divine metal. Gods and Dragons are the only beings capable of damaging Pulsar; no mortal can ever hope to leave even a scratch on them." Said Lavender, her words slightly surprising Alexander. "Divine metal? I''m assuming that must be quite rare to find down here, where we mortals live." Said Alexander as he began hitting the two spheres against each other. "Yes, very rare; other than my staff, which only has very minute amounts, I''ve never encountered an item containing Pulsar, let alone unalloyed Pulsar." Remarked Lavender while nodding as she eyed the two spheres in interest. "Now that we discovered its origins, do you know what it may do, Alexander? Seeing how you''re the only one able to view its true status." Asked Lavender curiously. "I''m as clueless as you, Master." Replied Alexander with a frown while acting on his impulses. From what I''ve discovered while searching through Masters basement, most of the artifacts here require you to inject mana into them, so I figured this one would do the same, though I also knew doing so could be equally dangerous; after all, who knew what this artifact was truly capable of? ''Nothing bad has ever happened from following my heart; let''s hope it''ll stay that way.'' Thought Alexander as he started injecting his mana into the two spheres, causing them to start vibrating. Seeing how my actions seemed to have activated the item, and I didn''t sense any danger from them, I continued to inject my mana into it; though as I did so, their vibrations got more intense to the point where Master noticed, and from the look on her face she didn''t seem happy. "Alexander, what are you doing!?" Exclaimed Lavender in slight anger while eyeing Alexander. "Um, just turning them on?" Replied Alexander lightly while avoiding eye contact with an angry Lavender. "I can see that! I want to know why you are doing something so dangerous!? It''s a Mythical rank item with unknown abilities! Give them to me!" Stated Lavender in anger and frustration as she forcefully separated the spheres from Alexanders'' hands. Although Master managed to pry the spheres from my hands when she did so, they were no longer absorbing my mana; seeing Master throw the two spheres onto the ground in the distance, I could tell she was about to give me a lecture, though luckily or unluckily something interrupted her. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "I think it''s too late for that, Master; I seemed to have fully activated it." Remarked Alexander as he pointed at the floating spheres. While Master and I intently stared at the floating spheres that had begun to rotate, we watched how they constantly increased in speed; it even got to the point where not even my eyes could tell if they were spinning or not. "Alexander!" Yelled Lavender angrily; her words sent a chill down his spine. "I-It''s fine, Master. I can''t sense any danger from them, so the artifact probably isn''t even dangerous." Said Alexander quickly as he attempted to soothe Lavender. "Not dangerous!? A Blacksmith forged that item, a profession known for crafting various dangerous and deadly weapons!" Exclaimed Lavender in frustration as she hit the back of Alexanders'' head. ''I-I didn''t think about that.'' Thought Alexander while rubbing the back of his head, which was in pain. Just as I was about to respond, the spinning spheres, which were rotating so fast they''d even created their own vortex, released a glow, causing the small vortex to suddenly turn into a massive one that encompassed the entire room. Feeling myself getting lifted into the air, I covered myself in a coating of wind mana, causing any wind that hit me to disperse, resulting in my falling back to the ground. "Master, you okay?" Asked Alexander in concern as he quickly stood up, only to see Lavender standing calmly in the hurricane-like winds. ''Haa, Of course, she''s fine.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at Lavender''s legs, encased in stone, keeping her locked to the ground. With the wind mana still surrounding me, I walked next to Master and silently stood beside her as we eyed the spheres at the cyclone''s center. "Can you stop it, Master?" Asked Alexander with a frown as he felt the cyclone''s winds get more vigorous. "If I could, do you think I''d be standing here?" Replied Lavender harshly as she glared at Alexander. "No." Said Alexander quietly, feeling awkward about the whole situation. As time passed, the winds continued to get stronger, to the point where it even started to pick up various artifacts lying on the ground, causing the ceiling to be filled with items flying through the air; thankfully, we weren''t near the weapon area; otherwise, that would''ve been dangerous. ''Hmm, is it just me, or does it seem like the number of items in the sky has remained the same?'' Thought Alexander with furrowed brows as he eyed the center of his vortex using [Heroes Gaze]. After activating the skill, no longer were the dense group of artifacts in the center of the vortex hampering my vision; I could now almost perfectly view the two silver spheres at the center, yet what I saw was both shocking and fear-inducing. ''The spheres, they''re absorbing all those artifacts!'' Thought Alexander in surprise as it quickly turned to fear. Realizing what those spheres were doing, I could feel myself shiver at what Master would do when she found out, and although I was tempted to look at her to see if she''s noticed it yet, I figured it best to play ignorant of the situation. For the next ten minutes, Master and I silently stood beside each while observing the vortex devouring everything that it came in contact with; it also looked like Master finally realized what was going on, as all the remaining artifacts that hadn''t been absorbed were currently in the process of getting devoured. Once the last single artifact was absorbed, which happened to be the blasphemous blade, the powerful vortex instantly stopped, and the glowing spheres that were floating in the air suddenly shot itself towards me. It was at such a speed that I didn''t even react until they both smashed into my body, one slamming into my chest and the other my head; yet, to my confusion, there was no impact; they simply sank into my body. "What the heck just happened, Master?" Asked Alexander while touching his chest and head in confusion, only to notice Lavender wasn''t standing beside him. "Master, where ar- where am I?" Muttered Alexander with widened eyes as he noticed he was no longer in the storage room. Looking around, all I noticed was the crystal clear ocean beneath my feet and the beautiful blue sky above me; I called out to Master a few more times, but I got no response, so I gave up and started walking in a random direction. "For me to suddenly end up in a random place, this must have something to do with those two spheres; I just hope they didn''t teleport me somewhere; otherwise, it''s going to be difficult to return home." Remarked Alexander with a frown while walking on the seemingly infinite ocean. "Yes, it was us, Master." Said a lovely mature voice of a woman emanating from all directions. Suddenly hearing a voice that wasn''t Master, I stopped moving and swiftly observed my surroundings in hopes of finding them, yet all I was met with was the ocean and sky. "There is no point in looking for us, Master; until you say our names, we''ll stay invisible." Said a sweet child-like voice of a girl. ''Why do they keep calling me Master? Whatever, I''ll think about that later; first, I should figure out where I am.'' Thought Alexander as he opened his mouth to speak. "It seems like this is all, Master; our initial union allowed us to communicate, but our time has come to an end." Said the mature voice calmly. "Make sure to say our name quickly; otherwise, we won''t be able to talk again!" Said the child-like voice in slight disappointment. "What are you two talking about?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he blinked his eyes, only for him to notice he had returned to the storage room. ''I''m not going crazy, am I?'' Thought Alexander, confusedly grabbing his head. Chapter 27: Lavenders Wrath While pondering what I had just experienced, I felt Master grab my shoulders as she began to shake me, breaking me out of my train of thought and looking into her eyes. "Alexander!? Alexander, you okay!?" Questioned Lavender worriedly while violently shaking his body, nearly causing Alexander to get whiplash. "Yes, I''m fine, Master, so could you please stop shaking me so violently? You''re going to break my neck." Replied Alexander while resting his hands atop Lavender''s arms, attempting to stop her. "A-Are you sure you''re fine!? After those two spheres entered your body, you became completely unresponsive for an entire minute, and I was worried something bad had happened to you!" Stated Lavender with concern as she stopped shaking Alexander and began examining his entire body, nearly stripping him nude. "M-Master, stop! I''m fine, alright; there is nothing wrong with me; I''m completely fine." Said Alexander while barely managing to keep his pants, since, as he always goes commando, Lavender would''ve seen everything, not like she already hasn''t. Thankfully, after my yelling, Master stopped trying to strip me and slightly backed away, which I used to put my shirt back on and fix my pants that were nearly pulled off my body. "Haa, It''s good you''re fine; with Mythical and Legendary artifacts, you never know what they''re truly capable of. I wouldn''t want your body being taken over by a foreign soul or possibly being permanently crippled." Remarked Lavender with a relieved smile as she cupped Alexander''s face with her hands. "Yeah, well, nothing bad happened to me, but it''s not like nothing happened to me, Master. Shortly after the spheres entered my body, I was transported into an area with nothing but ocean and a clear blue sky as far as the eye could see." Stated Alexander, rubbing his head while still confused about what transpired. "Hmm, well, you''re body was still standing here, so you weren''t teleported anywhere; it''s most likely your soul was sent somewhere by the silver orbs, to where or the reason why, I don''t know; you''ll probably have a better guess then me considering you experienced it." Said Lavender with a thoughtful expression while rubbing her chin as she glanced at Alexander. "Also, since you brought up the concept of my body possibly being taken over by a foreign soul, those silver spheres had life, I could see signs of life radiating off them, but it was so minuscule that I didn''t think much of it." Mentioned Alexander with an awkward smile while looking at the now angry Lavender. "A-And that''s not all; when my soul was transported to that area, I heard two voices: a woman and a child; they kept calling me Master." Added Alexander while refraining from looking at Lavender, who was currently taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. "Before I lash out in anger, the two voices most likely belonged to the silver orbs; in fact, the voices are probably artifacts, spirit artifacts if you will, which isn''t surprising given it''s a Mythical rank artifact. Before you found them, they were probably hibernating; that''s most likely why the life you saw from them was negligible and why they call you Master; well, it''s obvious, they''ve forcefully bonded to you, and now you''re their owner." Stated Lavender as she explained everything to Alexander while her face twitched in anger. "And that''s probably why they absorbed all of the artifacts in this place; they needed enough energy that they could use as a catalyst to awaken them from their hibernation." Added Lavender as she and Alexander viewed the nearly empty room, only broken shelves, barrels, and tables lying about. "So, when you said forcefully bonded to me, could you go into a little more detail, Master?" Asked Alexander awkwardly while shifting the topic. "In this world, there are who knows how many artifacts; however, only a few of them can initiate a bond since, for a bond to be created, the artifact needs to have a spirit. However, while bonds are usually formed between two consenting individuals if one of them is much stronger than the other, it''s possible to create a bond forcefully; there isn''t anything wrong with this necessarily, but it can end up backfiring if the person or spirit artifact gets too powerful and they want to separate, if that happens, the one who initiated the bond will have their soul heavily injured." Replied Lavender while intently looking at Alexander, dangerous thoughts floating through her mind. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ''So, I''ve been forcefully bonded with, that means I can''t get rid of them until I get stronger than them, and considering they are a Mythical rank, I won''t be getting rid of them anytime soon. Though, I honestly doubt I''d want to get rid of them; I mean, it is a Mythical artifact, and they are bound to be powerful.'' Thought Alexander, feeling indifferent about his situation. Since I was now apparently bonded with an artifact, that meant I should be able to use it; so with that, I attempted to call out to them using a mental command, similar to how I use my status panel. It seemed like it worked, as I felt this weird yet oddly pleasant feeling emerge from my heart and brain before it began spreading toward my arms, seemingly heading toward my hand. Once the feeling reached and enveloped my hand, I watched how a mercury-like substance emerged from the center of my palms, forming what looked like a golden hilt in each hand; however, that wasn''t the end, as the mercury like-substance continued to expand from the hilt into a large black blade with weird purple markings on its side. [Note: Image will be posted on Discord] ''That looks fucking sick!'' Thought Alexander in awe as he marveled at his greatswords in his hands. "Is that the artifact, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with interest as she observed the two greatswords in Alexander''s hand. "Yes, I had just willed them to appear, and then this happened." Replied Alexander while swinging around the two massive greatswords, already fond of the two weapons. Out of curiosity, I was tempted to inject my mana into them, but considering I''d already done enough damage for today, I held myself back before I once again did something stupid; I''m sure Master is beyond livid with me; I didn''t wish to anger her any further, though at this point I don''t know if it was even possible. With another mental command, the two weapons began withdrawing back into my body as they further receded to my heart and brain before peacefully resting there. ''Though I am curious, how come they''ve decided to reside in my two most important organs? Hmm, maybe that''s the reason why, actually.'' Thought Alexander curiously before glancing at Lavender, only to nervously gulp as he sensed the intense anger radiating off her. "S-So, we''ve been here for some time, and I''m starting to get hungry; want to head home, Master? I-I''ll cook lunch." Asked Alexander timidly while slowly backing away from Lavender, though he was forced to stop as the earth enveloped his legs. Looking down and seeing stone surround my legs, stopping me from moving, I gulped nervously and looked up, only to spot Master approaching me, and unlike usual, I didn''t use this chance to appreciate her beauty. ''She''s going to kill me.'' Thought Alexander while sweating as he tried to free himself from the earth. Usually, If I happened to anger Master, I wouldn''t do something stupid like run away as that''ll only end with me receiving even more punishment when I''m caught, but currently, with how angry Master was, I was willing to take that risk; unfortunately, even though I wanted to escape, it didn''t end up happening. "You know, Alexander, because of your impatience and stupidity, all the artifacts I''ve collected throughout the course of my long life have disappeared, absorbed into YOUR artifact." Stated Lavender with a furious expression while standing before the frightened Alexander. "W-Well, on the bright side, it''s a Mythical artifact, so I''m sure it''s not like I wasted everything. Right?" Remarked Alexander as he looked away while awkwardly tapping his fingers. "I''ve lived a long life and experienced many forms of anger, but I truly believe this is the angriest I''ve ever been; to think it was all because of my stupid disciple as well." Commented Lavender as she looked at the ceiling while Alexander stayed quiet. "I''m going to need some time to cool off, or I might, haha; I don''t even know what I''ll do to you." Added Lavender with a bit of psychotic laughter, which served to freak Alexander out. After that, Master gave me one last glance before walking away, heading toward the stairs in the distance, though while doing so, she didn''t release me from the earth, which caused a terrible feeling to well up in my heart; only when she started walking up the stairs did I finally gather enough courage to call out to her. "Um, M-Master, I''m still stuck." Said Alexander nervously while watching Lavender''s figure walk up the stairs without any hesitation. "I know. Didn''t I say I will need some time to calm down? Did you think that would be possible if I saw your face every day?" Replied Lavender once she arrived at the top of the steps and approached the exposed tree root. ''S-She''s not being serious right?'' Thought Alexander with widened eyes as he realized what she meant. Just as I thought she was being serious, I felt the earth encasing my legs crumble to pieces, causing me to release a sigh of relief as I quickly freed myself and began running toward Master. ''I knew she wasn''t being serious.'' Thought Alexander in relief as he looked at Master, only to notice her figure wasn''t there. "Master!?" Exclaimed Alexander, though the only response he got was the mana torches that illuminated the storage room shutting off. "Haa, I deserve this." Said Alexander while sighing in complete darkness. Chapter 28: Dungeon Explorer Dodging a stone centipede lunging at me from behind, I swiftly turned around while slashing the monster with my left hand that was holding a massive greatsword, bypassing the centipede''s stone carapace and cleaving it in half with ease, drenching my weapon in brownish blood. Just as I was about to take a second to catch my breath, I sensed a large group of stone centipedes approaching my location from the various holes in the side of the dungeon walls. Before they even began to exit from the numerous holes, I started casting an attack spell, [Fire Blast], at the tip of my great sword, which I believe is an excellent weapon for conducting mana through; Master said it''s even on par with her staff and that''s impressive since her staff is designed purely for casting spells. ''There they are, oh, and there''s an alpha as well; it seems I''ve caused quite the commotion.'' Thought Alexander calmly, surrounded by centipede corpses as he watched several centipedes emerge from the dungeon wall, followed by a much larger centipede. //////////////////// Species: Stone-Centipede(Common) Age: 6 Tier: 0 Level: 48 Experience: [46%] Class: Alpha-Monster Lifeforce: [100%] Mana: 230/230 Vigor: 259 Endurance: 202 Agility: 55 Dexterity: 34 Intelligence: 23 Perception: 53 Traits: Soul Sense(Common), Hardened Stone Skin(Uncommon), Dig(Common) Condition: //////////////////// I didn''t attack right away; I instead waited for all monsters to emerge from the dungeon wall before I launched the fire blast that had its power increased from me combining it with wind mana, causing it to burn nearly twice as hot as usual while only using a small amount of extra mana. The moment they all emerged from the holes, I fired the enhanced fire blast toward the center of the incoming centipedes, and the instant it came in contact with the ground, a powerful explosion erupted, creating a thick wall of smoke. Using my mana, I summoned a gust of wind to disperse the smoke, and all that remained was a small burning crater and several charred centipedes, leaving behind a foul scent; surprisingly, the alpha centipede was still alive, but it was far too injured to pose a threat anymore. Approaching the sizzling alpha centipede, I picked up my greatsword and sliced its head off, effortlessly slicing through its body; looking at the carnage I''d created, I decided to head back home, as I''d been here for a few hours already. ''Oh crap, I forgot; Master had wanted me to harvest the carapace of an alpha stone centipede. Haa looks like I can''t leave just yet.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he rested one of the greatswords atop his shoulder while the other barely scraped the ground. Since I''ve burnt the carapace of the only alpha centipede I''ve encountered today, I''d have to go deeper into the dungeon, which for reference, isn''t too deep, only about five floors, at least that''s what Master told me since I wouldn''t know as I''ve only gone to the fourth floor. Speaking of the fourth floor, I was currently on the second floor, and after hunting in this dungeons for a few years, I''ve learned the layout like the back of my hand; once again, at least for the first four floors, I''ve never been to the fifth floor after all. The first floor only consists of normal centipedes; there are hardly any alpha centipedes on the second floor; the third floor is where alpha centipedes become somewhat common. However, only alpha centipedes reside on the fourth floor, making it far more dangerous than the other floors. ''Yeah, you nearly died on the fourth floor, Master!'' Stated a childish voice full of enthusiasm. "You don''t need to remind me, Trina; also, I didn''t nearly idea, I still had my [Rebirth] ability, so I was most likely fine." Said Alexander defensively as he glanced at his right greatsword, which was scraping the ground. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ''Whatever you say, Master!'' Replied the childish voice mischievously, causing Alexander to sigh while shaking his head at her antics. The person I was speaking to is Trina, the spirit artifact that inhabits the right greatsword; It''s been some years since I first acquired Trina and her older sister, roughly four years to be exact, though nearly a month and a half of it was spent trapped in the dark basement an entire kilometer beneath the surface. Granted, I still think I deserved that punishment for what I did, but Master could''ve at least given me some food or water while I was down there; if it weren''t because of my trait, [Heroes Physique] and incredible healing capabilities, I would''ve died. Anyways, back to Trina, roughly a year after Master freed me from the basement, I managed to speak Trina''s name, and when I did so, her presence, which used to be inaccessible, became accessible, not to mention doing so also unsealed one of her abilities, that I haven''t used yet. Though what I''m most glad about is being able to communicate with her, since I didn''t really like the concept of two individuals I know nothing about living in my body; thankfully, they''re sweet, well at least Trina is friendly; I haven''t spoken with her sister ever since they first bonded with me. "So, Trina, how''s your sister; is she fine?" Asked Alexander, feeling slightly awkward as he still hadn''t managed to speak her name. ''Elder sister is fine; unlike me, she''s very patient; however, you need to hurry up and speak her name, Master!'' Replied Trina in rare seriousness. "Haa, I''m trying, Trina. It''s not easy; your name had just randomly appeared in my mind while I was training. Can''t you give me a hint or something?" Said Alexander while walking down a narrow dungeon pathway that headed downwards. ''Even though I want to, you know I can''t, Master; Father had installed these fail-safes so that not just anyone could wield us, only the worthy.'' Replied Trina apologetically. "Well, considering how the two of you forcefully bonded with me, I''d imagine I''m worthy; otherwise, why would you bond me?" Questioned Alexander as he glanced at the greatsword while the purple markings glowed brightly. ''The one who wanted to bond with you was Elder sister; I just followed along.'' Said Trina awkwardly as Alexander sighed in response. Shaking my head at her response, I decided to leave it be for now and focus on searching for an alpha stone centipede as I had just entered the third floor; hopefully, I don''t end up burning it to a crisp this time. Since I wasn''t attempting to hide my presence, not like I was good at, I could sense a lot of centipedes rushing toward my location, eagerly wishing to kill me, though unfortunately, they were just normal monsters, so after I defeated the tens of centipedes, I continued walking through the dungeon. It wasn''t until nearly thirty minutes later that I finally happened to stumble across an alpha monster, which is rare, but it wasn''t anything that warranted my attention; it''s happened before, after all. The moment I found the monster, it also sensed me as it released a loud screech and came charging straight toward me with its large pincers that were probably capable of chopping my leg off. While Alpha centipedes are significantly larger than their smaller counterparts, they aren''t that much stronger than one would imagine; sure, they''re noticeably stronger, but the difference isn''t much. What makes them stand out compared to the normal centipedes is their trait, [Hardened Stone Skin], which is uncommon; although it''s just a one-rank increase, It''s quite a substantial boost, in my opinion. ''However, It''s not much of a problem with my strength.'' Thought Alexander with a slight smirk as he imbued his body with mana, increasing his physical attributes. You''d think fighting a mindless beast wouldn''t be too difficult, but in my experience, I''ve actually found it to be much more challenging; since they have no soul, they rely purely on their body''s instinct, which I''ve discovered to be incredibly acute, though it''s only useful if they''re facing an attack that could kill them. Otherwise, they''re going to ignore everything you throw at them and continue charging directly toward you, and that is very annoying; fighting against monsters that almost don''t care for their lives can be very tricky in specific scenarios. Once the alpha monster was only a few meters before me, I powerfully pushed off the ground with my legs that had been imbued with neutral mana, causing me to appear right in front of the monster; swinging only one of my greatswords, specifically Trina, so that I may get a perfect stone carapace. Yet, just before Trina decapitated it, the monster managed to stop its moment nearly instantly and just barely avoided getting killed, though I had expected that, and that''s why I had only used Trina in the initial swing. Following right behind Trina was another greatsword, her sister that I still don''t know the name of, as it cleanly sliced through the neck area of the centipede, just between its head and carapace, dying the ground brown from its blood. "Well, that was easy; now here comes the annoying part, hauling the corpse; I''m going to need to bathe after this." Remarked Alexander with a sigh as he absorbed Trina back into his body, picked up the alpha monster''s corpse, and carried it on his back. I suppose the only good thing about this is, unlike beasts, monsters don''t care about their kin, so at least carrying this corpse doesn''t pose any extra danger; it''s just disgusting. Exiting the dungeon didn''t take long, and not much happened; I only dealt with twenty or so monsters, a relatively small number if you include walking through three different floors. Once I arrived outside, I took a second to bathe in the afternoon sunlight while inhaling nature''s scent before exiting the dungeon on the side of the mountain and entering the forest as I headed home. The walk back home was uneventful, and thankfully, beasts don''t like monster blood; as they say it, "Smells worse than shit", so I don''t have to worry about beasts attacking me; it, in fact, works as a natural deterrent. Exiting the forest, I arrive inside the clearing, the place that''s been my home for the past twelve years, and to this day, I still love it; having a beautiful Master to come home to every day after exploring the dungeon is also an added plus. Chapter 29: What Is a Hero? Before I entered the house, I hanged the corpse of the alpha stone-centipede on a tree branch so it could dry since Master doesn''t like the house smelling of monster blood, neither do I, but that also means I''m going to take off my armor and clothes as there is some blood on it as well. My greatswords were also covered in blood, but thankfully, as they are very durable, I could bathe them in flames to burn off all of the monster''s blood, which was easy, but I did have to make the fire quite hot. Once Trina and her elder sister were thoroughly cleansed of monster blood, I retracted them back into my body, and although I''ve been doing this for a little over four years, the sensation of something moving through my body still feels unnatural to me. Taking off my various pieces of armor, which consist of a helmet, shoulder guards, arm guards, bracers, chest plate, leg armor, shin guards, and lastly, boots; once all of my armor was off, I set them on a nearby rock and did the same thing I did with my greatswords, although since there were several more pieces it took slightly longer, it was still much faster than cleaning them normally. When I finished cleaning my armor, I removed my slime clothes and placed them on the same rock where the armor pieces were; unfortunately, I couldn''t just let them bathe in the fire. I mean, technically, I could, but even though it''s magic-resistant, I''ll still end up damaging the slime outfit; I have to make the fire very hot if I wish to cleanse monster blood after it''s already dried. Anyway, since I was already in the nude, I decided I might as well take a bath; I didn''t want to enter Master''s office and then get hit with a blast of water because I forgot to wash; it''s happened before. Approaching the pond in the distance while walking across the clearing in the nude, I entered the usual beautiful blue pond and submerged myself under the water as I soaked up its soothing aura. ''I don''t know what Master did to this pond, but no matter my state of mind, I''ll always quickly calm down.'' Thought Alexander while floating at the bottom of the pond. After having soaked in the pond for a few minutes, I surfaced and began to clean myself, making sure to scrub my hair, which has gotten quite long in the past twelve years, and while I do kind of like it as it''s a new style to me, It''s not the best for fighting; however, since I don''t fight that much, I''ll keep it for now, though I''ll probably cut it before I finally leave home and explore the world. ''Ugh, why does monster blood have to be brown? It''s blending in with my skin.'' Mused Alexander with a frown as he intensely scrubbed his caramel-colored skin, which went well with his long snow-white hair. When I finished cleaning, I took one last dip in the pond before exiting; once out, with the combination of fire and wind mana, which I can almost effortlessly use in conjunction, I blasted myself with a continuous gust of hot wind, quickly drying my body off, though I left my hair a little damp still. As I was about to head toward the home and speak with Master, I looked at my reflection in the pond; although I don''t believe myself to be necessarily handsome yet, as I still carried a large number of child-like features, I could also spot some manly features forming, such as my muscular build. ''Heh, it seems like all those years of physical training have finally started paying off.'' Thought Alexander with a proud smirk as he began doing poses while flexing his prominent muscles. Yet, while I was enjoying my appearance and how much improvement I''ve made since my last life, I couldn''t help but remember the day I died, which led to me thinking about my class and my supposed responsibilities as the so-called [Hero]. ''Haa, I''m grateful for the position I''m currently in, but I''m no Hero; I would gladly give up my life for Master or even Trina, but I don''t see myself ever willingly risking my life for a couple of strangers, in my eyes, my life is simply more precious than theirs, and vice-versa for them.'' Thought Alexander with a depressed sigh as he shook his head and headed toward the house. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. While walking back to the treehouse, still in the nude, I continued to ponder about the characteristics of a Hero and whether I have any. I won''t lie and say I don''t have some similarities with a Hero; I do enjoy helping people in need, whether it''s humans, beasts, Dryads, Demons, Elves, or any other species you could name. However, a Hero and I also differ greatly; a Hero is seen as a guardian angel by the people they constantly risk their lives to protect, but I couldn''t do such a thing. I may enjoy helping people, but I will not live my life only helping and protecting people. ''Besides, constantly protecting will only result in stagnation, and the moment the Hero leaves or possibly dies, the people he or she were protecting will quickly die as well since they''ve never experienced hardships considering the Hero had protected them.'' Pondered Alexander, though he was so deep that he didn''t notice the tree mere inches before his face. "Ow. Haa, I need to stop thinking about this Hero thing." Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he rubbed his nose while looking at the tree. Shaking my head, I climbed the tree and entered the house in search of Master, though knowing her, she was most likely in her Office; I was correct, as when I arrived before her office, I heard Master excitedly speaking from behind the door. Just as I was about to open the door, I looked down and noticed I had forgotten to put on clothes; palming my face while feeling slightly embarrassed, I headed to my room and quickly put on some clothes before returning to Masters Office. "Master, I''ve returned and brought the alpha centipede; it''s currently drying outside." Announced Alexander as he opened the door and saw Lavender intently looking at a red liquid in a vial with an eager expression. Seeing how Master completely ignored me, which she only does when she''s very invested in one of her projects, and surprisingly, this happens quite a lot, so I''ve gotten used to it. Walking near the table Master was sitting at, I also focused on the vial, though when I did, the red liquid started bubbling very quickly, and before I could even react, it exploded. Using my wind mana, I blew all the smoke out the window, and with an ash-covered face, I blankly stared at Master, whose face was also covered in ash. "So, what did you wish to say, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with a slight smile as she attempted to gloss over what had just happened. "I had just taken a bath, Master, and now I''m going to have to take another one." Replied Alexander blandly while his eye twitched in annoyance, causing Lavender to look away awkwardly. "Haa, you''re one of a kind, Master." Muttered Alexander as he ignored Lavender and attempted to clean the ash off his face, to no avail. "Fufu, I''ll take that as a compliment. So, did you bring back the carapace of an Alpha centipede? If I had that, I''m sure the concoction would''ve worked." Said Lavender with a proud smile while mumbling the last bit, though Alexander still heard her, causing him to stare blankly at her again. "Yes, I''ve acquired an Alpha centipede; it''s outside drying off." Replied Alexander while glancing at the destruction the explosion caused, though it was relatively small. "Hmm, you''ve brought a whole centipede? I only needed the carapace, but I suppose I could use its other body parts." Remarked Lavender while thoughtfully tapping her chin. "Well, yes, I couldn''t exactly skin it in the dungeon." Stated Alexander while shaking his head, causing his hair to fling ash onto Lavender, much to his satisfaction. "You could''ve just done it outside the dungeon or in the forest." Replied Lavender while blankly staring at Alexander in annoyance, though he ignored it. "I didn''t think about it." Said Alexander, to which Lavender just shook her head. "Anyways, since I''m all dirty again thanks to someone, I''m going to go and exercise; I might as well." Stated Alexander while eyeing Lavender before exiting the room, to which she huffed in response. Heading toward my room, I grabbed a silver belt with a crystal gem in the middle before exiting the house and finding a random empty spot in the clearing. Putting the belt on, I injected my mana into the crystal gem at the center, causing it to release a soft blue glow as thin blue mana emerged from both sides of the belt and began to cover my body. Once I was fully covered in this mana film, It started vibrating, which in turn caused my body to slowly but steadily get heavier until I eventually stopped it by no longer injecting mana into the blue crystal. ''Alright, I should work up a good sweat since I''m already dirty.'' Thought Alexander as he began doing typical exercises, though since his weight was many times heavier than usual, it was actually challenging. I was currently using a Gravity belt, which Master had made in her earlier days with the help of one of her teammates, since while Master may be able to use every major element, only people with a specific element affinity will be able to use its sub-element. In order to use gravity magic, one must have an affinity for earth mana, which Master has, but you also need to have an affinity for space mana, something Master doesn''t have, but apparently, her teammate did. Chapter 30: Peaceful Lunch Anyways, with the gravity belt, my weight had increased tremendously, but the best part about it is that the weight is evenly spread across my body; compared to weighted suits, which I''ve used before, they aren''t nearly as good as the gravity belt, not to mention taking them off is such a hassle. Since I didn''t intend to exercise today, I only did an hour''s worth of physical training before taking off the gravity belt and heading to the pond to take a bath for the second time today. Once I finished bathing, I put my clothes back on and headed home; when I arrived, I returned the gravity belt to its usual spot and decided to cook a meal for Master and I since I hadn''t eaten today, and I doubt she has as well. Opening the fridge, which is really just a hollowed-out tree trunk, I grabbed some eggs, dire wolf meat that I hunted, and a whole bunch of vegetables. However, before I started prepping the food, I wore a purple and black apron that said "Master''s little disciple" on the front with a red arrow pointing up directly at my face. It was a gift for my eleventh birthday, which was around the time I started to learn how to cook since I immensely enjoyed it as a hobby. "Alright then, let''s get to cooking." Muttered Alexander as he grabbed a knife and began cutting the various vegetables. Once the vegetables were cooked, I threw them onto a pan and added some oil before lighting the stove with some fire; while the various vegetables were sizzling on the pan, I started working on the eggs. Cracking fifteen eggs into a bowl and throwing away the shells, I started whisking the eggs until the yolk was no more; stirring the pan up a little, I slowly added the fifteen whisked eggs while letting it cook at a stable temperature before focusing on the dire wolf meat. Placing the slab of wolf meat on the counter, I sliced it into numerous thin slices, attempting to replicate bacon, before grabbing another much larger skillet and laying several pieces of thinly stripped wolf meat onto it. Setting the skillet beside the pan of eggs and vegetables, I once again lit the stove, yet I made this one a little bit hotter. "Almost forgot to add toast." Said Alexander as he opened the fridge again to grab several slices of bread. The bread was super easy to prepare as all it required was some heat to be toasted and some butter afterward, though it''s not really required. Floating several pieces of toast in the air with my wind mana, I combined it with my flames, causing the surrounding air to heat up and toast the bread. Granted, it will take some time if I do it like this, but it''s fine since nothing else is finished yet. Now that everything was cooking, it was merely the waiting game until something finished, and unsurprisingly, it happened to be the eggs. Shifting the eggs and vegetables about with a spatula to ensure it was evenly cooked, I then placed some onto two already prepared plates, though one plate had noticeably more food than the other. Putting the pan into the sink, I checked the bacon, but it hadn''t become crispy, so I went over to the bread, which was also about done. I grabbed the bread and added some butter before setting them on the plates beside the eggs. When I checked on the bacon, it was perfectly crispy; floating the bacon pieces onto my plate, I blew the flames out with some wind and picked up the two plates before heading toward the table. ''Now then, I just need Master.'' Thought Alexander as he ate a piece of bacon while heading to Lavender''s office. Seeing how the door was closed, I made sure to knock first lest I interrupt her in the middle of something important, though since she responded, I knew she wasn''t. "Master, I''ve made lunch since I''m sure you haven''t eaten anything today." Announced Alexander as he opened the door and entered the office, only to see her scribbling about in her notebook. "Thanks, but I''ll eat later; I''m too invested in my project right now." Replied Lavender with a light smile as she glanced at Alexander before focusing back on her notebook. "Are you sure, Master? I''ve made you''re favorite eggs and vegetables." Said Alexander with a sly smirk, his words causing Lavender to instantly stop what she was doing and look at him. "Well, since my dear disciple cooked for me, it would be rude of me to refuse." Remarked Lavender as she set her notebook down and approached Alexander. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Chuckling at how quickly Master switched up, I closed the door after she exited and followed behind her; although I was following right behind her, the instant she saw her plate, she appeared in the chair while already beginning to eat. "Mmhh, it''s soo good, Alexander! To think you held so much talent for cooking! Maybe you should change your profession from an adventurer to a chef; I have no doubt you''d do just as good with skills like these." Declared Lavender with a lovely expression while practically stuffing her face full of food. "Hehe, slow down, Master, your food isn''t going anywhere; however, I appreciate the compliments, but cooking is merely a hobby. I''m much more interested in exploring the wonders this world offers." Replied Alexander with a slight chuckle while also eating as he felt satisfied that his actions made Lavender so happy. "Haa, well, I won''t force you, but if being an adventurer ever fails, you''ve always got a backup profession: a Chef." Said Lavender with a discouraged sigh, though the taste of the food swiftly improved her mood. "You''re right, though failing at being an adventure usually means you''ve died; however, if I happen to live, I''ll become a chef and open a restaurant called Master & Disciples Bakery." Stated Alexander with an amused smile as he entertained the idea. "Master & Disciples Bakery? I don''t mind being added to the name, but I''m no chef; my cooking skills may be pretty decent, but given my age, it''s embarrassing." Remarked Lavender with a raised eyebrow while glancing at Alexander. "Heh, who said you were going to be a Chef? With how beautiful you are, you''d obviously be the waitress, Master; people would return to the restaurant to see you, not eat my food." Said Alexander with a light smile while Lavender proudly raised her head at his praise. "Hmm, you''re not wrong. Your cooking may be great, but it can''t compare to my beauty." Stated Lavender as she flicked her red vine-like hair back in a fake narcissistic tone. "Though I am curious, what level is your skill, [Cook] at now?" Added Lavender curiously as she returned to normal, only to catch Alexander wordlessly staring at her. "Uh, l-let me check it real quick." Said Alexander quickly with a slightly blushed face from having been caught staring at Lavender, though she merely chuckled in response. Summoning my status panel, which I, myself hadn''t seen in a few days, I glossed over everything before focusing on my skills, though I did smile when I realized how much progress I''d made in the past four years. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 12 years Tier: 0 Level: 12¡ú 41 (Available Status Points: 1968) Experience: [87%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+, Apprentice Chef(Uncommon), Apprentice Mage(Uncommon), Apprentice Swordsmen(Uncommon) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 5,020/5,020 Vigor: 27¡ú 98 Endurance: 30¡ú 105 Agility: 22¡ú 67 Dexterity: 22¡ú 68 Intelligence: 172(189)¡ú 456(502) Perception: 45(50)¡ú 121(133) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl1(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl2¡ü(*Rare), Shrink¨Clvl6¡ü(Rare), Expand¨Clvl6¡ü(Rare), Blink¨Clvl2¡ü(Rare), Firestorm¨Clvl1¡ü(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl10¡ü(Uncommon), Fire Breath¨Clvl9¡ü(*Uncommon), Wind armor¨Clvl3¡ü(Uncommon), Fire Ball¨Clvl2¡ü(*Uncommon), Fire Shot¨Clvl1¡ü(*Uncommon), Wind Blade¨Clvl3¡ü(*Uncommon), Wind Shot¨Clvl1¡ü(*Uncommon), Wind Step-lvl2¡ü(*Uncommon), Cook¨Clvl8¡ü(*Uncommon), Meditation¨Clvl3¡ü(Uncommon) Condition: N/A //////////////////// (Note: The number of asterisks represents how many times said skill has increased in rank) Although it may not look like I''ve improved much in the last four years, I haven''t used a single status point, so everything I''ve gained until now has been from pure hard work. Regarding my lack of new skills, I''ve mainly been focusing on mastering the ones I already know rather than learning new ones. I have actually made a lot of progress in my skills; I''ve managed to upgrade all of my Common ranked skills to Uncommon, and I''ve also learned a few more spells from Master, though I did create the skill, [Fire Storm], all on my own. However, I wouldn''t be surprised if this skill already exists somewhere in the world. ''Though the coolest spell I know is definitely [Blink]; being able to teleport is super incredible, even if it''s only a few short meters.'' Thought Alexander with a smirk before responding to Lavender. "It''s level 8 right now; I had just leveled it up a few days ago." Replied Alexander, his words causing Lavender to whistle in astonishment. "It hasn''t even been two years, yet you''ve not only learned the skill [Cook] on your own, you have almost maxed it out after upgrading it from a Common to Uncommon. Are you sure you don''t wish to be a Chef?" Remarked Lavender as she took her final bite of food. "Yes, Master, I''m sure." Said Alexander while slightly shaking his head as he took a bite of bacon. Although Master finished her food earlier than me, we continued to talk for a little bit, and only when I also finished my plate did she retreat back to her den to continue her projects while I headed to my room, leaving the dirty dishes for Master to clean; she''s got the affinity for water mana, not me. Chapter 31: Scaly Potion While in my room, sitting on my bed, I crossed my legs and used this time to meditate on my mana, something I''m not really fond of doing, but the skill [Meditation] is very beneficial, so I wish to level it up, in turn making it even more potent than it already is. //////////////////// Meditation¨Clvl3 (Uncommon): Active [Grants a 15% increase in mana rejuvenation while meditating.] //////////////////// Although, unfortunately, it''s not much of an increase, and since it only works while meditating, in nearly every case, it won''t be helpful in battles; still, it''s only at level three, and I haven''t upgraded it yet. Besides, Master has said that there are skills that grant a passive increase in mana rejuvenation, so it''s not too big of a deal, and until I learn one or get my hands on a skill crystal, I''ll be focusing on improving this. ''Alright, I''ve been meditating for about an hour; that should be enough for today; anymore, and I might go crazy from boredom.'' Thought Alexander, yawning as he hopped off his bed and exited his room. Since I didn''t have anything planned for today, and I had no intention of training since I''d already taken a bath twice, I just used the remaining sunlight to relax, assist Master, though I didn''t provide much help, and talk with Trina, who, for the record is very lively. Once nighttime arrived, I spent a little more time with my lovely Master before eventually heading to sleep, hoping I wouldn''t have to experience that nightmare tonight. ''Goodnight, Mother; goodnight, Trina.'' Thought Alexander as he hugged his blanket while slowly drifting to sleep. ''Goodnight, Master!'' Said Trina quietly in excitement as she watched Alexander peacefully sleep. ___ ___ "So you''ve finally succeeded, Master?" Asked Alexander curiously as he folded his arms while looking at the vial of reddish liquid in Lavender''s hands. "Yes! After several months of painstaking effort, I finally achieved it!" Declared Lavender in pure joy and excitement while carefully holding the vial in her hands as if it were something precious. Looking at the vial, I activated [Heroes Gaze] and scanned its status, only to be slightly dumbfounded by what I saw. //////////////////// Potion of Scaled-Defense Rank: Uncommon Description: Turns the user''s skin into scales for a short time, greatly increasing defense. //////////////////// ''T-That''s it? Master is so excited over something like this?'' Thought Alexander in confusion, though he opted to stay quiet as he did not want his truthful words to possibly dampen Lavender''s joy. Unluckily, it seemed like Master saw straight through me as she practically read my mind. "I know what you''re thinking, Alexander, and yes, while the potion itself isn''t anything impressive, it''s the ingredients in the potion that make it unique and special." Stated Lavender calmly with a large smile as she attempted to explain to Alexander. "I don''t mean to be rude, Master, but didn''t you just use the carapace of an alpha stone centipede and some plants? I don''t understand how those ingredients are special or unique." Replied Alexander in confusion with a raised eyebrow while glancing at Lavender, who gave him a look of pity. "Haa, my poor dear disciple; too foolish to understand how great of an achievement I''ve accomplished." Said Lavender in a tone of pity as she shook her head, eliciting Alexanders'' annoyance. "Master, I''m not stupid; I''m just no Alchemist, so how am I supposed to know what you''ve just done is worthy of praise?" Said Alexander as he sighed while rubbing his nose. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Relax, I''m merely joking, Alexander, sort of. Anyways, the reason it is special is that I used only Common grade resources, yet I managed to concoct an Uncommon rank potion. Of course, this has been achieved plenty of times in the past, but doing so isn''t an easy feat at all; even the most experienced will find such a task challenging." Stated Lavender passionately while holding the vial closer to Alexander. If she had said that at first, I would''ve praised or congratulated her, but after giving me the run-around and calling me foolish, I decided to say nothing; she deserved at least that much punishment. "That''s cool and all, Master, but here is the important question: does it work?" Questioned Alexander. "Such a difficult person to please; if it were my friend, Kurama, she would''ve been very happy for me." Muttered Lavender in fake sadness, causing Alexander''s face to twitch as he decided to ignore her comment. "No, I don''t know if that works, but isn''t that why I have you here?" Added Lavender with a light smile as she outstretched her hand so Alexander could take the vial of reddish liquid. "Wait a second, don''t tell me the whole reason you summoned me to your office was so that I can test your potion, Master?" Questioned Alexander with a frown while intently eyeing Lavender, who looked away. "Well, I was going to consume it, but I then realized I had a disciple with very potent vitality, and on the off chance you get very injured, you can always use your skill [Rebirth]." Replied Lavender softly while refusing to look Alexander in the eyes. ''Although I knew Master could be shameless sometimes, this is a new high even for her! Asking her own disciple to consume an untested potion is insane!'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he stared at Lavender''s face. "You, you''re truly one of a kind, Master." Stated Alexander as he grabbed the vial from Lavender''s hands, causing her to chuckle awkwardly. Holding the vial of reddish liquid in my hands, I intently eyed it for a couple of seconds before sighing as I opened my mouth and consumed the contents of the vial, which, for the record, tasted disgusting; I had nearly spat it out, and if I did that I intended to aim for Master. After consuming the liquid, I didn''t even need to wait a few seconds as I felt my body, partially my skin, heat up before, in a somewhat painful process, my skin started taking on a rough texture while progressively becoming more durable. When the process was finally complete, and my body was no longer painful, I looked down at my arms, only to notice my skin had seemingly transformed into hardened scales, which weren''t as hideous as I imagined they would be; granted, I greatly preferred my normal skin. "So, how does it feel, Alexander? Make sure to tell me everything, and don''t leave anything out." Said Lavender curiously as she grabbed her notebook and mana-powered pen, prepared to write notes. As much as I found it funny to keep my mouth shut and not tell Master anything, that would''ve been a little rude; besides, my heart warned me against doing that, so I just informed her of everything that happened. "The process was a little painful, and it caused my body to heat up slightly; my body feels much heavier, and other than that, I can''t discern anything else." Said Alexander calmly as he approached a mirror and checked out his scaly body. "Hmm, that''s good; besides some slight pain, there are practically no side effects! Now we must wait for the effects to wear off, which normally takes about 10 minutes, so I''d expect the time to be around the same length as well." Remarked Lavender with a slight smile as she glanced at Alexander. Just as Master said, after about nine minutes, the effects started wearing off, and thankfully, the process was relatively painless; in all honesty, the worst thing about the experience was the taste of the potion, which I purposely didn''t say, as I intended to get a little revenge. "Master, I notice you''ve made extra; seeing how there were no side effects, maybe you should try the potion. I''m sure you''ll be able to discern more things than I." Stated Alexander with a slight grin, his words causing Lavender to frown. "Hmm, well, you''re not wrong; I''ve consumed tens of thousands of potions before, after all." Muttered Lavender while eyeing Alexander, his words filling her with suspicion, though she merely brushed it off. As Master grabbed one of the extra potions, I watched how she downed the vial quickly, and seeing that, I couldn''t help but smirk since I knew the flavor was utterly terrible; I''ve had a few potions before as well, and none of them tasted terrible. However, after noticing no reaction besides her green skin slowly morphing into scales, I was disappointed that my plan failed. ''Haa, I honestly should''ve expected that to happen.'' Thought Alexander, glancing at Lavender, who suddenly opened her eyes and stood up. "Everything was as you said, except you didn''t mention the terrible taste; why is that?" Asked Lavender with a frown as she stared at Alexander, causing her to look more frightening than usual with her scaly body. "Terrible taste? I don''t know what you''re talking about, Master; it tasted fine to me." Replied Alexander while scratching his head in confusion. "You know, you''ve never been able to lie to me, Alexander; what makes you think now will be any different?" Questioned Lavender calmly while intently eyeing Alexander. Seeing how I''ve been exposed, I attempted to use the skill [Blink] to teleport out of the tree house and run away; unfortunately, when I used the skill, I appeared only a few inches toward the left, filling me with confusion on why the skill hadn''t worked. "Now then, how should I punish you for tricking me?" Remarked Lavender with a dangerous smile as she grabbed a hold of Alexander''s shoulder. ''Is this what it''s like to have a Mother?'' Thought Alexander with a defeated sigh, not knowing his guess wasn''t too far off. Chapter 32: Talis Enters a Dungeon It''s been a few weeks since Master''s unreasonable punishment, and currently, I''m headed toward the mountain, or specifically the dungeon that is inside the mountain, which is actually called the Centipede Dungeon. This time, I''m not here on a request from Master; I''m merely here to participate in combat, which I discovered some time ago increases the rate of how fast my skills level up, compared to just practicing them normally, so ever since then, I''ve made it a routine to visit the Dungen a few times a week. While I was walking through the forest, enjoying the chirping of the birds, the scent of vegetation, and the sensation of the wind hitting my body, I heard the sound of wings flapping in the vicinity, which caused me to look in the direction of the noise, only for me to see a relatively small bird, with brown and beige feathers, sharp talons, and a small beak flying directly toward me. Usually, at such a sight, I''d be confused; however, knowing who it was, I couldn''t help but shake my head in amusement while standing in place, waiting for the speedily flying bird to approach me, which obviously didn''t take long. Extending my arm, the bird slowed its descent and landed directly on my forearm with its talons, which didn''t hurt unless the bird purposefully attempted to cause pain. "What''s wrong with you, Talis? Didn''t I visit you just a few days ago? Why have you flown from the other side of the forest to over here? You know doing so is very dangerous for someone of your size." Reprimanded Alexander with a frown while eyeing the joyful bird, speaking to the bird as if it were a friend. Listening to her response, I didn''t know whether to be angry or flattered, so I just merely sighed at my friend''s response. "Because I was bored, and I enjoy spending time with you; besides, with my speed, mostly no one will be able to catch me!" Said Talis in joy while she excitedly flapped her wings, though all that left her beak was chirping, something Alexander could comprehend. "Mostly no one, that doesn''t mean absolutely no one will be able to catch you? What happens if a Wind-Eagle decides it wants to eat Talis for lunch? You may be a very fast flyer, Talis, but you''re not escaping a fully grown Wind-Eagle." Said Alexander with emphasis while poking Talis, causing her to nearly fall off his arm. "I know, Alex, but thanks to my small size, I''m very nimble, so I can just dive into the forest while easily darting around the various trees. A Wind-Eagle won''t dare follow me under the canopy of the trees unless it wishes to crash directly into a tree." Replied Talis, lifting her beak as if smirking while gently slapping Alexander''s hand away with her wing. I wanted to reprimand her, but I couldn''t deny her words as she had only spoken the truth. I''ve had the opportunity to fight a Wind-Eagle in the past, and only a suicidal one would enter the forest; their large size and incredible speed make it nearly impossible for them to maneuver effectively in the forest. "Haa, just be careful next time; you were lucky enough that I saved you once before; you won''t always be that lucky." Remarked Alexander while shaking his head as he walked toward the distant mountain with a small bird called Talis. "Hmph, I think I know more about the dangers of the forest than you do; unlike you, I''m not protected by a powerful person who lives in the center area, which no other creature dares to enter." Stated Talis as she hopped off Alexander''s arm and landed on his left shoulder, chirping loudly in his ear. "First off, the person who lives in the center area is my Master, a Mother, so to speak, so it''s only natural that she would protect me from the dangers of the forest. Secondly, Miss. knows-it-all, I was nearly killed by a Direwolf several years back, not to mention I partake in much more dangers than you''ve ever experienced." Declared Alexander with a triumphant expression while glancing at Talis, causing her to be filled with annoyance. "I don''t believe you; I''m forced to live in this dangerous forest by myself, and do you know how many times I''ve almost been killed or eaten!? Just in the past six months, I''ve nearly died sixteen times; what about you? How often have you almost died in the past six months, Mr. I-know-danger?" Exclaimed Talis as she intently eyed Alexander. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "None, but that''s simply because I''m strong! Or at least strong compared to my opponents." Replied Alexander with a prideful smile while muttering the last part. "Hmph, fine, Alex, since you persistently believe you live a more dangerous life than me, let me tag along and personally experience this so-called dangerous life, which I think you''re lying about." Declared Talis with a huff as she folded her wings, which, for the record, looked quite comical. "I''d advise you not; the place where I''m going isn''t that dangerous for me, but it''ll be like a death trap to you; after all, it''s an enclosed space, which means hardly any room to fly." Advised Alexander earnestly, though Talis merely dismissively chirped, not taking his words to heart. ''Haa, alright, having her accompany me should be fine; I''m completely confident in protecting her as long as we don''t enter the fourth floor.'' Thought Alexander as he neared the mountain. Approaching the mountain, I walked along the base of it until we arrived at the entrance for the dungeon, which, for the record, was still hidden behind the illusion wall, so I''m sure I looked pretty stupid from Talis''s perspective. "Don''t worry, this part of the mountain is an illusion; it''s fake, so you can actually walk right through it." Said Alexander, pacifying Talis''s confusion as he stepped through the illusion, causing her eyes to widen slightly in surprise. "Woah, has this cave always been there?" Asked Talis while observing the surrounding cave; luckily, she could see relatively well in the dark, though it wasn''t anywhere near as good as Alexander''s. "I don''t know, but I''d imagine it''s been here for hundreds if not thousands of years; all my Master did was hide the dungeon''s entrance with illusion magic." Replied Alexander while walking down the cave entrance until he arrived at a fork in the path. "Which way, Talis? Since this is your first and possibly last time here, which way shall we go?" Asked Alexander while Talis began pondering about her answer. "Hmm, let''s go right." Stated Talis as she pointed her wing toward the rightmost path while Alexander headed down that path. While walking down the path, officially stepping into the dungeon, I opened my hands and summoned forth Trina along with her elder sister, who I still don''t know the name of, gripping my hands on the soft golden hilts of my great sword, I hoisted Trina onto my shoulder while letting the tip of my other greatsword scrape across the rocky ground. "Hmm, what are those, Alex? Are they part of your body?" Asked Talis while intently observing the large black greatsword with purple markings curiously. "They''re my means of attacking, similar to your talons, and I suppose you could say they are part of my body; not like I could remove them anyways." Replied Alexander as he lifted his left hand, allowing Talis a better view of his greatsword. "Since they''re your means of attacking, that must mean we''re getting close to the danger?" Questioned Talis as she took on a more dignified demeanor, though not like anyone besides Alexander and other birds could notice the difference. Nodding at Talis''s words, I continued walking down the path that had started to expand; as I did so, we began hearing pitter-patter noises in the distance, though the more I walked, the more distinct they became. With my senses on higher alert than usual, since I had Talis to worry about, I could discern a small group of stone centipedes digging through the walls while approaching directly toward us. Without any warning, I stopped moving and waited for the monsters to arrive, which, like always, didn''t take long; exiting from the holes they had just created, the monsters dropped to the ground and released loud, high-pitched screeches as several centipedes quickly approached us. Glancing at Talis, curious as this would be the first time she''d ever interacted with monsters and other than an uncomfortable expression, she was relatively calm, though, from her stance, I could tell she was prepared to swiftly fly away. Focusing back on the several monsters, I inhaled a large breath and filled my mouth with mana as I used the skill [Fire Breath]; opening my mouth, I released a large firewall toward the incoming centipedes. Since the skill [Fire Breath] was more of an AOE attack, as people from Earth would say, it didn''t kill them instantly; however, taking into account my intelligence and their poor resistance to fire mana, they didn''t last for more than three seconds, which by then there were beginning to cook, not like Talis or I had any intention of eating monster meat. "Ugh, that smells terrible!" Stated Talis in disgust as she covered her face with her wings. "Tell me about it." Said Alexander dryly, though the smell was much more potent since his perception was relatively high. Knowing the smell would only get more intense as time passed, I quickly left the area, heading deeper into the dungeon, away from the burning monster corpses. Chapter 33: Stubborn Talis While exploring the first floor with Talis resting on my shoulder, we encountered many stone centipedes; however, they, at best, slowed us down before I continued walking through the dungeon. "So, how was that? Dangerous enough for you?" Asked Alexander with a light smile while resting against the dungeon wall. "While I''ll admit this place is more dangerous than I expected, it''s still not more dangerous than what I''m forced to experience, and since you don''t live here, it''s not nearly as dangerous." Replied Talis with a few high-pitched chirps while gently flapping her wings as she stood atop Alexander''s shoulder. "Heh, knowing how stubborn you can be at times, I expected that; however, just so you know, this place has five different areas, and this one was by far the most peaceful." Stated Alexander with a slight chuckle as he raised his hand and pointed Trina at a newly formed hole a centipede attempted to exit from, blasting it with a fireball, killing the monster instantly. "Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and take me to those so-called dangerous areas; considering how treacherous this area was, the other areas are probably only slightly more dangerous at best." Said Talis, stubbornly refusing to admit defeat. Knowing how stubborn she is, I''ll probably have to visit the third floor if I wish for her to admit defeat, and even then, that might not be enough; so with a sigh, I continued heading down the path, which happened to be the way to the second floor. Since we were approaching the second floor, we were hardly attacked on our small journey, giving us a slight break as we walked through the smelly dungeon. However, that didn''t last for long since the moment we arrived on the second floor; we were quickly assaulted with almost hordes of centipedes, along with the rare sight of an alpha leading the charge. ''This is why I prefer to skip the second floor and go straight toward the third floor; there may be more alphas there, but at least there isn''t such a massive amount of monsters.'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he launched various fire attacks at the incoming horde, opting to use more of his magic rather than fight physically since Talis was on his shoulder. Burning nearly all of the centipedes with a [Fire Breath], I launched two [Fire Balls] at the two remaining alpha centipedes that managed to survive the initial attack, successfully killing the first of many hordes we will be encountering on the second floor. "Before you say anything, wait until we explore more of the second floor; this was merely the welcoming party." Said Alexander with a slight smirk as he glanced at Talis, who merely huffed and folded her wings while they continued exploring. The journey through the second floor was the same as any other time; we''d get hit with a large wave of centipedes being led by one or two alphas, which I easily and quickly dispatched before they even managed to arrive within three meters of us. After being assaulted with a wave of monsters, we would be given a break, ranging from ten minutes to half an hour, before a horde of monsters attacked us again. I suppose that''s the beauty of the second floor; if you can survive the first assault with minimal to no injuries, then the remaining attacks will be pretty useless, though anything is possible. Finally arriving at the pathway toward the third floor after being assaulted with numerous waves of monsters and killing possibly two-hundred-plus centipedes, I glanced at Talis, only to see she was frowning, which caused me to smirk as even though she was most likely going to deny it, this place is more dangerous. "So, how about the second floor? This place has got to be more dangerous, right?" Asked Alexander with a smile when he noticed her change in expression. "Nope, not at all; this floor is only slightly more dangerous because they have that alpha, as you call it; other than that, it''s hardly different from the first floor." Replied Talis with a frown while shaking her head; although Alexander could easily tell she wasn''t being truthful, he didn''t expose her, at least not yet. "You''re a tough cookie to please; however, I know for a fact the third floor is more dangerous, and if you still say it isn''t, then I know you''re lying." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he sat down against the dungeon wall while resting his greatswords atop his lap. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Hmm, why are you just sitting here? Aren''t we heading toward the third floor? Or have you possibly chickened out?" Questioned Talis with a prideful smirk as she hopped off Alexander''s shoulder and landed on the ground before him, though her words caused his face to twitch. "That''s real rich coming from you, Talis; chickens are practically your cousins." Said Alexander with a shake of his head. "Hmph, don''t compare me to those fat, flightless land creatures that dare call themselves birds; just because we both have feathers doesn''t mean we aren''t related at all!" Stated Talis in mild anger as she attempted to claw Alexander''s knee, though she couldn''t pierce his armor. "Hehe, whatever you say, Talis; however, if we are going to the third floor, I''ll need to refill my mana since I''m quite limited in close combat as I have a small little bird to take care of." Replied Alexander with a slight chuckle as he glanced at his status panel. //////////////////// Mana: 3,245/5,020 //////////////////// Although my mana was still over half-filled, I wasn''t really in the mood to take stupid and unnecessary risks, especially when it wasn''t only my life I had to worry about; besides, unlike I, Talis doesn''t have an ability that''ll literally revive her if killed, not to mention, I''m not able to fight in close combat, my movements would more than likely knock her off my shoulder. "Well, don''t take a long time." Said Talis as she sat down, giving up attempting to claw Alexander after seeing she had barely left a scratch on his armor. With the help of the skill, [Meditation], it didn''t take long until my mana was filled up; probably only ten or so minutes later, Talis and I were already walking through the pathway as we headed toward the treacherous third floor, though thankfully, there isn''t a welcoming party this time. "So is this to be the third floor, which is supposed to be more dangerous than the previous floor? It looks quite peaceful to me." Remarked Talis while surveying her empty surroundings from the perch on Alexander''s shoulder. I didn''t say anything and merely shook my head as the moment she opened her beak, I sensed several centipedes, along with multiple alpha centipedes, digging through the walls of the dungeons as they hurriedly made their way toward us; not even fifteen seconds later, the first alpha centipede emerged from the stone wall as it angrily screeched at us before mindlessly charging at us. As I''ve been using mainly fire-based spells so far, I opted to use some wind attacks; the only reason I use fire-based spells more often than wind-based spells is because I enjoy using fire; that''s it. Eyeing the incoming monster, I raised Trina above my head and imbued her with wind mana before slashing down toward the centipede, causing a large, curved blade of wind to shoot toward the monster; before it could even react, the wind blade sliced right through the monster as it continued until it collided with the dungeon wall behind it, creating a two-inch deep gash in the wall. Watching the alpha centipede suddenly stop moving before it separates in two long ways and falls on the ground was quite a disturbing sight, if I will say so, though I noticed Talis didn''t show any reaction to such a thing, which, given her living conditions, is expected; I''m sure she''s probably seen many things more disturbing than this. Once the centipede died, the other monsters exited their holes while all releasing screeches as they came charging toward me with the intention of ripping us to shreds, but they were quickly taken care of like the previous centipede. ''Heh, finally leveled up.'' Thought Alexander with a slight smirk as he viewed his status panel, which displayed him at level forty-two. The rest of the third floor went similar to this; other than the increased number of alpha centipedes, this floor really wasn''t much different than the first floor, and from the look on Talis''s face, I had a feeling she was going to use that as an excuse for its lack of danger; however, not like my presence is helping my case, with how easily I''m defeating the monsters, anyone would think this place isn''t that deadly. Once we arrived at the end of the third floor, my mana was slightly below half, but other than that, we were completely fine; looking at Talis, I didn''t even need to say anything since one glance was enough for me to read her facial expression, though her body language and heart were saying different things. "So, I''m assuming this place hadn''t impressed you much?" Asked Alexander blandly while eyeing Talis, who nodded in response, causing him to sigh. "Nope, this place was even weaker than the second floor." Stated Talis stubbornly as she firmly nodded her head. "I''ll say, Talis, you''re unreasonably stubborn for no reason; why can''t you just admit you''re wrong?" Questioned Alexander in slight annoyance as he folded his arms and tapped his foot while staring at Talis, who had landed on the ground before him. "I''m not wrong, Alex!" Replied Talis loudly as she looked at Alexander. "Then why are you raising your voice, hmm? You''re acting guilty." Said Alexander with a raised eyebrow. "Hmph, fine; since you seem so dead-set on thinking I''m lying, let''s explore the fourth floor since I''m sure it''s probably even weaker than this floor!" Exclaimed Talis, and without so much as a warning, she started flying down the pathway, heading into the deadly fourth floor. Chapter 34: Boss Seeing Talis take off, flying down the pathway to the fourth floor, I was momentarily stunned as I couldn''t believe what had just happened, and my slight hesitation allowed Talis to disappear down the path. I''ve always known Talis was very stubborn and willing to do nearly anything, just so she may be correct, but I also know she isn''t stupid enough to throw herself into danger willingly; if she were, she most likely wouldn''t have survived this long, so seeing her fly away by herself stunned me. "Talis! Get back here this instance!" Yelled Alexander in worry and anger as he clutched his greatswords and quickly ran after Talis, following her scent. While following the scent trail of Talis, I quickly entered the fourth floor, and the instance I did so, there were already numerous alphas scurrying about on the ground, which slightly surprised me since they are usually hiding about in the walls; however, when I thought about it since Talis had just flown through here, they must''ve sensed her presence, specifically her soul, and exited the walls of the dungeon. When I arrived, they instantly turned their attention to me and released a loud screech as they came charging toward me, all while baring their pincers that were powerful enough to bite me in two. ''Ugh, I don''t have time for this! I need to find Talis quickly!'' Thought Alexander with a hardened gaze as he used his skill [Wind Steps], which increased his speed, allowing him to nimbly maneuver through the numerous centipedes. ''Master, are you sure that''s the best Idea? What happens when you find Talis and attempt to leave? If it''s just you, I''m sure you''d be fine, but if you''re protecting someone, it will be incredibly difficult.'' Advised Trina while Alexander dashed through the groups of alpha centipedes. Hearing Trina, I momentarily slowed down while eyeing the various centipedes, and while doing so, I deeply pondered her words since what she had said was something I had overlooked as I was too busy thinking of finding Talis that I didn''t once think about how we''d escape. ''Dammit, Trina''s right; if I continue to ignore them while chasing after Talis, they''ll follow after me and continue to pile up into a bigger bunch until an entire horde follows behind me. At that point, it''ll be nearly impossible for me to escape while protecting Talis.'' Thought Diddy with a hardened gaze as he tightly clutched Trina and her elder sister. I''ve already passed a few groups of centipedes, and I wasn''t going to go back and kill them off; doing so would waste too much time, something I don''t have right now. However, from here on out, I''ll be killing every monster I come across, and although it''ll slightly slow me down, it won''t be by too much. Besides, Talis may be a very fast flyer, but she shouldn''t have gotten too far. ''Alright, no time to be conserving my strength; going to have to go all out.'' Thought Alexander as he began to fill his body with neutral mana, significantly increasing his physical prowess while readying his greatsword. Now that I don''t have to worry about protecting Talis, I can go all out and fight up front, which Is my preferred fighting style, though I also love incorporating magic spells in there as well. While still using [Wind Steps], I appeared right above an alpha centipede, and without waiting for the monster to respond, I slashed down, slicing right through its hard carapace like butter as I killed it in one attack, not even allowing it the opportunity to dodge. After killing that one, I kicked the ground and launched myself toward a nearby centipede that had opened its pincers, intending to crush me with them, though unluckily for it, I had many options to kill it. Pointing Trina toward the monster, I swiftly created a [Fire Ball] before launching it at the monster, hitting it dead square in its face, burning its eyes and jaw though the monster hardly reacted to that; however, with its eyes burnt, it lost track of me. Although, considering where they live, their eyesight is naturally bad as they live in complete darkness, so they mainly sense their surroundings through vibrations on the ground that they pick up with their feet so burning their eyes hardly did anything, but I''m not currently on the ground, so to the monster, I might as well be invisible. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Once I neared the monster, using Trina''s elder sister, I sliced right through its head and part of its back before my greatsword exited its body while coated in disgusting monster blood. Having killed two of the monsters, I quickly dashed to the remaining centipedes and killed them as well before continuing following Talis''s scent, though I wasn''t ever allowed peace for too long as I would come across a group of monsters like every other minute. After about fifteen minutes of chasing Talis and killing probably over one hundred centipedes, I started to get worried that something might''ve happened to her; if something happened to her, it could only be one thing. Death. ''Ugh, Fuck; damn you, Talis! There is no way I''m shouldering all the blame; you''re also at fault! I swear I''ll feed you to a Runebear when I find you!'' Thought Alexander angrily as he bit his lip with a guilt-filled heart while following the seemingly endless trail. A few more minutes passed, and by now, I''d just about cleared the entire floor, yet much to my concern, I''d still not located Talis, and this only left me with two options: either Talis headed back towards the third floor, or, something I sincerely hoped didn''t happen, she ventured into the fifth floor, a place where even I hadn''t gone too. However, as I approached the pathway that supposedly led to the fifth floor, I already had my answer, one that filled me with dread and determination. ''Haa, sorry about this, Master; I know you said not to enter the fifth floor, but now''s an emergency. I have a stupid and stubborn bird I need to save.'' Thought Alexander with a hardened gaze as he inhaled the air, smelling nothing but Talis''s scent and the disgusting smell of a monster. Taking a deep breath, I began walking down the dark pathway, and as I was doing so, Talis''s scent became more potent, which only further resolved my assumption that she was down here; however, with each step, I could feel my heart speed up as if warning me of the looming danger, although I wasn''t deterred, I would''ve liked the option to refill my mana, though time wasn''t on my side, was it? As I walked down the narrow pathway, it slowly began to open up, and it continued to do so, enlarging far bigger than any of the previous floors, causing me to wonder what type of monster I''d be facing. ''Since Master said this dungeon only has five floors, going by my video game logic, this would usually be the boss room; however, I truly hope I''m wrong.'' Thought Alexander as he flared his senses to the maximum while entering the cavern, only to spot Talis standing motionlessly on the ground. Once I fully entered the cavern, I first spotted Talis; though I did find it weird that she was standing motionlessly on the ground, I was more worried about her safety. However, just as I was about to approach her, I sensed danger from my left, and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an absolute monster, one so big even I needed to take a second and make sure I wasn''t seeing things. ''Fuck me, I was correct.'' Thought Alexander with widened eyes while his expression twitched as he stared at the massive monster. Even though the monster was giant and probably about the size of a school bus, it was still a stone-centipede, at least from what I could tell; however, unlike every other monster I''ve encountered, this one didn''t notice either I or Talis, and I had no intention of scanning it with my eyes to view its status panel. Slowly and sneakily approaching Talis, when I arrived beside her, I lightly tapped her with my foot, breaking her out of her stupor and nearly making a sound, but she was quick enough to react in time. Unfortunately, I didn''t know how to speak through our minds like Master, so I just motioned to her with my hands, which was really me, just pointing toward the exit and us nodding our heads. After that, I began slowly making my way toward the exit while Talis followed right behind me; sadly, it just didn''t seem to be our day, as in the middle of walking, Talis tripped over a pebble and nearly face-planted onto the ground; thankfully, I had caught her with my wind mana just in time before she hit the ground. ''Haa, thank goodness for my quick reflexes.'' Thought Alexander as he sighed in relief, though, believe it or not, his actions had shifted the monster''s attention toward them. "Don''t fucking give me that look, Talis; we are in this situation because of who!?" Exclaimed Alexander angrily as he swiftly grabbed Talis and embraced her while running away from the charging monster. Contrary to its massive size, it was very speedy, and seeing it charge toward us while widely opening its large pincers, I was forced to jump over the monster just before it reached us as it snapped its pincers shut; however, because of our poor luck today, it slammed right into the wall, directly where our exit path. "Are you kidding me?" Muttered Alexander with a depressed sigh as he landed on the ground behind the monster, viewing the only path, now blocked by rubble. Chapter 35: Alexander and Taliss Plight Landing on the ground behind the massive centipede, I looked at the one and only pathway out of here, which was now blocked by rubble because of the monster slamming into the wall, and I sighed, knowing that now, if I wished to get Talis and I safely out of here, I''ll more than likely need to kills this monster, or at least mortally wound it to the point where it can''t fight. "Got anything to say now, Talis?" Asked Alexander sarcastically while looking down at Talis, who he was protectively embracing against his chest. "Umm, y-you win; t-this place is more dangerous." Replied Talis bashfully while avoiding eye contact with Alexander as she quietly chirped. "Haa, thanks, though that doesn''t mean much right now; because of your little shenanigans and my lack of foresight, we''re stuck in this terrible mess." Stated Alexander with a sigh while Talis looked away in guilt and shame. Looking at the monster, who seemingly got stuck in the side of the wall, which doesn''t make much sense considering every other centipede I''ve come across is capable of digging through the walls of the dungeon easily; however, I didn''t have time to dwell on it too long, using this chance, I used [Heroes Gaze] and viewed its status, though what I saw was very worrying. //////////////////// Species: Stone-Centipede(Common) Age: 32 Tier: 1 Level: 65 Experience: [46%] Class: Elite-Monster Lifeforce: [100%] Mana: 450/450 Vigor: 492 Endurance: 435 Agility: 160 Dexterity: 72 Intelligence: 45 Perception: 75 Traits: Soul Sense(Common), Hardened Stone Skin(Uncommon), Screech(Uncommon), Acid Spray(Uncommon), Acid Shot(Uncommon) Condition: //////////////////// ''Its stats completely surpass an alpha centipede''s, and it''s not even close, not to mention while it may have lost its ability to dig, it got three Uncommon traits to replace it in its stead; I have to defeat this while also protecting Talis? This is going to be rough.'' Mused Alexander with an intense frown as he viewed the monster''s stats before glancing at his status panel. Just an average centipede''s physical stats are similar to mine, let alone this behemoth, who utterly outclasses me in both vigor and endurance, which I deem the two most essential stats since they directly govern your life force. However, all hope wasn''t lost; I was currently level forty-two with roughly two-thousand-sixteen status points that I could freely allocate to any of the six stats I so wished, and just when I was about to do so, I remembered what Master said. ___ ___ "Also, Alexander, something I should mention before you allocate your status points depending on your desired profession; don''t allocate too many at once in the same stat. Doing so will cause you to feel nothing but immense pain, and depending on how much you use, it may just leave you immobile; so if you have status points saved up, don''t think you can use them to get yourself out of a troublesome situation." Stated Lavender seriously as she walked beside Alexander while the two strolled through the forest. "I understand, Master; I''ll make sure to slowly use my status points once I decide on my profession." Replied Alexander in equal seriousness as he nodded his head. ___ Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.___ ''Dammit! I told Master I would allocate them, yet I forgot to do so; it had always slipped my mind!'' Thought Alexander in self-blame while tightly gripping Trina as he looked at the massive centipede that had just escaped from the wall it was embedded into before turning around. "T-The giant monster is looking at us, Alex!" Yelled Talis nervously while deep in Alexander''s embrace. As much as I would like to allocate my status points, now wasn''t the appropriate time since the monster was charging toward me; frowning, I tightly clutched both Talis and Trina as I used [Wind Steps] while also filling my body to the brim with mana, which not only enhanced my physical capabilities greatly, it massively increased my agility, allowing me to dodge out of the way from the speedy monster. However, while this allowed me to keep up with the monster speed-wise, its strength still vastly outshined mine; even with my strength being enhanced by mana, and while it''s possible to use more of my mana, at that point, I would be trading in efficiency for power, which isn''t something I can afford to do right now, especially when I can''t fight at full potential since I have a little bird to keep safe. While still in the air from dodging the monster charging attack, the centipede swung its tail, or I should say back section, at me, specifically my head; from the danger I was sensing, if that attack landed, I might not die, I''d be out of commission for a while. With how fast the attack was approaching, I wouldn''t be able to evade it, so I did the next best thing I could think of, using the skill [Shrink] on myself; my body swiftly shrunk to about forty percent its original size, which allowed me to dodge the attack with ease as I landed back on the ground. ''Luckily, I didn''t need to use it on Talis; I''ve never tried using that skill on anyone else other than me, so I don''t know how it would go.'' Mused Alexander with a slight relief as he stretched his arm that held Trina and pointed it toward the monster. While pointing Trina toward the monster, a sizeable ball of flames appeared, hovering just before the tip of the sword, and although the flame''s size didn''t increase much as I injected my mana into it, its heat and density surely did. Eying the one trick pony who was once again charging toward me with its saliva-laced pincers, I launched the ball of raging flames toward the monster, hitting it dead in its face as it speedily neared me. Though my actions seemed to cause minimal damage to the massive monster as it continued charging toward me, clicking my tongue, I once again evaded the attack, yet this time, I made sure not to leave the ground, lest I get caught up in the same predicament as last time. ''Ugh, I can''t properly fight it like this while protecting Talis; if I continue dodging its attacks, I''ll eventually run out of mana, and at that point, we will both be killed shortly.'' Thought Alexander with a frown while glancing at the nervous Talis in his embrace, who was holding tightly onto his armor with her small wings. As I dodged the monster''s numerous attacks, I counter-attacked with various spells, such as [Fire Ball], [Fire Breath], [Fire Blast], [Fire Shot], [Wind Blade], and [Wind Shot], while using also thinking of a way to fight the monster without having to worry about protecting Talis; however, such a thing wasn''t easy. While I could have Talis fly at the top of the ceiling, as the room is quite tall, the monster wouldn''t be able to get to her even if it wanted to, but it had that trait, [Acid Shot], and if that trait is anything like the ones I have, the monster would still be able to hit her; I had no intention of putting Talis in such risk, although it''s not like nows situation is much better. Evading another charging attack from the monster, which was practically choreographed at this point, just as I was about to counterattack like usual, I suddenly saw a slight disturbance in the atmospheric mana that surrounded the monster, causing me to realize it must be attempting to use one of it''s the traits. Just as I predicted, when the beast turned around, directly in between the ends of its pincers, there was a green viscous liquid in the shape of a ball; it didn''t take a genius for me to figure out it was using one of its two acid-related traits. Bringing Trina in front of me, I prepared for the attack, yet to my utter disbelief, when the monster shot the attack like a pressurized water jet, it moved at such quick speeds that it was difficult to follow, even while using [Heroes Gaze]. As I looked at the incoming jet stream of acid, I realized it was aiming right for Talis, who just so happened to be right where my heart was; thankfully, Trina was already in a good position for me to defend the attack since otherwise, even with my quick reflexes, there was a good chance the attack would''ve hit Talis. Slightly tilting Trina to the left, the moment the acidic jet stream hit Trina, the sudden impact nearly caused her to get sent flying out of my hands, though I quickly responded by morphing the golden hilt to cover my entire hand. While blocking the attack, the acid was split into two different streams as my great sword practically sliced it in two, but while the stream that went to my left missed me, the same couldn''t be said for the right side as the acid splashed onto my shoulder guards, quickly melting through it along with my clothes underneath before touching my bare skin. "Ugh!" Said Alexander as he grunted in pain while his skin and muscles were getting dissolved by the potent acid. Thankfully, the attack didn''t last long, and the moment the monster stopped shooting me with acid, I retracted Trina back into my body while holding Talis with my injured right arm as I summoned forth my other greatsword, tightly clutching it with my left hand. "A-Alex, you got hit! Are you okay!?" Exclaimed Talis worriedly as she spotted Alexander''s shoulder, which was sizzling from the acid that was dissolving his muscles. "Ugh, It''s incredibly painful, but other than that, I''m fine; it may look bad, but it''ll heal up rather quickly." Replied Alexander while slightly sweating as he eyed the monster in the distance that loudly screeched. Chapter 36: Battle Concluded!? Looking at the screeching centipede while holding Talis with my injured arm and my greatsword with my left arm, I took a deep breath before ultimately deciding to go on the offensive; something that was quite dangerous, but after having taken that last attack, staying passive would eventually end up being more dangerous. "Alright, Talis, I''m going on the offensive, so things may get a little bumpy and uncomfortable; make sure you hold on tightly." Advised Alexander solemnly as Talis swiftly nodded her head while tightly clutching his body with her wings and talons, causing Alexander to hiss in pain. With Talis now firmly attached to my body, I gripped my greatsword, and while using [Wind Steps] in conjunction with my body, which had been infused with mana, I powerfully pushed off the ground as I speedily headed toward the monster that was in the process of creating another acid spell. Swiftly approaching the monster, when I arrived at the halfway mark, the creature shot another [Acid Shot] directly at me; with its speed and me running towards it, I wasn''t given enough time to react; however, as I''d already seen the spell once with my skill, [Heroes Gaze] I could tell when the spell was done forming from the way the mana moved. With that knowledge, I had predicted its attack, allowing me to just narrowly dodge the acidic jet stream by tilting my body to the left; it did scrape my left arm guards, though it was fine since there wasn''t enough acid to dissolve my armor. Closing in on the monster, just as I did, it had finished shooting its acid spell, causing it to once again charge toward me, but since I wasn''t going on the defensive, things were going to be different; nearing the centipede, just before it snapped it''s pincers shut, nearly crushing my head, I ducked down and quickly stepped to the right, standing directly beside its numerous thin legs. Brandishing my greatsword, I sliced down towards its numerous legs, effortlessly slicing through multiple legs, causing viscous brown blood to dye my greatsword, yet just like all monsters I''ve previously faced, it didn''t even react to several of its legs getting chopped off; sensing danger from behind, I reluctantly stopped my attack and retracted my greatsword as I backed away, dodging just in time as the centipede had slammed its face where I was previously standing, taking a bite out of the ground. While its face was in the ground, I dashed towards its opened neck, and when I neared the monster again, I jumped up and stabbed my greatsword into the side of its neck, digging in as deep as possible, causing the disgusting monster''s blood to spray all over Talis and I. As I dangled from its neck covered in monster blood, the centipede finally got itself unstuck, and since it was a stupid monster, it didn''t attempt to shake me off, though I suppose while monsters don''t have souls, they must still have innate instincts since while I was trying to injure the creature, it lifted it''s head into the air as it cast another acid spell. ''Acid Shot? No, that''s not how it cast the previous two acid shots; this must be its other acid-related skill, Acid Spray.'' Thought Alexander with a frown while looking at the large green ball of acid form between its pincers, causing danger to well up in his heart. Feeling immense danger coming from the large green ball of acid floating between its pincers, I quickly retracted my greatsword from the creature''s neck while attempting to cause as much damage possible before kicking off its body, landing several meters away from the monster, yet the danger I was feeling didn''t diminish, in fact, as time went on it only got stronger. Just as I was about to increase the distance between the two of us, the creature turned toward us while opening its pincers wide, causing the green ball of acid to suddenly shoot small but numerous projectiles of acid at us, and while the speed of the attacks wasn''t as fast as [Acid Shot], it made up for that in its range of attack along with the sheer number of acid projectiles, reminding me of a shotgun. With widened eyes, I watched the numerous acid projectiles near me while practically covering me like a blanket, denying me any chance to escape its attack radius. Gritting my teeth, I activated my only protective skill, [Wind Armor], which coated my body in a thin yet dense layer of wind that flowed along my skin. However, even so, I had a feeling that wouldn''t be enough, so I swiftly brought my greatsword before my body, using it like a shield since there was no way an uncommon ranked skill would be able to penetrate through a mythical rank artifact, as I protected Talis along with my head. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The moment I finished my preparations, the spell arrived, and numerous acid projectiles landed upon my greatsword, yet it stood firm while the acid dripped off its body and splashed on the ground, completely protecting Talis. However, the same couldn''t be said for the rest of my body, which was being protected by my skill [Wind Armor]; most of the projectiles were diverted away from my body because of the wind armor, which was exceptionally good against non-physical attacks, though it could only successfully block so many before a few managed to slip through. Although only one in every fifty or so attacks managed to slip through my defense, there were so many projectiles hitting my body that it didn''t even matter whether it would''ve been fifty or one hundred; either way, my body was getting pelted by acid as it dissolved my armor and made it''s way to my skin, causing me to feel intense pain cover nearly my entire body. ''Fuck my fucking life!'' Thought Alexander in pain as he felt his body slowly dissolving from the acid. While I was internally yelling in pain from the acid, I suddenly no longer felt anything hitting my body, causing me to release a sigh of relief that the attack finally ended, though just as I was about to rip my clothes off, my heart warned me of danger from above. Quickly shifting my greatsword from in front of me, I saw the monster charging toward me once again, though just when I was about to evade the attack, it released a screech, yet the screech was innately different from its previous ones as I could see a wave of mana erupt from its mouth. When the wave of mana hit me, it caused my body to stiffen up as my actions were forcefully halted for just the briefest of moments, yet with that monster''s speed, just that littlest of time allowed it to close the gap and near me, before I had finally regained my ability to move, but by then it was too late to evade; the monsters pincers were just about to encircle me. I didn''t even have time to think as I forcefully threw Talis to safety while I quickly used my favorite spell, [Blink], just before its pincers snapped shut on my body, nearly cutting me in two. Appearing a few meters away from the monster, I quickly spotted Talis, whom I had thrown away, attempting to stand up, though, with one look, I could tell she had broken a wing; Talis may be a very fast flier, but she was by no means physically powerful. Realizing the danger she was in, I swiftly ran towards her, yet when I took my first step, I heard a snap, causing me to fall while a wave of pain erupted from my leg. ''Ugh, now''s not the time for this!'' Thought Alexander as he stopped falling by propping himself with his greatsword while glancing at his broken and bleeding leg, which had been greatly dissolved by acid. Hearing the monster move, I grunted in pain and tried my best to approach Talis even if it meant I must hop on one leg, yet I was moving at not even half my previous speed; however, things only continued to get worse as the monster switched targets from me to Talis, seemingly opting to kill the weaker of the two first, though I doubted the centipede was capable of such thoughts. "Ugh, dammit; Talis, RUN!!" Exclaimed Alexander as he hopped toward Talis with his broken body covered in green acid and golden blood. My words managed to snap Talis out of whatever state she was in as she looked at me before quickly shifting her focus toward the incoming monster, seeing that she attempted to flee, yet she wasn''t getting anywhere with her injured wing. Knowing Talis wouldn''t be able to escape, I gritted my teeth and again used [Blink], appearing just a meter away from Talis, who was about to get killed by the centipede''s sharp pincers. Pushing off the ground with my one working leg and my greatsword, I leaped toward Talis, arriving right beside her; just before she was killed, I pushed her out of the way, though because of my actions, I ended up being the target for the centipede. Being grabbed by the centipede''s pincers, I wasn''t even given time to fight back before it powerfully snapped its pincers shut, causing my waist and below to fall to the ground, dyeing it gold from my blood. "UGh!! AHRHGH!" Yelled Alexander in agony as the monster cut his body in two with its sharp, deadly pincers. ''Master!'' Yelled Trina worriedly as she saw Alexander get cut in half by the monster. "ALEX!" Yelled Talis in worry as she ran toward Alexander, though she made very little progress given her small stride. The pain of having my body separated in two was far more than I had imagined, and if it wasn''t because of my traits, I highly doubted I''d still be able to think while processing this level of pain. Falling to the ground beside my other half while leaking blood, I weakly grabbed my greatsword and pointed it toward the pathway that was blocked by rubble, which was looking somewhat blurry, and cast a potent [Fire Blast] by injecting a substantial amount of mana into it. Once ready, I launched the spell just as the strength in my arms gave out, causing them to collapse onto the ground; when the large fire blast hit the blocked pathway, a big and loud explosion erupted, followed by smoke along with the smell of burning, and although everything was blurry, I could see through the smoke that my attack had succeed in opening a path. Glancing at the monster that was, for some reason, charging toward Talis, I closed my eyes amidst the terrible pain and activated the only skill I hadn''t used: [Rebirth]. Chapter 37: True Conclusion The moment I activated my skill [Rebirth], all the pain that enveloped my body quickly disappeared, as if it was never there to begin with, while an incredibly potent pleasant sensation took its place, causing me to nearly release a sigh of pleasure, but I stopped myself since now wasn''t the best of times to be basking pleasurable sensations; I still needed to save Talis after all. When the pleasant sensation disappeared, I opened my eyes, which I didn''t even know were closed, and was amazed by what I saw and felt as I sat upright, viewing my legs, which were attached to my waist like I was never gravely injured in the first place; not to mention my mana was completely full. However, I was only surprised about my situation for a fraction of a moment since the instant I opened my eyes; I had summoned forth both Trina and her elder sister as I stood up, infusing my body with mana while simultaneously using [Wind Steps], to boost my already enhanced agility. Running toward the monstrous centipede that was close to catching the fleeing and injured Talis, I cast several [Fire Blasts] while also infusing my wind mana into them, making them much more potent than usual before launching them at the massive centipede. Just when the monster was about to grab Talis with its deadly pincers, it got bombarded with my attacks that landed atop its body before they exploded in conjunction, causing the whole cavern to tremble slightly as my attack deeply pushed the monster into the wall, effectively stopping it in its tracks. With the opportunity I had given myself, I swiftly arrived at Talis and picked her up while the monster was preoccupied with attempting to break free; gently holding her because of her broken wing, I ran toward the smoking pile of rubble, which I had melted away after using a fire attack. "A-Alex!? Y-You''re alive!? B-But how? I-I saw that monster c-cut you in half with its pincers; s-shouldn''t you be dead?" Exclaimed Talis in astonishment and relief as she looked up at Alexander while threatening to cry, though Alexander merely gave a reassuring smile. "Heh, of course, I''m alive; you think I would just allow myself to be killed while my best friend was still in harm''s way? Who do you take me for?" Replied Alexander with a warm smile while looking down at the small bird in his arms that chirped in response. "N-No, of course not; you''re too nice to do such a thing." Remarked Talis happily through her sniffling while wiping her tears. "I appreciate the compliment, Talis, but I''m not that nice; I''d only do this for people I care about, after all." Said Alexander with a slight smile while shaking his head as he slowed down until he came to a halt beside the pile of molten rocks. I would''ve loved to keep talking with Talis, but now wasn''t the time; the monster wouldn''t be stuck forever; in fact, he looked rather close to being unstuck, so I had to act fast if I wanted to get Talis to some form of safety. Hopping through the small hole I made, I set Talis down softly before turning back around and eyeing the monster, my gaze hardening as I jumped back into the boss room. "A-Alex, w-what are you doing!? L-Let''s escape; the monster is too powerful!" Yelled Talis as she attempted to chase after Alexander, but with her broken wing, she couldn''t get past the puddle of molten rocks. "Haa, you think after what that monster did to us, I''m just going to leave? Not a chance; I''ve got a debt to pay." Replied Alexander while cracking his neck as he eyed the monster who had just escaped from the wall, revealing burned parts of his carapace where the numerous fireballs had hit him. "I feel the same as you, Alex; I also want revenge, but doing so right now is stupid! You''re always calling me the stubborn one, but right now, you''re being more stubborn than me! You''ve nearly died once; I can''t lose my only Friend!" Exclaimed Talis passionately in anger as she loudly chirped, her voice echoing through the entire cavern, causing a certain someone who was watching from a distance to smile lightly. Her words were very endearing, and it caused me to smile, although from her perspective, it must''ve looked like I was struggling against that monster, which, for the record, I was; it wasn''t because I was actually fighting it; for the most part, I was too preoccupied with protecting Talis that I wasn''t able to truly fight that monster, though now that she is far enough way that I don''t need to worry about her anymore, I can entirely focus on the upcoming battle. "I understand your worries, Talis, but I was focused on protecting you throughout the fight. I don''t mean to be rude, but honestly, your presence was limiting me. Now that I don''t have to worry about your well-being, I can fight to my full potential." Declared Alexander truthfully as he eyed the incoming monster, and although his words had significantly hurt Talis''s self-esteem, she stayed silent since she knew he was correct. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Although I felt bad for what I said, I knew being brutally honest would help Talis more than it would hurt her; after all, knowing her for the past few years, I know her way of thinking. Besides, I didn''t wish to lie to a friend, especially over something so important; anyways, I''ll think about that later after I kill this monster. Brandishing both of my greatswords, I charged toward the incoming monster, and once we were close enough, I jumped right over its mouth that had snapped shut; landing atop its back, I used the skill, [Expand] on my two greatswords, increasing their size by a whopping sixty-percent, causing their already large size to became even slightly bigger than me. With my now two massive greatswords, I held them in a reverse grip as I stabbed down, thrusting them deep into the monster''s nape area, completely disregarding its carapace. However, I wasn''t done, as I retracted my greatsword and stabbed the monster a few more times; as I was doing that, the monster raised its head into the air once more while a green ball floated between its pincers. Knowing what the monster was attempting to do before the centipede finished casting its spell, I retracted my great-swords and lunged toward the monster, aiming specifically for its pincers that it had used to chop me in half with. As I neared the monster''s pincers, I reeled my left arm back and struck down with full force on its right pincers, causing my blade to slice right through the long black pincer-like with next to no resistance, which also ended up interrupting the spell, resulting in the spell to backfire as the ball of green acid exploded right on top of it; though because of its thick and hard carapace, it didn''t seem to cause much damage to it other than annoyance. "Heh, doesn''t feel good being chopped up, does it?" Remarked Alexander with a light smirk; the monster screeched in response, initiating its typical charge pattern. Evading its charge, as I did previously when I was protecting Talis, I jumped toward its right and slashed down at its legs, causing it to topple over from having cut nearly all of its thin legs off; however, just like any monster, it showed no response other than being just as lively as before. Still, with it being nearly immobile, its defeat was almost assured; backing away from the monster that was attempting to move through its squirming motion, I returned my greatswords to their standard size and held them horizontally while crossing them atop each other, as I used my strongest skill to date, [Firestorm]. With the use of my wind mana, I summoned forth a small vortex, or tornado, just before me, and by adding more mana, it continued to get bigger until its powerful winds were felt throughout the entire cavern; it even began to pick up numerous large rocks strewn across the ground. However, this was merely the first part; once the tornado had been created, I reached out to the mana dwelling in my heart once more and summoned forth fire mana before infusing it into the wind vortex that encircled me, which kept me out of harm''s way. The instant the fire mana was added to the wind vortex, the power in its winds was slightly damped, yet that was only for a split second as they picked back up in intensity and continued to do so while the fire helped to increase its power. Once the fire had enveloped the entire vortex, I approached the slowly moving monster, which was already being battered by the intense heat and dangerous flaming wind, while I continued to infuse wind mana into the vortex since if I didn''t, in this closed off space, the fire would quickly devour all the oxygen in the area. ''I need to finish this quickly; this isn''t exactly a spell one''s supposed to supply mana to continuously; it''s supposed to be a one-time deal.'' Mused Alexander as he glanced at his status panel and noticed his rapidly depleting mana. Knowing that I was on a timer, I hastily approached the monster, and when I arrived, before it could attack me, I jumped and landed atop its body; digging my greatswords into its back for support, I continued to supply the [Firestorm] mana while letting it do the rest of the work, hopefully killing this creature. ___ ___ "Ugh, my goodness, I think I''m going to be sick." Muttered Alexander while wheezing as he glanced at his status panel. //////////////////// Mana: 0/5,020 //////////////////// It probably wasn''t the best idea to completely empty my mana, but I persisted with the attack until I no longer sensed life from the monster yet surprisingly, even after having taken all that, its burnt and mangled body was still alive, if only barely. Retracting my greatswords from its back, I carefully crawled down, given my weakened state, and slowly arrived just before its head, which attempted to move when it noticed me. Grabbing Trina, I thrust her deep into the monster''s skull, causing its slight moving to cease as its life finally came to an end. "Heh, all that and only five levels? What a scam." Muttered Alexander as he viewed his status panel. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 12 years Tier: 0 Level: 42¡ú47 (Available Status Points: 2,256) Experience: [63%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+, Apprentice Chef(Uncommon), Apprentice Mage(Uncommon), Swordsmen(Uncommon) Lifeforce: 84% Mana: 0/5,020 Vigor: 100 Endurance: 105 Agility: 67 Dexterity: 68 Intelligence: 456(502) Perception: 121(133) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl2(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl2¡ü(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl2(*Rare), Shrink¨Clvl6(Rare), Expand¨Clvl6(Rare), Blink¨Clvl2(Rare), Firestorm¨Clvl2¡ü(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl10(Uncommon), Fire Breath¨Clvl9(*Uncommon), Wind armor¨Clvl3(Uncommon), Fire Ball¨Clvl2(*Uncommon), Fire Shot¨Clvl1(*Uncommon), Wind Blade¨Clvl3(*Uncommon), Wind Shot¨Clvl1(*Uncommon), Wind Step-lvl3¡ü(*Uncommon), Cook¨Clvl8(*Uncommon), Meditation¨Clvl3(Uncommon) Condition: N/A Chapter 38: Masters Arrival With the monster now dead, I lay on the ground beside its body and looked at the ceiling, though, in reality, I was examining my status panel, curious to see what else may have possibly changed after defeating the creature; however, other than gaining five levels, and leveling up some skills, nothing really changed, causing me to feel like I''ve been scammed. "Haa, what a cruel world I live in." Muttered Alexander as he dismissed his status panel, and with the help of Trina, he slowly stood back up, still feeling queasy from his lack of mana. ''I''d love to just take a nap, but just because I''ve defeated that monster doesn''t mean I''m now in the clear; we are still inside a dungeon, not to mention the very last floor, which means I still need to travel through four floors if I wish to get to relative safety.'' Thought Alexander with a frown while sighing as he slowly approached the opened pathway. When I neared the pathway surrounded by molten rocks, which had finally managed to cool off, I sensed something heading straight towards me at a fast speed; looking up, to my horror and confusion, I spotted Talis flying directly for my face and as I was too shocked at how she was flying, I didn''t react in time, resulting in Talis colliding with my head. "Alex! I was so worried about you! Are you okay!?" Asked Talis as she wrapped her wings around his face while chirping loudly in concern, though because she had slammed into Alexander, he was in the midst of falling. ''Ouch.'' Thought Alexander as he fell on his back, hitting his head while Talis practically stood atop his face. "Haa, calm down, Talis; other than my depleted mana, I''m fine, so if it isn''t too much trouble, could you please get off my face? It''s very uncomfortable." Replied Alexander with a light smile, waiting for Talis to get off his face before attempting to stand back up. Once Talis removed herself from my face, I stood back up, only to look at Talis, specifically her wing, which, while it should''ve broken, was now healed. "How did your wing heal, Talis? Do you have some healing ability?" Asked Alexander as he tilted his head to the right slightly, allowing Talis to perch herself atop his left shoulder. "Nope, but shortly after you went to fight that monster again, I met this green plant lady who was kind enough to heal my wing; now I''m as good as new!" Replied Talis energetically while flapping her wings, though her words only deepened Alexander''s confusion. "Green plant lady? That''s weird; the only person who lives in this forest besides me is¨C Master." Remarked Alexander in confusion before his eyes widened from the sudden revelation, causing him to look at the pathway while unease crept into his heart. "Fufu, congratulations for guessing correctly, my little disciple." Said Lavender as she emerged from the dark path into the cavern while looking at the terrified Alexander with a smirk. "That''s her; she''s the one who healed my wing!" Exclaimed Talis in glee while chirping loudly, though, of course, only Alexander understood her. "Fufu, what''s with that look, Alexander? You''re acting like you''ve just seen something terrifying?" Questioned Lavender with a light smile as she approached Alexander, though while doing so, Talis flew towards her before softly landing atop Lavender''s shoulders. Seeing Talis perch herself atop Master''s shoulders, I was slightly surprised, yet my surprise didn''t end as the two began interacting with each other as if this wasn''t their first time meeting, but instead, they were actually long-time friends; however, while it was quite the unique sight to look at, I had more pressing matters to deal with, such as formulating an explanation for Master before she punishes me for disobeying her orders. "Um, Master, I know this looks kind of bad, but I can explain." Said Alexander softly while slowly approaching Lavender, as if he were dealing with a dangerous beast. "Hmm, there is no need for an explanation, Alexander." Replied Lavender as she stopped interacting with Talis and eyed Alexander, causing him to reel back in defeat. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Haa, what kind of punishment will I receive?" Asked Alexander in a depressed tone while looking to the ground, though his actions caused Lavender to smile in amusement. "Hmm? Who said anything about punishment?" Remarked Lavender while looking at Alexander in unconcealed mirth. "Y-You''re not going to punish me, Master? Even after I disobeyed your orders and entered the fifth floor?" Stated Alexander with raised eyebrows while skeptically eyeing Lavender. "You want me to punish you for protecting a stubborn friend from harm''s way? I mean, if you so desire, I can punish you-" Said Lavender with a smirk, though Alexander quickly interrupted her. "NO, no, I''m good, Master; I don''t wish to be punished; I''m no masochist. However, how are you even here, and how do you know what transpired?" Said Alexander with a sigh of relief before questioning Lavender, hoping her answers would clear his confusion. "Well, as you''re Master, do you think I haven''t placed a monitoring spell on you? Knowing how adventurous you are, I knew one of these days you would get yourself into some serious trouble, so I placed a monitoring spell on you in case I need to come and save my foolish disciple." Replied Lavender with a raised eyebrow while smiling as she neared Alexander before touching his bare chest, which was rather muscular for a twelve-year-old. When Master suddenly touched my chest, I was slightly confused at what she was doing, but I figured it had something to do with the monitoring spell she was talking about, so I stood there, waiting for something to happen; a few seconds later, Master removed her hand from my chest, yet this time, she was pulling a glowing red leaf from out my chest, and it was rather large to boot. "This right here is a leaf grown from my body, and by simply placing a tracking spell on this leaf while infusing it into your body without your knowledge, I''ll always know where you are. However, as I had placed it directly atop your heart, I''m also able to sense your heartbeat, which allows me to monitor your lifeforce, which was depleting rapidly just a few minutes ago." Added Lavender while holding a large red glowing leaf before she shifted her focus to the right of the cavern, looking at Alexander''s waist and below lying on the ground in a puddle of golden blood. Following Master''s line of sight, I spotted half of my body lying in a pool of blood, the half that the monster had forcefully separated from the rest of my body; this entire time, I thought the [Rebirth] skill had caused my two half''s to conjoin, yet it seems like I was wrong; instead I must''ve grown my waist and legs. ''This is a very uncomfortable sight; I should get rid of them.'' Thought Alexander as he approached his other half, and just as he was about to cast [Fire Blast] to burn them to ash, he felt a painful sensation in his heart, prompting him to stop his actions. "Ugh, forgot, I''m still very low on mana." Muttered Alexander as he clutched his chest while holding back the vomit that threatened to escape his mouth. "Um, Master, could you help burn this, my legs?" Asked Alexander after he no longer felt like he was on the verge of vomiting. "Hmm, but are you sure you wish to do such a thing? It may be weird and unorthodox, but you could use your body parts as ingredients to craft items, such as an artifact, weapons, or armor, though you''re not really in need of a weapon." Remarked Lavender while eyeing Alexander''s half-body, though all she got was his blank stare. "I was just throwing out options. You don''t need to give me that kind of look." Added Lavender with a shake of her head as she raised her hand to the air, causing a large orangish ball of fire to form in her hands before she tossed it to Alexander''s half-body. Watching my body slowly turn to ash under Master''s powerful spell was a weird feeling, and what was even more bizarre was that the scent of my burning flesh wasn''t that bad; however, eventually, my previous body, along with the blood, was transformed into ash. "So, about using body parts as ingredient materials." Said Alexander while suspiciously eyeing Lavender, who looked the other way, avoiding eye contact. ___ ___ "Anyways, thanks for coming, Master; that monster was quite difficult to beat; even after using all my mana in casting my strongest spell, it still didn''t die." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he, Lavender, and Talis, perched atop his shoulder, walked through the forest, heading back to their home. "Of course, I''d come to the rescue; you''re my disciple, after all. However, I don''t wish to be a buzz-kill on your amazing achievement of defeating a guardian all by yourself, but that dungeon is one of the weaker Common dungeons." Declared Lavender lightly, her words causing Alexander to look at her with widened eyes. "That was the weaker ones? It took nearly everything I had to beat that monster, and you''re telling me it was one of the weaker dungeons!?" Exclaimed Alexander in slight shock, to which Lavender slightly shook her head at his reaction. "Yes, it is one of the weaker common ranked dungeons, but to be fair, you may be a level 47, but you haven''t used a single one of your status points; if you had used them before fighting that guardian, you''d have defeated it incredibly easily." Replied Lavender calmly, causing Alexander to calm down as well. "Yeah, I suppose you''re right. Speaking of status points, I need to start allocating them; I don''t want to be caught unprepared." Said Alexander while nodding his head. Chapter 39: Battle! While walking through the forest heading back home, I thought back to when Master and Talis were interacting with each other, which caused me to wonder if Master also could speak to animals or maybe Talis was able to speak to Master; I wouldn''t know since I''m the only non-beast Talis has interacted with, well besides Master. "Master, do you know how to speak or understand beast tongue? Because earlier, I saw you and Talis seemingly having a rather friendly conversation, even though you two haven''t met before." Asked Alexander in curiosity as he glanced at Talis quietly perched atop his shoulder and Lavender, who was walking directly beside him through the dense vegetation. "So her name is Talis? No, I don''t understand anything she says; to me, it sounds like nothing but cute little chirps of a young bird." Replied Lavender softly with a shake of her head, causing Alexander to look at Talis. "Can you understand, Master, Talis?" "Hmm, nope; I have absolutely no idea what she''s saying, but she gives off a gentle and friendly aura." Said Talis while shaking her little head, though all Lavender heard was high-pitched chirping. "If neither of you can understand the other, how were you behaving like long-time friends, even though today is the first time you''ve met each other?" Questioned Alexander with furrowed brows as he confusedly glanced between the two, causing Talis to dismissively shrug her wings while Lavender softly chuckled. "Hehe, I may not understand beast tongue as you call it, Alexander, but having lived for so long and experienced many things, I''ve come to acquire many useful and useless abilities, such as the ability to read one''s mind." Said Lavender with a slight chuckle as she looked at the astonished Alexander. "Now, before you say anything, it''s not as powerful as you imagine; at least the skill I have isn''t that powerful; all I can do is read one''s purest emotions, so while I may not be able to understand detailed and complex words, I can at least grasp the basis of what they are trying to convey." Added Lavender, her words calming Alexander, though he was still surprised at such a revelation. "It may not be as potent as I expected, but it''s still a powerful skill to have; I mean, you can basically tell if someone is lying to you, and I''m sure in your previous line of business as Adventurers, such a thing was convenient in avoiding wicked people." Stated Alexander with a thoughtful expression while Lavender nodded in agreement. "Yes, it''s helped quite a few times; being an adventure and facing powerful monsters is dangerous, but monsters aren''t the only enemies you must watch out for. Your fellow colleagues are possibly even more dangerous than the monster you face since they actually have intellect and aren''t just mindlessly brutes that want to kill you." Replied Lavender with a frown while biting her lip and tightly clutching her fist before looking at Alexander, causing the anguish in her heart to gradually lessen as she returned to normal and smiled. "Wait a second! Is that how you know whenever I''m lying?" Remarked Alexander as he squinted his eyes in suspicion and eyed Lavender, who released a melodic laugh in response. "Fufufu, who knows? A magician never reveals their secrets." Said Lavender with a wink while smiling in pure happiness as she teleported a few meters before Alexander. "I''m the one who told you that catchphrase, Master!" Yelled Alexander in annoyance as he chased after the laughing Lavender, who teleported away just before getting caught. This chase between Master and Disciple continued until they arrived home, while a little birdie full of confusion also tagged along. ___ ___ While tightly clutching my two greatswords, I rested Trina atop my shoulder and let her elder sister hang beside me as I warily eyed the powerful opponent in the distance. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before opening them with a hardened gaze as I instantly utilized the skill, [Wind Steps], causing the bottom half of my legs to be engulfed in a vortex of wind. Powerfully pushing off the ground, I dashed toward the enemy at full speed, yet while doing so, with incredible speed and accuracy, my opponent cast numerous massive icicles and launched them at me. Seeing the incoming attacks, I activated my most used skill, [Heroes Gaze], causing my eyes to emit a soft glow. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Once I activated the skill, I was given a full three-sixty view of my surroundings, allowing me to see several icicles heading toward me from behind, while my perception of time drastically slowed down to what felt like a snail''s pace; however, even though I could now perceive things slower, that didn''t mean my speed had increased, only my perception had been enhanced. As I looked at the icicles that were slowly yet steadily heading straight toward me, It didn''t take more than but a few moments for me to realize that all of my escape paths had been blocked off except for one, and it was obvious to me, that it was purposely left there. Looking back at my opponent, who was already in the midst of casting another spell, I smirked as I filled Trina with space mana and utilized the skill, [Void Slash] while slashing toward the icicles in front of me, although my attack wasn''t visible to the naked eye, well except for my eyes, one would still be able to sense the mana in my attack as it speedily arrived before the icicles cutting them perfectly in half. Although my attack didn''t get all of the icicles, it did its job by making an escape path, which I used as I darted toward the left, avoiding all the other icicles aiming at me, causing them to embed themselves deeply into the ground. While dashing toward my opponent, I noticed she had finished casting her spell, and instantly after, I felt a rumble beneath my foot as the very ground began moving as if it was alive. The ground around me started to grow as it formed around me, seemingly attempting to trap me in a ball or cocoon, and though the spell wasn''t that fast-acting, its range covered a massive area, which made it difficult to deal with, well except for me; making a sharp right, I dashed up the wall, and once I approached the top of the earth wall that was about to seal itself, I jumped off it before jumping once more in the air, using the skill, [Air Jump] as I made it through the small hole just in time. However, it seemed like my foe was expecting me to escape since in the sky, there was a large black cloud that rumbled, and not even a few seconds later, it began raining, covering the entire battlefield, along with me and the one who cast this spell, in water, causing the massive earth cocoon I was standing on to slowly break apart as it turned into mud. As I was about to land on the ground, numerous sharp earth spikes emerged from the ground where I was about to land, though given that the rain had weakened them, I launched a [Fire Blast] at the spikes, weakening them even further just before I landed on them, breaking my fall. ''Ouch, that still slightly hurt.'' Mused Alexander as he ignored the slight pain that vanished quickly because of his incredible healing factor. As my feet dug into the mud, I pushed off the squishy ground and neared my opponent. While doing so, the previous torrential downpour of rain abruptly stopped, causing me to furrow my eyebrows as I looked at the calm opponent, feeling as if something terrible was about to happen. "You''ve improved a lot since last month, but how will you fare against something you''ve never witnessed before?" Said the woman lightly as she snapped her fingers, causing the ground to shake once more, though this time with much more intensity. Coming to a stop from the intense shaking, I looked at the ground that stood between me and my opponent, and with widened eyes, I watched how the earth came together and began forming a massive earth golem that completely towered over me. "Isn''t this a little bit cheating; it''s two-on-one now?" Remarked Alexander as he observed the massive mud golem with his eyes, searching for any possible weak points. "So? You don''t expect your enemies to be nice enough to fight you one-on-one, do you?" Replied the woman with a soft chuckle, while Alexander nodded in agreement. Looking at the golem reel its big arm back before punching me, I swiftly jumped into the air, dodging its attack before landing atop its fist; as I attempted to run up its arms, that quickly proved to be a mistake, as tendrils emerged from its arm and tried grabbing me. Evading them wasn''t easy, as there were numerous tendrils, not to mention cutting them didn''t make a difference, as the pieces would just fall onto the golem''s arm, only for them to get reabsorbed back into its body. While running atop the golems, dodging numerous tendrils, I raised Trina into the air as I used, [Expand] causing her size to increase until she was double her previous size; with her now increased size, I swung her downward at the arm below my feet and without much resistance, I sliced the golems arm off its body as it fell to the ground; however, just as I did that, a tendril managed to wrap itself around my arm that held Trina. As I went to slice the tendril keeping that restrained my arm, several tendrils got in the way of my greatsword, attempting to stop me, yet although they proved futile, they did manage to slow me down, and unfortunately, that was all it needed before another tendril wrapped itself around my other arm, stopping me just a few inches before freeing my arm. With both arms restrained, it didn''t take long until the rest of my limbs were wrapped with tendrils, immobilizing me, though just as I was about to cast [Blink], I suddenly saw the golem''s other arm appear right before my body. ''This''ll hurt.'' Thought Alexander, as he swiftly strengthened his body with mana before suddenly getting punched with such force that he crashed into the ground below. "You lasted much longer than I anticipated, but you still lost, Alexander." Said the woman lightly as she stood above the small crater Alexander''s body created as the massive mud golem in the background began deforming. Chapter 40: Alexanders Crush "Ugh, that was quite rude, Master; didn''t you say we were merely sparring? If I hadn''t imbued my body with mana in time, I would''ve had many more injuries than a few broken bones." Remarked Alexander while his bruised body crawled from the crater as he lay beside Lavender. "Stop acting so overdramatic; it''s merely a few broken bones, which you''ll heal from in a few minutes; besides, even if you were more seriously injured, it would only take you an hour at most to return to peak condition." Replied Lavender with an amused smirk as she looked down at Alexander, whose body was swiftly repairing itself. "Haa, I swear you''re a sadist, Master." Muttered Alexander as he shifted his focus to the incoming bird while Lavender softly chuckled and shook her head. Seeing Talis speedily fly toward me, I reached out to the mana in my heart, and before she could collide with my face, I wrapped her in a blanket of wind, stopping her momentum just a few inches before my face as the two of us stared at each other. "You''ve gotten much faster, Talis, but if you were attempting to sneak attack me, then you''ve got much to improve upon." Said Alexander while eyeing Talis, who had drastically changed since before, having grown significantly larger. "Hehe, it was worth an attempt!" Replied Talis with several chirps while slyly looking at Alexander, who kept her floating in the air. Shaking my head at her antics, I released my hold of her, causing her to fall, but before she fell on my face, I caught her with my hand as I lifted her in the air while I also began standing up. Holding Talis in my hand, who changed quite a lot in the last four years, such as being much larger, with thicker feathers, larger talons, and a larger wingspan, causing her to look quite intimidating compared to her previous appearance of a small bird that could be mistaken for a parrot. However, while she may have grown, compared to most birds, she is still about average size, which is saying something since birds of her species aren''t anywhere close to her size; she''s about fifty percent bigger than other birds of her species. I don''t know why or how Talis grew to be so big, but considering she was only supposed to have grown little in the past four years because of her species, I have reason to believe it''s because she''s been living with Master, and I; ever since that fateful day where I challenged and defeated the dungeon guardian she''s pretty much been living with us. ''What is Master feeding her for her to grow so large? Actually, I''m the one who cooks food, so what am I feeding her?'' Mused Alexander as he stood up, looking at Talis perched on his outstretched arm. Though, I suppose, given my change, I can''t really say much since I''ve also drastically changed; if I and my twelve-year-old self stood side-by-side, you wouldn''t be able to tell we were the same person from the sheer changes that have taken place, well except for my same purple crystal-like eyes, which haven''t changed once. My body, which was already decently muscular, is now very muscular, yet it''s not to the point where it would hamper my agility or flexibility; it''s just the right amount of muscle that excels in strength, agility, and flexibility. I''ve obviously grown taller, and when I mean taller, I mean much taller; before I was about five-one, just two inches shorter than Master, but now, I''m a whopping six-four; I''ve grown over one-foot in the past four years, which is insane, as I''m about to be sixteen, so I may not even be done growing. Other apparent, but not as noticeable, changes would be my face; it''s no longer like that of a child''s. I mean, it still carries some child features, like when I smile; at least that''s what Master said. My face looks very masculine, with a striking jawline and a pronounced chin; my lips, well, there is nothing special about my lips; however, just like in my past life, my eyebrows are sharp but on the thicker side. I cut my long hair as it was beginning to get a hassle to clean, and besides, I had no intention of keeping my hair long; now, my white hair hangs down to just above my shoulders, though currently, since I was sparring with Master, if you could call it that, It''s tied into a ponty-tail. All in all, coupled with my caramel-covered skin, I think I look pretty darn handsome; not perfect, of course, but I feel like I''m attractive enough that most women would take a second glance at me as they walk by, hopefully, at least. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ''Though I say I''m pretty handsome, neither Talis nor Master seems to care; well, I don''t expect much from Talis, considering she''s a bird, and our biology couldn''t be any more different, but Master, on the other hand. Hmm, Master.'' Mused Alexander as he shifted his focus toward Lavender in the distance, who was fixing the ground, returning it to normal. "Alex, Alex, ALEX!" Yelled Talis several times as she attempted to gather Alexander''s attention, who was too busy admiring Lavender. "Hmm, yeah, Talis?" Replied Alexander with a cough, trying to cover up being caught after having been broken out from his slight trance by Talis. "Hehe, Alex, don''t try to hide it; I saw how you looked at Miss Lavender." Said Talis mischievously as she chirped quietly in his ear. "W-What do you mean? I was looking at Master the same way I always do?" Replied Alexander awkwardly as he avoided eye contact, causing Talis to tilt her head as if she was smirking. "You can lie all you want, Alex, but the way you looked at her was the same way many birds look at me; you wish to mate with Miss Lavender." Declared Talis, her words causing Alexander''s face to take on a red hue as he was overwhelmed by embarrassment. "First off, where did you learn that term? Secondly, I don''t wish to mate with Master; she''s my Master, and I''m her Disciple; such a thing would be considered taboo, I think." Stated Alexander as he angrily yelled at Talis while a light blush adorned his face, though his yelling attracted Lavender''s attention. "What are you two talking about that got you so riled up, Alexander?" Asked Lavender lightly, who hadn''t changed a bit in the last four years; she approached them while glancing at the two, causing Talis to snicker slightly while Alexander was still embarrassed, and her presence didn''t help. "N-Nothing, Master. Talis was just spouting random things like usual; you know how she can be." Replied Alexander awkwardly while looking at Lavender, though because he was still thinking of what Talis had said, it caused his imagination to run wild. "Ho, I hope you don''t think just because you''ve grown a little, you can now lie to me, Alexander; I think you need to be reminded who''s in charge, little boy." Said Lavender with a sultry voice as she seductively neared Alexander and leaned in close for a kiss. Seeing Master lean in for a kiss, my heart was beating wildly, and I didn''t know what to do, but as I looked down and saw Master''s beautiful face, her glowing orange eyes, her thick pink lips, and those elegant horns, I couldn''t help myself, closing my eyes, I leaned down, attempting to kiss, but just before our lips connected, I heard loud yelling. "Alexander!" Yelled Lavender, her voice breaking Alexander out of his trance, causing him to return to reality. Opening my eyes, I noticed Master was back in her previous spot as she looked at me in slight worry, and when I realized what had just happened, I was engulfed in embarrassment and shame; the only thing that stopped me from running away this instance was the fact that I wasn''t actually leaning in for a kiss, it was merely all in my head. ''Although I don''t know you, thank you, Goddess Eywa.'' Thought Alexander as he internally gave a prayer before responding to Lavender. "Y-Yes, Master? Is something the matter?" Replied Alexander as he attempted to quell his rapidly beating heart, which pumped a substantial amount of blood to his nether regions, though luckily for him, he was wearing armor. "I should be asking you that question. I had called out to you several times, yet you didn''t respond. Maybe I shouldn''t have been so hard on you during the spar." Said Lavender as she crossed her arms, muttering the last part to herself. "O-Oh, I-I was just spacing out; I''m completely fine; you know how tough I am. As a matter of fact, my injuries have already healed; I''m as good as new!" Stated Alexander while flexing his arms; at least, the arm that Talis wasn''t perched upon. "Well, if you say so; anyways, I had asked you what the two of you were speaking about, I would''ve asked Talis, but as you know, I can''t speak nor understand her language." Remarked Lavender lightly with a shake of her head as she glanced at the two, and before Alexander could respond, someone beat him to it. "Alex wishes to mate with you, Miss Lavender; he wants you to bear his offspring!" Yelled Talis, though, unfortunately for her and fortunately for Alexander, all Lavender heard were chirps. "Why you! How about you take a flight and stop butting your beak into other people''s business!" Yelled Alexander, his face deep red with anger and embarrassment. Encompassing Talis within a sphere of air, I threw her into the air as I summoned Trina while tightly gripping her hilt with both hands, and when Talis fell, I powerfully hit her with the broad side of my greatsword, hitting her like she was a baseball; before she could spout anything else, I had sent her flying far off into the distance, though she''ll be fine, and if she isn''t I''ll search for her after I''ve calmed down. "Ahhhhhhhh!" Yelled Talis as she was sent flying far off into the forest, landing who knows where. "Anyways, Master, you were saying?" Said Alexander with a smile, completely ignoring Talis as he looked at the confused Lavender. Chapter 41: Lavenders Love Life "Nothing, it wasn''t important anyways." Replied Lavender weirdly as she looked at Alexander before glancing in the direction where Talis was sent flying to, disappearing somewhere far off in the forest. "Anyways, Alexander, your birthday is only two weeks away; how do you feel knowing you''re about to finally become a man?" Asked Lavender with a light smile as she shook her head while approaching Alexander, who had calmed down by now thanks to his traits. "I-I don''t know, good, I guess? I mean, I''ve always seen myself as a man, so this doesn''t really feel special or anything, but I suppose it''ll be a new experience." Remarked Alexander as he rubbed his head, sounding unsure, causing Lavender to chuckle. "Fufu, I guess you''re not wrong, though; in my eyes, you''re still nothing but a little boy in a man''s body." Replied Lavender as she walked past Alexander and headed towards the treehouse while Alexander clicked his tongue. "Well, of course, you''d say that; when you''re older than Christ himself, everyone is but children in your eyes." Muttered Alexander beneath his breath as he followed behind Lavender, approaching the tree house. "Hmm, did you say something, Alexander?" Asked Lavender, she turned back and eyed Alexander, feeling as if he had said something rude while submerging herself in the tree. "I-I was just muttering about something from my past life, that''s all." Said Alexander calmly while avoiding eye contact as he passed Lavender and headed towards the pond to clean himself. I could feel Master''s eyes boring into my back while heading toward the pond; thankfully, after a few seconds, she gave up before fully submerging herself into the tree, easing my nerves as I neared the ever-crystal clear pond. Arriving at the pond, I unfasted my armor, which was dented and covered in dirt, mud, blood, and sweat; placing several pieces of armor on a rather large rock, I then stripped out of my slime clothes before untying my hair while giving it a little shake. Just as I was about to get in the water, I happened to look at myself, and as I stared at my incredible physique, an image of my past self appeared within the water, overlapping my current reflection as it looked back at me, causing me to frown slightly, as I closed my eyes and thought back to everything I''ve experienced in this life. ''Although I''ve gone through tremendous changes, as I look at the water, I can''t help but see my past self in my reflection; I''m still the same as before.'' Thought Alexander with a soft smile while opening his eyes and eyeing the reflection of his past self, only to see it also softly smile as well before slowly fading away as the water returned to normal. Shaking my head, I entered the pond, and as I fully submerged myself beneath the water, like always, I dove to the bottom of the pond, which is still just as deep as before. Feeling my feet touch the soft ground, I looked up at the sky as the sunlight entered the pond; feeling a little childish, I imbued my legs with some mana and, pushing against the ground, I leaped towards the air, shotting through the water like a torpedo. Exiting the water like a dolphin leaping through the ocean, I flew high into the sky, reaching the height of some nearby trees, allowing me to see quite far into the forest. ''It doesn''t matter how often I see this; nature is so beautiful. Heh, maybe that''s the reason why I find Master to be so gorgeous.'' Mused Alexander with a smile as he marveled at the view before gravity took hold of him again, pulling him back down toward the ground. Feeling the wind brushing against my nude, wet body, I positioned myself head first while forming the shape of a pencil, or at least close to it, as I neared the pond; the instant I entered the water, hardly a splashing sound was heard as I dived deep underneath the water, reaching nearly the bottom. ''That was fun, but I should finish cleaning myself; I''m rather hungry.'' Thought Alexander as he headed toward the pond''s surface. Grabbing the bar of soap Master crafted by combining numerous tree sap, animal fat, and many other minor ingredients, I started washing, making sure to do a thorough job since Talis has quite a sensitive nose, which is quite ironic considering she''s a beast, and hardly washes. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Once I finished cleaning myself, I exited the pond and grabbed my slime outfit; when I finished washing my slime outfit, I wore it, and while using fire and wind, I created a hot gust of wind, which quickly dried me and my clothes, me with nothing but a pleasant smell and a good feeling of being cleaned. Approaching my various armor pieces, I summoned a rather large [Fire Ball], although, unlike its appearance, its heat wasn''t that intense, about as hot as a normal fire. Placing the fireball on the rock, encompassing all of my armor, I burned it clean, dispelling it of any dirt or blood, though I still needed to fix the dents and scratches. "Well, that''ll suffice for now; I don''t intend to fight for a few days, so I can worry about them later. Now, it''s time for lunch; I''m almost starving." Said Alexander as he swiftly neared the tree house in the distance. Climbing the tree, I entered through the front door, only to be blasted with an alluring aroma, nearly causing me to drool from how good it smelled. Closing the door behind me, I quickly approached the kitchen, and when I arrived, I saw Master cooking lunch, though since she was listening to music, she didn''t hear me arrive. The food looked great, but while I may have the mind of a man, I was in the hormone-raging body of a fifteen-year-old boy, and seeing Master shaking her hips to the music was almost hypnotizing, to put it mildly. "I think I might be a vegetarian now." Muttered Alexander as he drolled while his eyes followed Lavender''s supple butt that rhythmically shook to the music, though his words caused Lavender to turn around. "Oh, Alexander, I didn''t hear you; did you say something?" Asked Lavender lightly as she approached what looked like a wooden boombox and tapped a button, causing the music to stop playing. "I-I just said the aroma smelled tantalizing. By the way, what are you cooking, Master?" Replied Alexander swiftly as his eyes darted away from Lavender''s backside, though that was only for a moment since the instant she turned back around, he looked at her butt. "Oh, nothing special; it''s just some bear meat, rice, and vegetables, though I appreciate the compliment." Said Lavender while glancing at Alexander, only to softly chuckle to herself as she caught him practically ogling her backside. "Fufu, I know I''m a beautiful woman, but please show some restraint, Alexander; I''m still your Master at the end of the day." Added Lavender softly, her words causing Alexander to quickly look away while his face took on a hue of red. "S-Sorry, Master." Said Alexander in embarrassment as he sat down while looking away, his antics causing Lavender to laugh. "It''s understandable; I was also in your position once, and I know just how difficult it is. Controlling the raging lust of a young adult isn''t easy, even more so considering Humans are pretty lustful creatures. To top it all off, you''re a High-Human, so I have no doubt your sex drive is incredibly high, maybe even comparable to that of an Orc''s." Said Lavender as she attempted to calm Alexander, though her topic and choice of words only served to further make him uncomfortable. "S-Speaking of this, Master, have you ever had a significant other? Have you ever fallen in love?" Asked Alexander as he intently paid attention while his heart rate increased from his desire to know. "Lover? No, unfortunately, I haven''t met anyone like that yet, and as time goes on, my chances continue to slim down." Replied Lavender softly as she shook her head, though her tone sounded slightly sad, something Alexander missed. ''M-Masters never had a lover!? T-Then that means I''ve got a chance!'' Thought Alexander in unfiltered joy while constantly glancing at Lavender, who had just finished preparing lunch. Seeing Master near the table with two plates, I calmed myself down before grabbing my plate from her hands and placing it in front of me. Just when I was about to strike up a conversation with Master, a bird suddenly entered the house through the window, and as I was still too preoccupied, I didn''t notice the bird in time until the bird was merely a few inches from my face. "Talis, speed blitz!" Yelled Talis as she slammed her head into the shocked Alexander, sending him crashing into the wall, though as the house was made from epic-ranked wood, it was perfectly fine. "Hmph, that''s what you get for throwing me so far away, Alex!" Said Talis as she landed on the table with her beak raised high while eyeing Alexander, who was also eyeing her. ''I suppose I deserve that, but why right now? It was the few rare moments of alone time with Master, yet she had to ruin it!'' Thought Alexander with a frown while eyeing Talis as he pushed himself off the wall, landing on the ground. "I figured you''d be back, Talis, so I had prepared another plate; it''s by the oven." Remarked Lavender while holding back her laughter as she looked at Talis before pointing toward the oven. "It smells delicious! Thanks, Miss Lavender!" Said Talis as she flew over towards the oven and grabbed her plate before returning to the table, though the only thing Lavender heard were happy chirps. Sighing, I sat back down at the table and started eating like everyone else; the food did little to improve my mood. Chapter 42: Birthday-Man Just like that, the next two weeks might as well have passed by in the blink of an eye since before I even knew it, my birthday had arrived, and although I had told Master I didn''t find it to be special, I couldn''t help but feel slightly excited; must be the child in me. ''My 16th birthday, huh? When I look back, it feels like it''s only been a few weeks since I first met Master, and now I''m already a grown man, in both soul and body. Oh, how time flies when you''re enjoying life.'' Mused Alexander with a bitter-sweet smile as he shook his head and exited the bed, making sure to stay somewhat quiet since Talis and he shared a room. Tip-toeing past Talis''s large bird nest hanging from the ceiling by some vines, I changed out of my pajamas and wore more appropriate clothes for day-to-day activities; once finished, Instead of opening the door, I just used [Blink] to silently and instantly vanish from the room, appearing just outside my bedroom door. Leaving the vicinity of my room, I headed towards the kitchen, and while doing so, I checked the sun''s position to determine the time since, unlike Master and Talis, I''m quite the morning person, so I''m usually awake earlier than the two. "Welp, just because it''s my birthday doesn''t mean I can''t prepare breakfast for my lovely Master and best friend." Muttered Alexander as he wore his purple and black apron from his eleventh birthday, which surprisingly still fits, though it was a little tight on his large, sturdy frame. Since today was my birthday, I figured I could splurge a bit and cook Master''s favorite meal; a little ironic considering it''s my birthday, but making Master happy is already a good enough present for me, so it''s a win-win if I do say so. As I was cooking the food, the scent must''ve stirred Master awake as I heard her quiet footsteps enter the kitchen, causing me to chuckle since she acts a little like a child whenever I prepare this meal. "Is it your birthday or mine? With this amazing smell, it''s hard for one to decide." Remarked Lavender softly with a child-like smile as she inhaled the scent while approaching Alexander, looking like a little kid standing next to his big frame. I was going to respond, but her words caused me to widen my eyes since, in the last sixteen years, I hadn''t once told her a happy birthday, nor have we ever celebrated it; in fact, now that I think about it, I don''t even know when her birthday is. ''To think I would claim I love Master when I don''t even know something as important as her birthday; what an embarrassing disciple I am.'' Thought Alexander in a mocking tone as he berated himself. "Sorry, Master." Muttered Alexander apologetically with minuscule enthusiasm as he hung his head down in shame, his words causing Lavender to tilt her head in confusion since he was fine just a second ago. "Sorry about what? Did you do something stupid and decide to confess on your birthday, hoping I wouldn''t give you such a severe punishment? Cause if so, you''ve got another thing coming." Replied Lavender with an intense frown as she folded her arms while eyeing Alexander. "No, I''m apologizing for being a mediocre disciple; throughout the years, not once have I ever congratulated you on your birthday, nor have I ever celebrated it; in fact, as shameful as it is to admit, I don''t even know when your birthday is." Stated Alexander with a blush of shame, all while cooking breakfast, though his words caused Lavender to laugh. "Hahaha, you got me worried, yet you''re apologizing over something so insignificant." Said Lavender, laughing so much she leaned atop Alexander''s firm arms for support, though her reactions only served to anger him. "It''s not a laughing matter, Master! I''m supposed to be your disciple, one of the closest people in your life, practically family, yet I don''t even know when your birthday is!" Yelled Alexander angrily as he eyed Lavender, who quickly stopped laughing as she looked at the fuming Alexander. "S-Sorry, Master, I didn''t mean to yell at you; it''s just frustrating that we''ve been celebrating my birthdays all this time, yet I haven''t done a single thing for your birthday." Added Alexander apologetically as he calmed down before continuing to cook while Lavender lightly shook her head. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "It''s fine; my response was a little inconsiderate as I didn''t think about how you''d feel; however, you don''t need to worry about such useless things. Do you know how old I am, Alexander?" Replied Lavender softly as she rubbed his back, attempting to comfort him. "2376 years old." Said Alexander quietly, his words causing Lavender''s eye to twitch, but she continued speaking. "Yes, and although I don''t like admitting it, I''m quite old; not many beings alive are my age or even close to it. However, having lived for that long, do you know how many times I''ve celebrated my birthday? Many times, too many times, as a matter of fact, I don''t even remember some of them; that''s how many times I''ve had them. The older you age, the less significance birthdays have over you since I know I''ll have another one next year." Stated Lavender calmly as she looked out the window, feeling slightly melancholy about her future. "Though the most important reason is that I don''t like being reminded every year that I''m getting older; what woman enjoys getting older?" Added Lavender with a frown, her words uplifting Alexander''s mood as he chuckled slightly. "I understand your reasoning, Master, but it still doesn''t make me feel any better; it almost makes it seem like I don''t really care for you." Replied Alexander lightly as he grabbed some toast and placed it on three plates. "Haa, alright, fine, since you''re so adamant about it and it''s your birthday, as much as I don''t want to, we''ll celebrate my birthday next time, which will be in eight months on the 6th." Stated Lavender with a defeated sigh as she shook her head while Alexander was overjoyed. "Thanks, Master!" Remarked Alexander with a large smile as he reached down and wrapped his arms around Lavender before lifting her while embracing her in a tight hug. "Fufu, I know you''re happy, but could you please release me? As you know, I''m not exactly that physically powerful; if you squeeze any harder, it''ll be difficult to breathe." Said Lavender with a gentle smile as she lightly tapped Alexander''s cheek; although she was being slightly over dramatic, he was indeed capable of truly hurting her with his hug, of course, if he so wished. When Master said that, only then did I realize I was hugging her, and thanks to my young body, the first thing I noticed was the sensation of her soft breasts pressed up against my chest, followed by my arms that were wrapped around her lithe figure; only now comprehending how truly petite she was compared to me. "Ah, sorry; I was just excited." Replied Alexander awkwardly with a pounding heart and a blushed face as he released Lavender. "Anyways, have you finished cooking the food yet? All this talking has gotten me hungry." Said Lavender with a smile as she eyed the three plates filled with food resembling fried rice and some toast. "Yes, everything is ready; I had just finished preparing the plates, though the food is still hot." Said Alexander, though Lavender completely ignored him as she grabbed the only plate with no bacon and quickly took it back to the table. "And there she goes, just like a child receiving a new toy." Remarked Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he disrobed his apron. Grabbing the two remaining plates, which were mine and Talis''s, I took them to the table where Master was while setting them down before two chairs. Sitting down opposite Master, I began eating alongside her silence, though I enjoyed it; seeing Master''s face full of delight was a gift. Just as I was about to call Talis, I heard a door open, followed by a flapping noise, and the next thing I knew, I saw Talis flying from the hall and entering the kitchen only to land in one of the chairs. "Morning, Miss Lavender, morning Alex; happy birthday!" Said Talis with a few chirps as she quickly began eating the food prepared for her by pecking it with her beak. "Good Morning, Talis and I appreciate that you actually remembered my birthday this time." Replied Alexander with a smirk while nodding as he ate, though Lavender was so engrossed with eating that she didn''t even register Talis''s presence. Unlike most days, it was a relatively quiet breakfast, not like any of us were complaining since we were enjoying the food I had prepared, at least until Master finished her plate. "That was delicious; thank you, Alexander. Hmm, when did you arrive, Talis?" Said Lavender with an immensely satisfied smile as she looked at Alexander before finally noticing Talis. "You''re welcome, Master, and she arrived a few minutes ago, but someone was a little too engrossed with stuffing their face full of food to even notice her arrival." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he glanced at the slightly embarrassed Lavender. "Well, you know how I can get when I''m focused on something. Anyways, since it''s your birthday and not just any birthday, but your coming-of-age birthday, is there anything special you desire?" Asked Lavender while dismissively waving her hand. Hearing her words, I set my fork down as I hardened my expression and gazed upon Master with utmost seriousness, although contrary to my outward appearance, my heart was beating wildly in nervousness since what I was about to ask was something beyond ridiculous. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is, Master." Said Alexander solemnly, his actions causing Lavender to furrow her brows as she intently listened. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before opening them and uttering something completely crazy. "I want you to take my virginity, Master." Declared Alexander in utmost seriousness as he started into Lavender''s eyes, who had yet to process the words that escaped his mouth. Chapter 43: Logic & Reason Vs Emotions Blinking my eyes, I shook my head as I sat down my cup while looking at Alexander''s serious expression. "Haa, my old age must be getting to me; my ears are playing tricks on me. Could you repeat that, Alexander?" Asked Lavender lightly with a frown as she sighed, though the weird thing was, her hearing was excellent. "You heard me, Master; I''m a virgin who''s never once done anything more intimate than kissing a girl. Eventually, I intend to find a wife when I venture into the outside world; however, since I have no sexual experience, I would like you to teach me how to pleasure a woman." Said Alexander seriously while eyeing the astonished, shocked, and disbelieving Lavender, who was looking at Alexander as if she had just seen something incredulous. I was so astonished at what Alexander had asked for, that I couldn''t even think straight, let alone speak, so for the next minute, I just blankly stared at Alexander while trying to wrap my head around what he had just said. Eventually, I did manage to do so, though it''s not like much had changed. I wanted to deny his crazy request, but as I looked at his serious expression that was concealing an untold amount of unease and slight fear, a part of me couldn''t just bring myself to outright deny him; I didn''t want my refusal to somehow make him lose self-confidence, which would in turn significantly impact his future relationships, for the worse. ''I''ve lived for over 2,000 years, yet I don''t think I''ve ever been in such an abnormal and troublesome predicament; what am I even supposed to say? His request had put me in such a terrible position. Saying no will strain our Master & Disciple relationship, yet if I say yes, we will be doing something taboo, not that I care too much that it''s taboo per se, but it''s the principle of the matter.'' Pondered Lavender deeply for several minutes with her eyes closed, and each second passed only served to increase the awkward atmosphere in the room, though the oblivious Talis helped suppress it. "G-Give me some time to think about it, o-ok, Alexander? I-I can''t just make a sudden decision when your request is so unnatural, to say the least." Replied Lavender with a slightly forced expression as she stood up from the table, intending to head towards her office. "That''s fine, Master, and it''s totally understandable considering my ridiculous request, so don''t feel too pressed to give me an answer; take your time. I''m already glad you didn''t outright deny my request." Said Alexander with a slight smile while nodding his head as he also stood up. Nodding my head to Alexander, I walked past him as I needed to if I wished to get to my office, and while I usually wouldn''t even notice, Alexander''s request got me thinking about him, and even though it was only for a second when I walked past him, I inhaled his scent; no longer was it the scent of a little boy, but that of a man. Leaving the kitchen, I headed toward my office, and once I entered, I quickly closed my door while leaning against it as I hung my head down, causing my reddish vine-like hair to cover my face, and sighed, feeling utterly confused about the whole situation and how to go about it. "Haa, what am I supposed to do? Alexander is my disciple; even if what he requests is for me to teach him, the subject is too unique. H-He wants me to teach him how to pleasure women, yet the most awkward thing is, I-I haven''t even had sex; I''m still a virgin as well." Said Lavender, in turmoil with a slightly blushed face as her voice continued to get quieter until she became almost inaudible. Sighing once more, I sat on the ground while leaning against the door as I looked up through my sunroof and viewed the morning sky that was filled with clouds, though even so, the sunlight somehow managed to still enter through the window up above. While lost in my thoughts, memories of Alexander began playing in my mind, starting from when he was just a little baby relearning how to walk until he got older and older; before I knew it, the previous little boy Alexander had grown up into a fine young man, one that I had helped mold, wishing for him to be the best possible version of himself. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ''Is this how a Mother feels? Such bitter-sweet emotions, yet I cherish every second of them; I wish I could be here longer for them. Alexander may be a fine young man, but he could still use my guidance; I don''t want him making the same mistakes I had made when I was younger.'' Mused Lavender with a slight smile as she stopped herself from looking at her status panel, knowing only bitterness would consume her. Closing my eyes and stopping myself from crying, I thought back to the past few months, and although such a thing never once appeared in my mind, Alexander''s words sparked something within my heart that''s always been there but hidden from my view. Thinking back to all the times Alexander displayed his manliness or maturity, subconsciously or consciously, I couldn''t help but be reminded of his chiseled, handsome face, exquisitely defined body, and beautiful purple crystal-like eyes. "Alexander hasn''t just grown into a fine young man; he''s also become one hunk of a man too." Muttered Lavender subconsciously, though when she realized what she said, her cheeks blushed as she shook her head. ''What are you doing, Lavender!? Alexander is your disciple; you can''t view him as a possible romantic and sexual partner; you haven''t fallen so low to do such a thing!'' Thought Lavender with blushed cheeks as she lightly slapped her cheeks and shook her head, looking like a young woman experiencing her first love. Although I told myself that, every now and then, impure thoughts of Alexander would appear in my mind, and after a while, I had stopped reacting to them; however, I felt very uncomfortable. On the one hand, I knew logically that doing the deed with my disciple, whom I might as well have raised as my own son, was an incredibly taboo act; however, on the other hand, whenever I think of Alexander, I will feel slightly giddy as my heart rate subtly speeds up. "Haa, what to do? Do I follow my heart and agree to Alexander''s ridiculous taboo act, or will I do the more logical and morally correct thing: deny him? It really shouldn''t be a hard decision, but for some reason, I can''t bring myself to tell him no." Said Lavender to herself as she looked up at the sky with a troubled expression, seemingly seeking help. "Goddess Eywa, if you could help one of your many children, what should I do?" Muttered Lavender while looking up to the sky as she clasped her hands together and prayed to Goddess Eywa, the one who commands nature. "You already have the answer to your question, my dear child." Muttered a soft voice that traveled alongside a gust of wind, which was weird since all the windows were closed. Hearing her soft and quiet voice, I opened my eyes and looked at the sky in confusion at her response. Although I''d heard her voice a few times in the past, this was the first time she''s ever spoken directly to me after I prayed to her. "Haa, I don''t doubt your words, Goddess Eywa, but if I already have the answer, how come I don''t know it?" Remarked Lavender while lying on the ground with her hair sprawled behind her. There was no response to my second question, but I wasn''t expecting one in the first place; I was already grateful I managed to hear her voice, though I didn''t really feel like her advice helped me much. Just like this, while lying on the ground still feeling greatly troubled by the request from early in the day, the morning quickly passed by as the afternoon arrived, but even that drifted by rather quickly, and eventually noon came, yet I was too deep in my thoughts to even notice, and before I realized, the sun has set as it entered the night. ''Heh, to think I cooped myself in my room on Alexander''s special birthday, all because I couldn''t come to a conclusion; well, to be fair, it''s mainly his fault.'' Thought Lavender with a shake of her head as she stood up and approached the window before opening it, wishing to get some fresh nightly air. As I leaned on the windowsill, overlooking the cleaning, I spotted Alexander in the nude, standing before the pond, and while usually I wouldn''t be bothered by such a scene, as I gazed upon his stark body, my eyes were subconsciously drawn to his nether region, though because of the darkness, everything was decently obscured. However, because of my intense staring, Alexander must''ve sensed me since he looked directly at me; once again, while I would be unphased by such actions, I felt myself be consumed with embarrassment, and the next thing I knew, like a pervert getting caught ogling someone, I swiftly hid behind the wall as my chest heaved up and down. Although I was acting like a young woman in love, I was still someone with two millenniums worth of experience, so I swiftly calmed down, but I still felt immensely ashamed of my actions; to think I would stoop so low as to ogle my own disciple. Rubbing my head, I sighed as I took the opportunity of Alexander not being present to leave my office and enter my room; once in my room, I looked around before eyeing my closet. Having finally made up my mind, I approached my closest, and just when I was about to open it, I hesitated, yet while gritting my teeth, I grabbed my handle and entered my closet, closing the door behind me. Chapter 44: Taliss Accomplishment While Lavender was in her room, specifically her closet, changing her clothes as she prepared to face Alexander, let''s rewind the day until morning, just when Lavender had entered her office, leaving Alexander alone. ___ ___ Watching Master leave, when I heard the door to her office close, my smile vanished as I flopped back into the chair while burying my hands into my face, hiding the deep blush that adorned my cheeks. "Did I really just say that? Did I really just ask to have sex with Master? What overcame me to say something so ridiculous!?" Questioned Alexander quietly in disbelief, already regretting his actions. Placing my hand on my rapidly beating heart, I didn''t know what to do; in the highly likely chance that Master refuses my request, it''ll be awkward, and if, on the off chance she actually accepts my request, we''ll no longer be just a Master & Disciple, our relationship will have fundamentally changed. "Talis, you were listening; what do you have to say? Any words of advice or to console me with." Asked Alexander as he peeked through his fingers and looked at Talis, who had just finished her food. "Hmm, nope; I don''t see what you did wrong; you were straightforward and asked to mate with her. Besides, the worst that could happen is she says no; if that happens, just ask her again; that''s what all the other birds do when I reject them." Replied Talis as she lifted her head and glanced at Alexander. "Haa, what was I expecting from a beast, though I suppose it''s better than being called stupid or idiotic." Remarked Alexander lightly, while Talis just tilted her head in confusion before ignoring it as she spread her wings and took to the air. "Now that I''m full, let''s go to the dungeon, Alex! I think I can finally take down an Alpha with the new skill I learned!" Stated Talis eagerly as she lightly flapped her wings to keep her hovering in place. "Haa, alright; hopefully, it''ll keep my mind preoccupied." Said Alexander as he freed his face, displaying his immensely bright red cheeks. Standing up, I grabbed the three plates and placed them in the sink, intending to wash them later as I wasn''t really in the mood to stay in the same area to be reminded of my embarrassing request to Master. Walking down the hallway, I passed by Master''s office and stopped for a few seconds before sighing and continuing toward the front door. Closing the door, I jumped to the ground, which was about an eight-meter drop, dangerous to the average human, yet to me, I might as well have been walking down some stairs. Seeing Talis in the sky flying toward the mountain in the distance, I lightly smiled as I began chasing after Talis; thankfully, she was merely flying at cruising speed; otherwise, it would''ve been challenging to keep up with her since she was quite fast. Talis has always been pretty fast, even back then, but now, after having lived with Master and I for the past four years, she has been taught to use wind mana, which she has an incredible affinity for, while also undergoing tremendous growth over the years. If she so wished, she could reach speeds higher than Mach-one, also known as the speed of sound. Though, of course, while she may able to reach such speeds, she can''t maintain such speeds for prolonged periods of time; she tires out rather quickly going that fast. Still, as long as she keeps a steady pace, I can easily keep up with her, though I say that, I''m probably running as fast as a cheetah right now. A few minutes later, I arrived at the mountain, only to see Talis perched upon a nearby tree just before the entrance to the centipede cave. Extending my arm out, Talis flew and landed atop my outstretched arm just as I entered the dungeon. Talis may be a fast flyer, but her walking speed is abysmally slow. "So you think you can defeat an alpha centipede now? What makes you say that? Didn''t we just try a few days ago, yet you didn''t manage to break through its carapace?" Questioned Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he took a right, entering deeper into the dungeon as pitter-patter noises sounded about. "Don''t say it like that; I had managed to crack their carapace, so it''s not like I was utterly helpless, but I''m confident because I managed to level up my skill, [Wind Strike] to level 7. Now, I should be able to break through their hard carapace!" Declared Talis eagerly with a smile while lifting one of her legs as a gust of dense wind suddenly swirled around her sharp talons. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ''Hmm, it''s been quite some time since I checked up on her status; I wonder how it''s changed.'' Mused Alexander as he used [Heroes Gaze], causing his purple eyes to emit a soft glow while eyeing Talis, allowing him to view the entirety of her status panel. //////////////////// Name: Talis Species: Pangu(Legendary) Age: 6 years Tier: 0 Level: 48 Experience: [23%] Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): Last One(Epic) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 1,530/1,530 Vigor: 40 Endurance: 60 Agility: 523(628) Dexterity: 154 Intelligence: 153 Perception: 78(86) Traits: Protection of Goddess Eywa(Legendary), Superior Agility(Epic), Enhanced Perception(Rare). Skills: Flying Dash¨Clvl4(Uncommon), Wind Wings¨Clvl6(Uncommon) Wind Slash¨Clvl5(Uncommon), Wind Strike¨Clvl7(Uncommon), Wind Gust¨Clvl9(Common) Condition: N/A //////////////////// Viewing her status, the first thing I noticed was her species. Before, it used to say Pidgey and her species was apparently uncommon; however, now, her species has changed to a Pangu, whatever that is, and it''s legendary, which is very confusing and slightly shocking. ''I''m pretty sure one''s species isn''t supposed to just change like that, though what do I know?'' Thought Alexander with a shake of his head as he looked at the rest of her status panel before deactivating his skill. The rest of her status page was relatively normal, or that''s what I''d like to say; along with her species changing, she has two other things that were previously not there, one being her new title [Last One] along with her trait, [Protection of Goddess Eywa], the same goddess Master believes in. ''I''ve got no idea what her title could mean, though her trait is pretty straightforward; however, I have a feeling both are related to her new species. Well, it''s fine; I can think about it later. All that matters is that Talis is safe, and she seems to be doing just fine.'' Pondered Alexander as he glanced at a small group of approaching centipedes that screeched in his and Talis''s presence. Looking at the incoming monsters, I simply waved my hands in their direction, casing three balls of fire to appear before they shot towards the monster swiftly; unsurprisingly, they all attempted to dodge out of the way, but even so, they were still engulfed in the explosion, killing them all almost instantly from the intense heat. Ignoring the burnt monsters, Talis and I walked through the first floor while encountering several more monsters, which were all easily taken care of, before finally arriving at the second floor, our destination. Since we only desired to find an alpha centipede, I killed all the other normal centipedes while walking around until we eventually managed to lure an alpha out from the dungeon walls after killing tens of monsters. "It''s all yours, Talis, just don''t make a mistake; you''re what they call a glass cannon." Said Alexander with a smirk as Talis flapped her wings and took to the air while eying the incoming alpha centipede. "Cannon? What''s that?" Asked Talis curiously, causing Alexander''s face to twitch. "It''s just an expression; I''ll tell you later; focus right now." Replied Alexander as he pointed to the centipede while retreating a decent distance away, not wanting to interfere in the fight. Looking at the two in the distance, I watched Talis as she quickly flapped her wings, causing her to gain speed swiftly, and while approaching the centipede, I noticed her foot, or more accurately, talons, were covered in a dense layer of swirling wind. With great speed, just before she rammed into the centipede, she leaned back and brought her talons forward, slamming right into its head claw first as she pierced through its carapace, causing the monster to bleed, though other than a screech; it hardly reacted. Thankfully, Talis wasn''t stuck, and with a mighty flap of her wings, she exited from the top of its carapace, leaving behind four bloody holes. Although the area wasn''t that large, with Talis''s impressive agility, she was able to easily fly in the enclosed space as she constantly dived into the centipede before quickly returning to the sky to do so. Just like that, for the next few minutes, she continued doing that, and eventually, she finally killed the centipede; granted, it took some time, and the centipede''s carapace was practically gone at this point, but either way, she had taken down an alpha all by herself. "I finally did it!" Exclaimed Talis loudly while standing atop the dead centipede as she chirped loudly in triumph. "Congratulations Talis." Said Alexander while lightly clapping with a slight smile as he approached Talis. Reaching down, I stroked Talis''s underside beneath her beak, causing her to practically purr like a cat in pleasure, which is always amusing when I hear it. "A little lower, Alex; ahh, that''s the spot." Said Talis in between her purrs as her wings occasionally twitched in pleasure. "Alright, alright, that''s enough; now then, are you satisfied with defeating just one, or will you continue?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he retracted his hand, causing Talis to sigh in displeasure. "Nope, not at all; we''re going to stay in this dungeon and hunt alpha centipedes for the rest of the day!" Stated Talis as she quickly took to the air in search of more enemies while Alexander followed her. ''Doesn''t she know it''s my birthday?'' Thought Alexander as he sighed and shook his head. Chapter 45: Sexy Lavender Just like what Talis had said, for the rest of the day, we did nothing but kill monsters, mainly alpha centipedes; either way, while it wasn''t what I envisioned my coming-of-age birthday would be, I wasn''t complaining since it was keeping my mind preoccupied, and that was all I could currently ask for. Just before we left, we decided to check up on the dungeon guardian, who has, for the record, been killed a few times over the past four years by me, and I still remember how shocked I was when I encountered it the next day as I was curious about the cavern it had inhabited. Though, of course, I had already allocated some of my status points, so the fight was many times easier, but I was still utterly shocked that it was still alive; when I told Master about it, she then informed me about the unique properties about a dungeon and why it''s called a dungeon instead of a cave. This entire time, I had thought the reason why the monster population never seemed to diminish with all the killing I did was that the monsters reproduced inside the cave walls, and very quickly at that; however, I was wrong. The actual reason the centipedes never seem to disappear is because they aren''t birthed but created, yet it is not artificial, but natural, and as crazy as it sounds, it''s true. What are they made from? Well, that would be the walls, or more specifically, the dungeon itself, since it is alive, and while it may not be a breathing creature, like an animal or even a plant, now that Master had pointed it out, with my skill [Heroes Gaze] I''m able to see the vitality of the dungeon. I''ve always been able to see it, but I ignored it since I just assumed I was seeing the monster''s vitality in the walls, but whenever I take a closer look, I can see the dungeon''s vitality flowing about through small lines, or a better description would be similar to veins; the dungeons veins encompass, well the entire dungeon, just like how a human''s body is with veins. It''s a fascinating concept, though it is also weird since the monsters it produces remind me of blood cells that destroy any foreign pathogen invading the body; Talis and I would be the pathogen. Anyways, I don''t know too much about the dungeon since, apparently, neither does Master; however, one day, I would like to figure out the truth, like why would a dungeon even need to create mindless monsters? In my hypothesis, I believe they are meant to protect something very important, but I''ll leave that for another day since Talis and I had just exited the dungeon, only to be enveloped in the calming, beautiful darkness that we call night; however, unlike most days, I had no interest to stargaze since memories of the morning coming flooding into the forefront of my mind. ''Ugh, it''s already nighttime; I''m tempted just to spend the night in the forest, or maybe a few nights.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh while seriously entertaining such an idea, though his heart thumped loudly, breaking him out from this train of thought. ''No, I can''t do something cowardly like that, especially not after what I had requested; I need to face it like a man, no matter the response.'' Mused Alexander, slightly shaking his head as he watched Talis take to the skies, heading back home. I wasn''t exactly eager to get back home, so I just casually jogged, which is much slower than Talis''s causal flying speed, and in a matter of a few seconds, she was already long gone. Typically, it would only take me about five minutes to get from the dungeon to back home, but this time, it took nearly five times that much before I arrived back at the familiar clearing that I call home. I didn''t walk toward the house but instead headed toward the pond to clean myself; I''m not that dirty, but staying in that cave for prolonged periods of time causes a potent musk to stick to your body, and it didn''t smell good at all, though it would make for a pretty good beast repellent. Once I arrived at the pool, I looked at the house and noticed Master''s office room light was on, which caused me to wonder whether she had spent the entire day in her office, just like I had spent the whole day in the dungeon; however, I didn''t dwell on that thought too much and began stripping, starting with my multiple pieces of armor, and then my slime clothes, which have been improved upon by Master. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Entirely nude in the dark, I looked up at the sky and viewed the three moons, which I always found to be exceptionally gorgeous, yet for some reason, they also gave me a weird feeling, almost like they were always watching me. ''Azul, Midori, and Coccineum; in my last life, planets such as Venus and Mars were named after Gods; maybe these moons were too?'' Mused Alexander, looking up at the blue, green, and red moons. Lightly shaking my head, I was just about to get into the pond and clean myself, but I suddenly furrowed my brows and looked toward the left, directly at the window to Master''s office, only to see her standing there while intently staring at me before she suddenly vanished from the window. ''W-Was that Master?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he stared at the window for a little longer before giving up. Unfortunately, I didn''t have enough time to activate [Heroes Gaze]; otherwise, I would''ve been able to at least glimpse at her emotions, giving me an idea of what she might''ve been thinking when she looked at me, though I didn''t manage to do so, even from such a distance, I instinctually felt the way she looked at had slightly changed from before as if she had looked at me in a less pure way. ''Haa, I don''t know; I just hope our relationship doesn''t change for the worse. If that happens, I don''t think I''ll be able to live here any longer.'' Thought Alexander, feeling exhausted and worrisome while hopping into the pond as he began cleaning himself. ___ ___ Having just finished thoroughly cleaning myself, I quickly desensitized my armor with fire and washed my slime clothes before putting them back on and approaching the house, trying my best to calm my nerves, though even with my trait [Heroes Will], it was proving rather difficult to stay calm; I guess that just shows how much I care about this. Climbing the tree, I grabbed the handle to the door and entered the house; although a part of me wanted to keep my presence hidden, knowing Master, I was confident she could sense me, not to mention she had just seen me several minutes ago. "I''m home, Master." Announced Alexander as calmly as possible while heading toward his room, only to bump into Talis. "Oh, there you are, Alex; Miss Lavender wanted me to tell you to go and see her in her room." Said Talis as she glanced at Alexander before entering his room, which was also partially hers. Hesitantly nodding at Talis as I watched her enter our room, I slowly approached Master''s room, which was on the other side of the house, passing by Master''s office, then the kitchen, and the bathroom before eventually arriving just outside her room. "M-Master, Talis said you wished to see me?" Asked Alexander nervously as he knocked on the door, waiting for a response. "Y-Yes, come in, Alexander." Said Lavender, though even someone like her was nervous for some reason as she slightly stuttered. Hearing Master''s response, I was far too nervous to notice her tone of voice, and with a pounding heart, I grabbed the handle. After a little bit of hesitation, I finally steeled my resolve to face the beautiful music and opened the door, quickly entering inside. However, what I laid my eyes on was possibly one of the most breathtakingly beautiful, gorgeous, and stunning things I''ll ever witness, yet it was also incredibly shocking to the point where I didn''t even know how to react. Just a meter before me was Master eyeing me while sitting on her bed, yet she was wearing nothing but a two-piece of black lingerie; her bra wasn''t especially sexually arousing, as it simply covered her perfectly sized breasts, and neither were her panties, but it''s high waistband accentuated her hips; not to mention the black lingerie against her green skin enhanced her already impressive beauty. As I took my time observing her otherworldly body, I also tried my best to calm my rapidly beating heart, along with my rising member, and unfortunately for me, I wasn''t wearing my armor but instead slime clothes that hugged the body. "A-Alexander, if you don''t mind, c-could you please sit down." Asked Lavender with a light blush as she noticed Alexander''s fully erect member through his pants; though she was a woman who knew self-control, she couldn''t stop herself from occasionally glancing at it. Hearing Master speak and feeling my raging hard member, I quickly nodded while deeply blushing in both shame and embarrassment as I instantly sat on the ground in a position best at hiding a boner, though something I never thought I''d desire; I wish my penis wasn''t so big. "S-So, about your request from earlier, Alexander; a-after some thinking, I figured i-it is only appropriate for I, your M-Master, to teach you about a woman''s body and how to p-pleasure them. However, we w-will not be going any further than touching, a-and, this will only be a o-one time thing, you understand A-Alexander?" Stated Lavender seriously in between her light stuttering while eyeing Alexander; both blushing, but neither decided to mention such a thing. "Y-Yes, M-Master!" Replied Alexander while nodding his head, and although it wasn''t exactly what he desired, he was already happy she didn''t hate him. Chapter 46: Seven Erogenous Zones Full of embarrassment while nervously sitting on the ground before Master, I used my hands to hide my raging boner as I maintained eye contact with Master; well, I at least tried to; she was looking far too sexy for me not to appreciate her beauty. ''C''mon Alexander, stay composed; she''s still your Master; at least show her some level of respect!'' Thought Alexander sternly with his eyes closed before opening them, though he instantly faltered when he laid eyes upon Lavender again. "A-Are you paying attention, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with her leg crossed over the other while slightly blushing as she eyed Alexander. "Y-Yes, Master; y-you can begin whenever you''re r-ready." Replied Alexander with a rapid nod, to which Lavender cleared her throat with a cough before speaking. "S-So, since I shall be teaching you how to pleasure a w-woman before we d-do anything, allow me to inform you of the erogenous zones of a woman, and while there are many more than what I''m about to describe, these are the seven most sensitive erogenous zones." Said Lavender softly while uncrossing her legs and standing up; she then began pointing toward seven spots on her body, which Alexander was intently staring at. "The ears, lips, neck, b-butt, i-inner thigh, a-and, v-v-vagina; t-these are the seven most sensitive spots on a woman''s body." Added Lavender as she pointed towards the seven spots, though she got progressively more nervous; she even started to stutter towards the end. Pushing down extra hard to conceal my hardened member, I gulped nervously while nodding my head, my eyes lingering on her vagina a little longer than I should, which caused me to notice she was pretty hairy down there; not like it mattered to me, in fact, I found it a little appealing. "While you may haven''t done it yet, pleasuring a woman isn''t as difficult as it may seem; all you really need to do is gently or roughly rub those seven parts of a woman''s body while conveying your love through your touch, and they''ll be filled with immense pleasure." Stated Lavender after she regained her bearings and calmed down while Alexander listened intently, even though his face was a deep shade of red. "C-Can I t-touch or r-rub your ear, then M-Master? S-So I can better understand the correct way to invoke pleasure in a woman?" Asked Alexander quietly while his heart, which had just slightly slowed down, sped back up again. "Y-Yes, you can, Alexander; I-I was just about to get to that." Replied Lavender lightly as she moved her red vine-like hair out of the way, revealing her slightly pointy ears that were usually hidden from view. Seeing Master''s ear, which looked much more arousing than usual, I was about to stand up, but I then remembered my boner, causing me to groan slightly since I knew I wouldn''t be able to stand up without Master noticing it. So I did the next best option: while still sitting down, I used [Blink], causing me to vanish from my position until I was sitting on Master''s bed right beside her. While sitting so close to her, I happened to inhale her womanly scent, which only further spurred my arousal as more blood rushed toward my nether region; though I may be incredibly aroused, I wasn''t a beast who couldn''t compose himself. Shaking my head to dispel such thoughts, or at least move them to the back of my mind, I extend my hand toward Master''s ear, and although I had touched her body an uncountable number of times in the past, I''ve never felt such nervousness. Softly touching Master''s slightly pointed ears, resembling that of an Elf''s, I followed Master''s instructions and started gently rubbing it, though seeing how I got next to no reactions from Master, I was worried if I was doing something wrong. "U-Um, M-Master; h-how does it feel?" Asked Alexander while gently rubbing Lavender''s ear, focusing more on the tip. "I-It feels good... F-For y-you''re first t-time, I m-mean." Said Lavender softly before quickly getting filled with embarrassment as she tried covering up her mistake, though Alexander was too busy relishing in the sensation of her ear to notice. Nodding at Master, I continued rubbing her ears for a minute or so before retracting my hand, and although I wanted to rub it some more, I could vividly feel the atmosphere become increasingly awkward by the second. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "As I said before, pleasuring a woman is rather simple if you know the right places to focus, and just like with all skills, if you wish to improve, you''ll need experience in the subject." Said Lavender lightly with a slight blush as she turned and looked at Alexander while fixing her hair, their faces less than a foot apart. "N-Now then, l-let''s move on to the next body part, the l-lips." Added Lavender, prompting Alexander to stare at her big, red, juicy lips. "S-Should I wash my h-hands first?" Asked Alexander hesitantly, though Lavender merely shook her head since he had just cleaned himself a few minutes prior to this. Since Master said no, I once again extended my hand, the same hand as before, toward her lips, but this time it was much more nerve-wracking since she was looking at me; not to mention, it didn''t matter the situation, the lips are an awkward place to touch somebody. When I touched her big, red, juicy lips, other than them being soft and feeling nice, they didn''t really stand out; however, while I was doing so, by accident, Master and I happened to make eye contact, though it was only for a split second, gazing into her bright orange eyes, I felt like the two of us were in our own little world as our purest emotions began to spill forth. However, that sensation didn''t last for long since Master quickly looked away while retreating her face, to which I swiftly retracted my hand, feeling utterly embarrassed about what had just transpired, and it seemed like I wasn''t the only one who felt that away from how Master was acting. "T-That''s e-enough f-for t-the l-lips; l-let''s m-move on t-to the n-next body p-part." Stated Lavender with a deep blush while avoiding looking at Alexander, causing her face to look like a Christmas tree. Unlike Master, I was too embarrassed to even open my mouth and speak, so I just merely nodded, though, for the next few minutes, neither of us moved a muscle, seemingly needing time to regain our composure from what happened. ___ ___ For the next hour and a half, I continued touching Master all over her most sensitive erogenous zones, starting from where I left off, which was the neck; the neck was similar to the lips, an awkward body part to touch, and just like the lips, I''m pretty sure you''re supposed to kiss them. Next was the butt, and although Master was relatively small, in my opinion, her butt was a perfect size, not too big or too small, just the right size where I was able almost entirely palm her soft, supple butt cheeks; the sensation of her butt was absolutely fantastic, it was soft yet still held some firmness, just as a butt should. Her breasts, on the other hand, were possibly the softest things I had ever felt; it was like holding two natural pillows, and similar to her butt, they were the perfect size for my hands; her nipples, though, looked rather cute with being so small and pink. However, when I finished touching them, we moved on to the more dangerous area, her inner thighs, which were soft, not nearly as soft as her breasts, but they also weren''t as firm as her butt, just right in the middle; they''d make for a wonderful lap pillow. Next was supposed to be her vagina, but it seemed like Master was still a little hesitant to take off her panties, and I didn''t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was; besides, the whole point of this wasn''t to actually learn how to pleasure a woman, nor was it to lose my virginity, it was all so I could profess my deep love for her, all those things I could think about later. "T-That''s everything A-Alexander; i-if you h-have anything e-else y-you want to a-ask, s-say it now." Stated Lavender with a deep blush while sitting before Alexander on the bed as she used one of her hands to cover her breasts, which had been set free from their prison. "N-No, M-Master, I-I don''t have a-anything t-to ask." Replied Alexander, also with a deep blush, standing up from the bed and quickly turning around, hiding his member from Lavender''s view. "O-Ok, well then, g-goodnight; I hope this had h-helped you; I-I''m going to change m-my clothes." Said Lavender lightly as she approached her closet before entering it, and although it was hardly noticeable, her voice contained slight disappointment. Seeing Master disappear into her closet, I sighed as I slowly headed toward the door, feeling incredibly pathetic that I couldn''t even bring myself to display my true feelings to the woman I love. "Fucking loser; to think you call yourself a man, you''re nothing but a pathetic child." Muttered Alexander as he harshly criticized himself while opening the door; however, he suddenly stopped just as he was about to close the door. I didn''t know why, but I could feel my heart beating rapidly at speeds I had never thought possible; not even during a battle had my heart pounded this fast and intensely before. Placing my hand atop my chest, I closed my eyes, and in doing so, I could vividly feel it; if I closed this door behind me, I''d be left with an immense, utterly colossal amount of regret; that''s what my heart was warning me of. As I felt that sensation, I couldn''t bring myself to close the door, and at this moment, I knew I needed to walk back in there and profess my love for her, even if she rejected me. ''No, I must do it; never has my heart ever warned me so intensely before.'' Thought Alexander, opening his eyes with an unflinching determination as he turned around and entered the room once more while closing the door behind him, which just so happened to be the exact instance Lavender exited from her closet in a nightgown. Chapter 47: Aggressive Alexander(R18) Entering my closet, I closed the door behind me before finally releasing a sigh containing a multitude of emotions, though shame was the most overwhelming, followed by a sense of disappointment. ''What, what''s wrong with me? To think I''d actually agree to something so humiliating; I''m such a pathetic Master!'' Thought Lavender as she squatted down while still concealing her beasts, feeling utterly ashamed of her actions. Now that I was given some time to process what had actually happened, I only ended up feeling worse by the second; I''m a two-thousand-plus-year-old hag, yet I was getting sexually intimate with my disciple, sure, if I were to combine both of lives, he''d be thirty-eight, but even still, I have experienced far more than fifty of his lifetimes. "Calling me a pedophile is taking it lightly; might as well add being a groomer." Muttered Lavender mockingly as she stood up and approached the back of the closest; while doing so, she happened to walk past a mirror. Seeing my reflection from the corner of my eye, I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror, yet as I viewed my practically nude body, I began feeling disgusted in myself since even though I''ve been trying to deny it, I''ve developed romantic feelings for Alexander. I don''t know when or how it started, but ever since I began to view Alexander as an actual man and not just a little boy, my feelings for him have begun to change; the love of a mother that I have for him is slowly morphing into the love of a woman. ''I''m going to have to distance myself from Alexander from now on; I can''t let my emotions take control of me, or I may end up doing something I''ll regret.'' Thought Lavender with a hardened expression as she looked away from her reflection, feeling too ashamed and disgusted with herself. Putting my bra back on, I grabbed my nightgown and wore it before heading toward the door; a few seconds later, I exited the closet, and while I expected to see the room empty, I saw Alexander. At first, I was confused, but when I noticed his determined expression, I knew he wouldn''t leave easily. Alexander may be very kind and gentle, but there are also a few times when he''ll be even more stubborn than Talis, which is saying quite a lot. "Master, there is something I''d like to tell you." Said Alexander in a dignified manner as he approached Lavender, though while doing so, she took a step back. Although it was just for a split second, I saw pain appear in his eyes when I distanced myself from him, and as his Master who wanted nothing but to see him be happy, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him; however, after what happened today, as much as it pains me, I needed to create some boundaries between us, not for my wellbeing but for his. ''This is all for him, Lavender; you can''t allow Alexander to get any more attached to you than he already is; it''ll just hurt him more in the long run.'' Thought Lavender as she reaffirmed herself before looking at Alexander, though the aura she gave off wasn''t nearly as friendly as usual. "What is it, my Disciple?" Asked Lavender with slight aloofness, something Alexander noticed, and while it hurt him, he didn''t budge. As I waited for him to respond, he took a deep breath and looked right at me before suddenly teleporting right in front of me, causing me to be taken aback. Next thing I knew, he grabbed both of my hands and held them between his as he looked deeply into my eyes, with his mesmerizing purple eyes, though what mesmerized me wasn''t his purple eyes, no, it was the pure, unadulterated love I could feel spewing forth from his body. "Master, no, Lavender; I love you! Not like how a child loves his Mother or how a disciple loves his Master; I love you as how a man would love a woman!" Declared Alexander passionately while tightly holding Lavender''s hand as he began using the language of nature, speaking to her with his purest of emotions, which contained nothing but love. Hearing Alexander''s words, I''ve always had an inkling he saw me as something more than just a Master, though I''d never bothered thinking too much about it since I just assumed it was his body speaking, not his mind; however, as I felt him transfer his emotions into my body, I was utterly astonished from what I read since I instantly knew this wasn''t just a mere fleeting crush of a boy, this was a mans love in it''s purest form. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. For a good while, I was left too astonished to even react; never in my life had I felt love like this before. Of course, my parents loved me with all their hearts, but this love differed slightly from familial love. However, eventually, when I managed to regain my composure, I quickly squashed my hopes along with my rapidly beating heart as I shook my head and forcefully retracted my arms from his grasp; deep down, I wished to respond to him with my purest emotions as well, but I knew I couldn''t, I can''t do something so cruel to him. "I''m flattered by your words, my Disciple, but I''m your Master, and I see you as nothing but my Disciple; the possibility of you being a romantic partner had never once crossed my mind, and it never will. Also, refrain from calling me by name; it''s quite rude." Stated Lavender with a frown in a rather cold voice as she further backed away from Alexander while eyeing him, causing him to frown slightly. "I had expected you''d say that Master, so I''m not too bothered by it; I''m more bothered by the sudden change in your attitude; you''re a lot more cold and detached; it''s like you''re purposely distancing yourself from me." Said Alexander lightly with a frown as he stepped closer, only for Lavender to back away once more. "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about; I''ve always been like this; maybe it''s you who''s just now noticing." Replied Lavender calmly while avoiding eye contact with Alexander, who shook his head. "Anyways, if there is nothing else to discuss, please leave. It''s quite late, and I''d like to go to sleep." Added Lavender as she pointed toward the door, though Alexander completely ignored her. "Haa, well, it was worth a try. Sorry, Master." Replied Alexander with a sigh while rubbing his head. "I accept your apology, my Disciple; everybody makes mistakes." Said Lavender lightly with a nod. "I wasn''t apologizing for earlier, Master; I was apologizing for what I''m about to do." Remarked Alexander with an awkward smile. "What are you ab-" I wasn''t able to finish speaking since the moment he finished speaking; he once again appeared in front of me, though, unlike last time, I was ready for it, so I prepared to step back once more, but what I wasn''t ready for was him pushing me onto my bed. I was startled by his actions, which allowed him to grasp both of my arms and hold them above my head as he straddled me; such a thing shouldn''t be possible, I may be a wizard, but given my level, I''d still easily overpower him, well that would be the case if I wasn''t poisoned. "Alexander, I don''t know what''s going on inside you-" Again, I wasn''t able to finish my words, but it wasn''t because he pushed me; no, it was because he had sealed my lips with his own. Alexander had just forcefully kissed me. To say I was speechless would be an understatement; never once throughout the sixteen years I''ve known Alexander has he ever been aggressive to me, not even when we spar, though that''s mainly because I always defeat before he can ever get close to me, but still; he''d rather injure himself before ever harming even a hair on my head. As Alexander was kissing me, and although it felt terrific, I attempted to free myself, yet It was futile; I couldn''t even budge his large hands. ''W-What the!?'' Thought Lavender with widened eyes when she felt Alexander''s tongue forcefully pry her mouth opening before entering. For a full minute, Alexander and I engaged in a deep kiss that felt incredible, and while there were moments where I yearned to just forget about everything and embrace my desires, I stopped myself, knowing I couldn''t possibly accept my desires given my condition. "A-Alexander, release me this instant!" Yelled Lavender angrily with blushed cheeks while her chest heaved up and down, looking very erotic, as she eyed Alexander. "Master, I hope you don''t think you''re the only one able to read someone''s emotions; don''t you know, my eyes can view the truth of all." Said Alexander with a slight smirk while his purple eyes emitted a soft glow as he leaned in, though his target was Lavender''s ears this time. "D-Don''t you know skills don''t ~Ahhh~" Replied Lavender, though she was interrupted as she subconsciously released a soft moan from Alexander''s gently nibbling. After that first moan, I tightly shut my mouth, and no amount of stimulus my ear sustained caused me to give a reaction, despite how pleasurable it was; yet that all changed when Alexander grabbed my nightgown and bra before ripping them off my body, revealing my breasts and toned stomach, once again shocking me with his aggressiveness. "I know what I''m doing is out of character for me, but you know me best, Master; tell me, and I mean seriously, tell me to stop, and I will." Said Alexander softly in Lavender''s ears as he reached down with his free hand and began pinching her hard but sensitive nipples while returning to biting her ears. "S-Stop ~Ahh~ A-Alexander; o-or ~Ahh~ I''ll g-get ang~Ahhhh~!" Remarked Lavender with a deeply blushed face, though her words were practically incoherent with all her moaning from the pleasurable sensations. Chapter 48: Master & Disciple Until the End of Time(R18) With my words, the numerous smaller doors to the dining room were opened; a multitude number of servants entered the room while pushing carts or holding trays as they began serving food to every table. I don''t know how much time had passed since this first started, but under Alexanders'' aggressive yet gentle assault of caressing my body, I wasn''t given any time to think properly; every second felt like heaven itself was embracing me, leaving me with nothing but a disordered mind that was drowning in sublime pleasure. In a matter of minutes, any desire to hold my true feelings back was quickly destroyed by Alexander, and I subconsciously stopped trying to resist and instead eagerly accepted his touch. Any woman in my position wouldn''t have been able to last when you''ve got to resist the allure of a very handsome young man bathing you in his love, treating you like the most precious thing in all of existence. He constantly fondled my breasts, completely grasping them with his large hands before pinching and pulling my nipple with just the right amount of force to fill me with the most pleasure possible without hurting me. I don''t know when, but sometime into the act, he''d released my hands, and although I could''ve fought back, I''d drowned too deeply in his love that was as endless as the ocean; I''ve lost any desire to fight back, and while I knew it was incredibly selfish to reciprocate his love, I just couldn''t bring myself to go against my true feelings any longer. While his right hand fondled my breasts, he used his left hand to reach underneath my body and grasp my butt-cheek, though, unlike with my breasts, he was aggressively gripping it and molding it to his liking; yet, even under such aggressive care, It filled me with nothing but delight, causing me to release sensual moans repeatedly, like a recording device on loop. To top it all off, his face was stuffed into my neck while constantly switching between softly kissing my neck and collarbone to aggressively sucking my skin, covering my shoulder and neck in hickeys that''ll last for days; yet I didn''t care, in fact, I desired it as my hands were wrapped around his head, further pushing his face deeper into my neck. Under his barrage of touching, I reached climax numerous times, so many I couldn''t count, which did end up surprising me since while I''ve pleasured myself before, it was never this easy to reach climax; in the amount of time it took me to reach climax once, Alexander managed to make me orgasm nearly eight times. I wanted to return the favor of him pleasuring me by stroking his erect man-hood that was constantly stabbing my stomach, yet not only was he wearing clothes, making it more difficult to reach his member, but he was also pressing against my body so closely there was hardly any space for my hand to enter in between my body; not to mention whenever I tried to, he''d increase in intensity, causing all of my efforts to be in vain. "Master, I-I can''t hold back anymore; your moans are just too sexy for a man to resist." Stated Alexander in a raspy voice that held nothing but arousal and desire for Lavender as he slowly but surely made his way toward her womanhood while still caressing her body. ___ ___ After pleasuring Master for a full hour and making her orgasm numerous times, I could no longer resist her allure, not when she constantly moaned in my ear, which sounded so seductive, as if she was an actual Succubus hypnotizing me with her irresistible voice. Whispering to Master in a hoarse voice containing my desire for her, I slowly moved down toward her nether region, and as I did so, her womanly scent that had filled the room progressively got more potent, which only served to stir my already heightened arousal. Reluctantly releasing my hand from her soft breasts that I could squeeze forever, I gently rubbed her crotch, right where her vagina was, which was so wet that her panties were drenched, and so was the bed. Unlike what I did with her nightgown and bra, I gently grabbed her panties before slowly removing them, and with the help of Lavender, I managed to strip her last remaining clothing, allowing me to bear witness to the nude body of the woman I love all my heart. Although in my last life, with the internet and everything, the sight of a woman''s naked body was nothing special, I''ve seen hundreds of them online, but Master''s stark body gave me a foreign feeling, one that I found almost impossible to describe in mere words. "There are no words that exist that are able to properly describe how utterly beautiful you are, Master." Muttered Alexander with a nervous gulp as he viewed Lavender''s sweat-covered body, causing her to display a stunning smile amidst her blushing face, increasing her beauty in his eyes. Slightly shaking my head to break out of the trance I was put in from Master''s body, I glanced at her womanhood, only to see a red bush of hair followed by her beautiful vagina secreting liquid, which emitted an amazing smell; so wonderful in fact, that I couldn''t resist the temptations to slurp it up. Leaning into her vagina, I saw Master''s legs attempt to close, but before she did, I stopped them; with an accessible path toward her nether region, I neared it before lightly licking her vagina, causing Master to release an intense moan as her womanhood drenched my face in liquid. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ''Delicious, taste like tree sap.'' Mused Alexander as he licked his lips, and while he wished to stuff his face into Lavender''s womanhood and drink all of her juices, he didn''t have the patience to do so. Knowing what was coming next, I also quickly took off my clothes, allowing my raging erect member to finally be set free as it stood tall and proud, and though it was quiet, I could hear Master gulp as she eyed my penis. "I-I don''t think that''s going to fit inside." Muttered Lavender nervously as she eyed Alexander''s ten-inch monster that was raring to plunge deep inside her and release all its semen. I was about to say otherwise, but when I took a second to actually observe, I also agreed with Master; I didn''t have much confidence that it would actually fit either. "I-I''ll make sure to be gentle, Master." Said Alexander, equally nervously, as he got onto the bed and covered Lavender''s small frame while on his hands and knees, their faces only a foot apart. Although I''d been rather assertive this entire time, now that we were finally about to do the deed, I was incredibly nervous; after all, it was my first time having sex, so I had no idea what actually to do, all this time I''ve just been doing the things Master had taught me. However, as I was falling into a pit of nervousness, I felt Master''s hands gently caress my face as she pulled me out of my nervousness. "Fufu, Alexander, don''t feel so stressed, alright?" Remarked Lavender softly with a gentle smile while caressing Alexander''s face, causing him to smile. Kissing Master''s hand, I nodded my head before sitting up straight as I began to position myself until my manhood and her womanhood were touching, and all I needed to do now to seal the deal was to thrust inside her gently. "Alexander, this will be the last chance to back out; after you go through without this, we''ll no longer be just Master and Disciple." Said Lavender calmly, though internally, she was feeling nervous at the prospect of Alexander retreating after coming so far; however, all that vanished when she suddenly felt a pain emerge from her nether region. "Heh, no matter what happens between us, we''ll be Master and Disciple until the end of time. I love you, Master!" Said Alexander with a gentle smile while gently thrusting into Lavender, tearing right through her hymen as he neared her face and softly kissed her. "Fufu, you''re not wrong, my precious Disciple; I love you too, Alexander!" Said Lavender with a lovely smile, all the worries in her heart vanishing as she grabbed Alexander''s head and brought him in for another, much deeper kiss. "Also, don''t call me Master; call me by my given name, Lavender." Added Lavender with a smirk as she released Alexander from the kiss. "As you wish, Lavender." Replied Alexander while also smirking as he grabbed both of her hands for support and retracted his member to thrust again. Just as I was about to thrust inside Lavender again, I noticed blood covering my member; at first, I had thought I might''ve hurt her, which filled me with self-loathe, though thankfully, before I ruined my mood, Lavender explained. "Fufu, don''t worry, you didn''t hurt me; when you thrust inside me, you tore through my hymen; quite embarrassing, no? While it only took you less than 40 years to lose your virginity, it took me well over 2,000." Stated Lavender with a small smile of pure delight before avoiding eye contact from embarrassment. "Maybe it is embarrassing, but I''m glad that you waited so long, Lavender; knowing that I''m the only man you''ve ever been intimate with is a magnificent feeling; I''m just surprised you''ve never done it before." Said Alexander with a large smile as he began gently thrusting inside Lavender, filling both of them with intense pleasure despite her pain, which was starting to fade. "I-I was born in a very ~Ahh~ s-strict family with a l-lot of ~Ahh~ rules, a-and one of them ~Ahh~ required the women o-of the family to remain ~Ahhh~ p-pure until they were m-marri~AHHH!" Remarked Lavender lightly in between her sensual moans as Alexander slowly picked up the pace with each thrust, even managing to make Lavender reach climax again. "W-While I''d l-love to know m-more ~Urgh~ about your l-life, this isn''t exactly t-the ~Urgh~ b-best time for that, L-Lavender." Said Alexander in between his low grunts of pleasure from thrusting inside Lavender Even though I was thrusting rather slowly, I couldn''t last long against Lavender''s wet yet warm vaginal walls that tightly coiled around my penis, which attempted to wring me of my seed, and after a few more thrusts, she succeeded in doing so. "L-Lavender, I-I''m about to come!" Yelled Alexander while his thrusting suddenly picked up speed as he felt himself reach his limit. "M-Me ~Ahhh~ t-too; d-do it ~Ahhh~ Inside me!" Declared Lavender as she grabbed Alexander and pulled him closer to her body. Hearing Lavender''s words, I was worried about the prospect of impregnating her, and while I''d love to make her a mother, I had no desire for the time to be right now; however, I couldn''t bring myself to exit Lavender, so with one final thrust, I plunged my member deep inside her, nearly shoving all of myself into her before releasing my seed. "~UGHHH~! ~AHHHHHH~!" Said Alexander and Lavender, respectively, as they both reached a climax simultaneously. Resting atop Lavender''s sweaty body, I glanced up at the night sky before looking at Lavender while smirking as I felt my stiff member still inside her. "The night is rather young, Lavender; it would be a shame to end it after merely just one round." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he retracted his penis before lightly thrusting, causing Lavender to release a soft moan amidst her breathing. "~Ahh~ Fufu, fill me with your love Alexander." Said Lavender with a lovely smirk as she tightened her vagina, causing Alexander to grunt in response. Hearing her words, I smirked, and for the rest of the night, until the first ray of sunshine appeared, we bathed in our desire for each other as we continuously made love. Chapter 49: Love Prevails Through All!(R18) Feeling the heat from the sun''s rays as they pierced through the window to shed light upon my and Lavender''s sweat-covered bodies from last night''s intense love-making session, though the sweat that covered my body wasn''t mine but Lavender''s, who seemed to be greatly exhausted from last nights activities, which we had just stopped only a few minutes ago. With my member still deep inside Lavender, she rested atop my chest while the two of us lay in her bed, which for the record, was covered in sweat, sperm, urine, and Lavender''s love juices, disgusting I know, but I''m just glad neither of us needed to poop, that would''ve really killed the mood. ''Heh, I suppose having my body constantly healed to peak condition isn''t helpful for just injuries and fending off exhaustion. I feel like I could make love with Lavender for weeks on end without even feeling a little bit exhausted.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smirk as he felt his hardened member slightly twitch inside Lavender, causing her to inhale a sharp breath. Gently caressing Lavender''s head as I brushed my hands through her soft hair, we stayed lying like this for possibly another full hour or so before I finally sensed slight movement from her as I felt her hand rest atop my chest, precisely above my beating heart, while her other hand grabbed the hand that was caressing her head and held it tenderly. "How do you feel, Lavender? I''ve heard a woman''s first time is painful, and they will feel sore afterward; if you want, you drink my blood. That''s a weird thing to say out loud, especially if I''m not speaking to a Vampire; hmm, I wonder if Vampires exist here?" Asked Alexander softly while looking at Lavender as he rested his hand atop her hand that was on his chest before pondering out loud, causing Lavender to chuckle. "Fufu, I feel wonderful; after last night, one thing I''ve learned is that your blood isn''t the only thing that''s capable of healing." Replied Lavender lightly as she lifted her head up and looked straight into Alexander''s purple eyes. While staring into Lavender''s lovely orange eyes, I could feel my arousal growing once again as I viewed her beautiful smiling face, and while I wished to initiate another long and passionate session of lovemaking, she was already somewhat exhausted, and unlike me, Lavender didn''t have a powerful healing factor; however, just because I couldn''t make love with, didn''t stop me from doing other less intense acts. Leaning in for a kiss, I initiated a deep kiss full of affection, and while doing so, I flipped our positions; now she was lying on the wet bed, and I was above her, though I must''ve lost myself amidst the kissing as I could feel myself slowly thrusting into her, and the only reason I knew is that Lavender lightly slapped my face. "Ahh, sorry, Lavender, I kind of lost myself amidst your beauty." Said Alexander in slight embarrassment as he separated from Lavender''s soft lips, allowing her to finally breathe again. "Fufu, please contain yourself, Alexander; at this rate, you''ll suffocate me with your endless love, and I mean that literally." Remarked Lavender jokingly with a soft smile while looking at Alexander as her chest heaved up and down, though she was half-serious. "You can''t put the full blame on me; after all, who''s the one that made me love you so much?" Replied Alexander with a slight smirk as he embraced Lavender before swapping spots again, returning to their previous position. After I said that, Lavender just responded with a chuckle before going silent, and with that silence came a shift in emotions as we both started seriously thinking about what we''d just done; while I felt thrilled, possibly the happiest I''ve ever been throughout both lives; Lavender wasn''t the same as me, of course, she was also delighted with this outcome, with my eyes I could see it, but there also seemed to be something else that plagued her heart and mind. "Haa, I still can''t believe I just did the deed with my own disciple." Muttered Lavender with a sigh while drawing imaginary circles on Alexander''s chest. "On the bright side, at least we did it on my birthday; no one can call you a pedophile." Said Alexander with a smile as he attempted to elevate Lavender''s mood, though his attempt did little. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "I''ve lived more than 50 times your life, Alexander." Stated Lavender dryly as she glanced at Alexander, who awkwardly looked away. "I-I know; I was just trying to improve your mood; after all, you seemed rather troubled by this outcome. Do you possibly regret doing it with me?" Replied Alexander in defense before asking a serious question, but when he got no response, he started to feel hurt, though it wasn''t noticeable. "Alexander, I love you, I truly do, and I don''t regret doing what happened; I-I just feel terrible and utterly selfish." Stated Lavender, full of love as she eyed Alexander, erasing any pain or nervousness he felt before her expression morphed into that of pain and agony, knowing her time was limited on this plane. I didn''t know what exactly was plaguing Lavender''s heart and mind, but I could tell it was something troublesome; however, I didn''t care, I loved Lavender with all my heart, and I''ll be damned if I''d allow anything to stand in my way, especially not after last night. "Listen, Lavender, I don''t know what''s tormenting your heart and mind, but if you don''t regret doing what we did, why bother caring? Clearly, this has something to do with our new relationship, but what''s done is done; you can''t turn back time, so stop thinking about all the negatives and focus on the positives. After all, aren''t I the supposed Hero? I''m the one who should be carrying all the burdens, not you." Declared Alexander righteously as he sat up and tightly clutched Lavender''s hands while staring intensely into her surprised face. "Hehe, your speech was rather mediocre, but you''re not wrong; what''s done is done. I should stop worrying about the past or future and focus on the present." Said Lavender with a soft chuckle as she shook her head before grabbing Alexander''s twitching face and leaning in for a deep kiss, only to create a trail of saliva as she retracted from his face. "Now then, let''s go and take a bath; we''re dirty¨C" Added Lavender with a disgusted expression as she attempted to exit the bed, though Alexander wasn''t about to let that happen. "You can''t just kiss me and expect me to let you walk away freely." Said Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he mounted Lavender and positioned his member before her womanhood. "A-Alexander, I-I''m already exhausted from last nig~Ahh~" Remarked Lavender, though she was once again interrupted by Alexander plunging his shaft deep inside her, causing her to grab the wet bed sheets from the sudden pleasure. "Don''t worry; ~ Urgh~ It''ll only be one round, I promise." Added Alexander with a grunt as he deeply kissed Lavender while thrusting inside her, causing them to drown in ecstasy once again. ___ ___ "Ouch, what was that for, Master?" Asked Alexander with a hurt expression as he rubbed his head while washing himself in the pond, Lavender doing the same only a few feet away from him. "Hmph, thanks to you, it''s already the middle of the day; didn''t you say it was only going to be one round?" Questioned Lavender with a frown as she eyed Alexander, who looked away. "I-I apologize, but I''m not the only one at fault; who was the person who wouldn''t let me go and kept trying to wring me dry?" Replied Alexander as he glanced away before looking at the now blushing Lavender while smirking. "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about." Stated Lavender as she looked away in embarrassment while ignoring the chuckling Alexander. Laughing to myself, I returned to cleaning myself, as both Master and I were coated with various liquids; only after ten minutes of continuously scrubbing did I finally manage to clean myself while Master was already done and heading back home. "I''m feeling a little sore, so you''re cooking lunch, Alexander." Said Lavender with a faint smirk as she walked back home while exaggeratingly swaying her hips, causing Alexander to gulp audibly. ''Didn''t Master say she felt wonderful?'' Mused Alexander, though he didn''t bother to mention that as he was currently appreciating the view of Lavender''s hips swaying about with each step. Suppressing my urges lest Master and I end up throwing the whole day away, I quickly dried myself off and headed toward the house after putting on my clothes. Once inside, I grabbed my apron from my room before arriving in the kitchen, only to see Master sitting alongside Talis. "Good morn¨CI mean good afternoon Talis." Said Alexander with an awkward smile as he looked at Talis, who looked rather irritated. "Tch, it would be good afternoon if I had gotten any sleep! Last night, all I could hear were you two moaning and groaning as you mate! You guys know our room is on the opposite side of the house, right!?" Exclaimed Talis angrily as she slammed her talons on the table, though her words caused both Alexander and Lavender to blush deeply in shame. "Y-You could hear us, Talis?" Asked Lavender with a blushed face as she spat out her tea while glancing at Talis and Alexander. "Yes, I could hear you, Miss Lavender! You were exceptionally loud; your moaning sounded like the cries of a beast with how loud you were!" Replied Talis as she spread her wings while loudly chirping, imitating Lavender''s moans from last night, causing her blush to deepen, though Alexander''s eyes were currently wide in astonishment. "Master, I thought you couldn''t understand Talis!?" Exclaimed Alexander in shock as he pointed at the two. Chapter 50: Love Is Painful What Alexander said caused me to stop momentarily before I also widened my eyes in shock and confusion; since, unlike hearing lovely little chirps, which I''m used to hearing, I heard her voice or more like, I understood what she was saying, and while I was astonished, I was also just as confused. "T-Talis, say something; I think Master can understand what you''re saying!" Said Alexander quickly as he glanced between the two. "Hmph, don''t think I didn''t forget about you, Alex; you may not have been as loud as Miss Lavender, but your grunting was just as irritating!" Yelled Talis angrily as she shifted her attention to Alexander while pointing her wing at him, causing him to blush, though he ignored it for now. "Ugh, enough about that for now, Talis. Master, did you understand her?" Replied Alexander as he dismissed Talis''s words and gazed at Lavender, who nodded her head. "Yes, I clearly heard everything, but I''m still confused; how come I can suddenly understand her after four years?" Remarked Lavender in bewilderment as she furrowed her brows, intently observing an angry Talis. ''There doesn''t seem to be anything different with Talis, nor do I feel anything strange either, so then, why can I suddenly understand her?'' Mused Lavender with a thoughtful expression, though no theory was found. "Um, Master, I don''t know as much as you regarding how the status panel operates; however, since I''m unique, do you think it''s possible that after filling you with my sperm, you somehow got a skill that allows you to comprehend Talis?" Asked Alexander with a blushing face, and although his words caused Lavender to blush, neither was too embarrassed about it, given the situation. "I-I mean, it''s a possibility; I had got a trait from drinking your blood, so it wouldn''t be too far-fetched to assume otherwise." Replied Lavender as she looked at Alexander while nodding her head, coughing to cover up her embarrassment. Although I found it weird how being pumped full of Alexander''s semen would grant me the ability to comprehend beasts of all things, I figured it was worth a shot to check. However, it''s been years since I''ve summoned my status panel, and I didn''t wish to view it either; the feeling of my body decaying was already a daily reminder my time was dwindling. I didn''t need a visual representation. ''Ugh, I really don''t want to see it, especially not after what Alexander and I did; however, I can''t contain my curiosity. What was the phrase he told me? Curiosity killed the cat? More like curiosity killed the Dryad.'' Thought Lavender with a mixture of emotions as she willed her status panel to appear. Seeing my familiar status panel appear before my eyes, I tried my best not to look at my diminishing stats, and although I just glanced at it, that was more than enough for me to view the entirety of my stats, which only ended up depressing me. //////////////////// Name: Lavender Vestalis Species: Dryad Age: 2376.7 years Tier: 2 ¡ú 0 (7)¡ý Level: 124 ¡ú 49 (4876)¡ý Experience: [32%] Class: Grand-Warlock (Legendary) Sub-Class: Botanist (Rare)[Endurance / Intelligence] Sub-Class: Potion Alchemist (Uncommon)[Intelligence] Title(s): Grand-Archmage(Legendary), Daughter of Yggdrasil(Epic), Leader of the Gypsies(Epic), SS Rank Adventurer(Epic), Princess of the Dryads(Rare). ___ Lifeforce: 11%¡ý Mana: 93,670/93,670 ¡ú 15,670/15,670 (1,922,440/1,922,440)¡ý ___ Vigor: 553 ¡ú 112 (7,436) Endurance: 982 ¡ú 188 (32,613) Agility: 1,234 ¡ú 265 (15,895) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Dexterity: 1,876 ¡ú 296 (22,587) Intelligence: 9,367 ¡ú 1,567 (192,244) Perception: 2,825 ¡ú 365 (35,256) ___ Etc. Condition: Severe Weakening, poisoned //////////////////// The only stat that was still within quadruple digits was my intelligence, but even then, it wasn''t by much; I''ve managed to survive this long only because I''ve been trying my damnedest to suppress the poison with my mana, yet it''s only been a temporary solution, one that has been proving to be inefficient as well, but there wasn''t much I could do. ''The trait I acquired from drinking Alexander''s blood did slightly help, but its effects were hardly noticeable against a Mythical ranked poison; with how quickly the poison is acting, I don''t think I''ll even make it another year.'' Thought Lavender, the sadness she''d usually feel from her situation was no longer present but instead was replaced with wrath, wrath at the fact that because of someone''s fragile ego, she''d soon be departing from this world. Taking a few seconds to calm my beating heart as it pumped rage-inducing blood throughout my body, I ignored my pathetic stats and scanned over my traits in search of anything out of the ordinary, but other than [Natural Regeneration], everything else was the same; moving on toward my skills, yet, the instant I did, I spotted something new, and its rank caused my eyes to widen in utter shock. ''A-Are my eyes deceiving me, or does that actually say Mythical!?'' Thought Lavender in astonishment as she rubbed her eyes, though other than her vision turning slightly blurry, nothing had changed. True Hero''s Heart(Mythical): [You''re the Hero''s heart, you''re their source of strength yet also their source of weakness, you''re their life yet also their death, you''re¡­ Their everything, yet their nothing. Grants a random skill from the Hero, Omni-lingual¨Clvl2(Mythical)] As I read the description of the skill, all the anger I felt vanished and was quickly replaced by several other emotions: happiness, sadness, excitement, and disappointment, yet the one that overshadowed all of them was love, pure, unadulterated love. "Master, you okay? You''re crying." Asked Alexander in concern as he instantly appeared beside Lavender while grabbing her hands, deeply staring into her teary eyes. Looking into the eyes of the man that I love, carrying nothing but worry and concern, was heart-wrenching, yet it gave me a sense of bliss at the same time; though in the end, it only caused the tears that I was trying to hold back to spew forth, as I knew soon, I''d see those mesmerizing purple eyes for the last time before I returned to Goddess Eywa. ___ ___ I didn''t know what caused Master to suddenly burst into tears, but I could tell her heart was somewhat fragile currently, so I just embraced her in a hug and let her sob onto my shoulder while silently rubbing her back, attempting to soothe her of her worries. ''Now that I think about it, I''ve never seen Master cry; in fact, I''ve never seen Master so vulnerable.'' Mused Alexander as she gestured for Talis to be quiet, and although she was still upset, she listened. With the difference in height and the fact Master was still sitting down, it was very uncomfortable for me, and as much as I wished to kneel, I didn''t want to move and disturb Master, so for the next ten or so minutes, I was forced to stay in the same position until Master finally stopped crying, prompting me to release her from the hug. "So, is everything good now, Master? Are you okay?" Asked Alexander while swiftly getting on one knee as he didn''t wish to be in the same position in case she were to cry again. "Y-Yes, I feel much better; thank you, Alexander." Replied Lavender with a lovely smile as she wiped her face, though her eyes were still a little puffy. "Although, as your Master, that was a rather shameful display for you to witness." Added Lavender with a frown as she shook her head while Alexander smirked. "That''s fine though, Master; after all, you''re not just my Master, you''re also my Woman." Declared Alexander as he eyed Lavender, though internally, he was berating himself for how corny he sounded. "Fufu, I suppose you''re right; after last night, I''m your woman, just like you''re my man." Replied Lavender in a sultry voice with a faint smirk as she looked Alexander in the eye while squeezing his crotch, causing him to sharply inhale his breath. "I-I didn''t know you were the possessive type, Master; there goes my plan to have a harem of beautiful women." Remarked Alexander jokingly with a smirk while backing away as he knew he''d take Lavender back to her room if she continued to tease him. "And I didn''t know you could be so aggressive, Alexander, but I suppose we both learned something about each other." Said Lavender with an amused smirk while Alexander looked away since he did kind of force himself onto Lavender. "Though, if in the future, during your travels, you happen to fall in love with another woman, I''m not necessarily opposed to the idea of sharing you with another woman; of course, only after I believe she is worthy of your love." Added Lavender lightly as she found amusement in Alexander''s surprised expression. "Hmm, Really?" Asked Alexander while approaching Lavender and carefully picking her up; he then sat down in her chair before setting her down on his lap while wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don''t be so surprised, my dear little disciple; your world may have found the concept of having multiple lovers weird, but in this world, such a thing is rather common; well, only for the strong. Although it''s usually powerful men with multiple wives and concubines, some women also have several men at their disposal." Stated Lavender, nodding as she wrapped her arms around Alexander''s neck while resting her head atop his shoulder. I wasn''t surprised by her words since, in my past life, rich people also had multiple partners, so It wasn''t a shocking thing to hear; I was surprised Master would be willing to share me with other women. "Eh, while I''m sure it''s every man''s dream to have multiple wives, I''ve got no desire to look for other women, especially not after I just got you. It took me 16 years to get you; I wonder how long it''d take me to get another woman?" Remarked Alexander as he chuckled in response while Lavender lightly hit the back of his head, sighing at his antics. "I''m still present!" Yelled Talis, angry from having been ignored the entire time as she again slammed her Talons atop the table. Chapter 51: Lunch Hearing Talis yelling, I awkwardly looked at her since, while I wouldn''t admit it, I had momentarily forgotten about her; if she had stayed quiet, I don''t think I would have perceived her for quite some time. "Calm down, Talis, no need to get so worked up." Said Alexander with an awkward smile as he attempted to soothe Talis while Lavender stayed silent, still rather embarrassed at having been caught. "I know; how about this? I''ll prepare your favorite dish; that should be enough to express our apology for keeping you up all night." Added Alexander while slightly smiling, his words causing Talis''s eyes to be filled with glee, and while she attempted to hide it, it was no use against Alexander''s eyes. "Hmph, fine; if you make my favorite dish, I''ll consider us even." Replied Talis while hiding her joy as she angrily folded her wings and looked away; both Lavender and Alexander found her antics somewhat adorable, though neither said anything. Since I had already planned to cook, or more like being forced to cook lunch by Master, either way, it hardly changed anything for me; standing up with Master in my arms, I gently set her back down in her chair before heading toward the kitchen. Though as I was walking away, I felt Master slap my butt, causing me to jolt in surprise, before turning around and eyeing her. "Tch, I''ll get my revenge later." Whispered Alexander with a cunning glint as he rubbed his butt, ignoring Lavender, who was playfully smirking while heading toward the kitchen. Wearing my uniform, I quickly got busy and began preparing various types of meat, such as dire wolf, horned rabbit, and hidden snake meat, all of which were delicious in their own right, but after many trials and errors of using numerous other types of meat; I''d finally found the perfect combination. Cutting the thigh meat into smaller chunks, mainly for Talis since it''s easier for her to consume, not to mention not nearly as messy, I tossed them onto the skillet and started making fried rice. Cutting up some peppers and cracking some eggs, I combined them into one bowl and started mixing them; while doing that, I put a few cups of rice into a pot, which was already filled with water. Placing the lid onto the pot, I intended to let the rice cook for roughly ten minutes, and while that was happening, I grabbed another glass bowl along with about fifteen different items from the fridge, which were the ingredients for the sauce that would go onto the meat, enhancing its already rather potent flavor. Since there were no blenders, I floated them into the air before encasing the items in a small vortex, which would prevent anything from escaping. Then, I created numerous small, weak wind blades before launching them inside the vortex as they sliced up the ingredients, and because a spinning vortex surrounded them, whenever the wind blade was about to escape, its direction would change as it practically did a U-turn. I did this for roughly a minute while simultaneously shrinking the vortex, forcing the ingredients closer together and slicing them into even smaller chunks, eventually turning them into a thick liquid that was about the size of Master''s breast; a weird thing to compare it too, but as I squeezed the sauce, the softness reminded of her pillow-like breasts. ''I swear, I wasn''t this easily aroused in my past life, even when I was a hormone-driven teenager like I was now; maybe it has something to do with me being a High-Human?'' Mused Alexander as he looked at his crotch; just the thought of Lavender alone was enough for him to get an erection. Shaking my head to get rid of such thoughts, at least for now, I held the sauce above the sizzling pan of three meats before making a hole in the vortex, causing the sauce to spill out slowly onto the three meats. Finishing that, I shook the pan a little, getting every side of the sliced meat before setting it back down and placing a lid on it as well; now, all I had to do was wait. "Oh, yeah, Master; I almost forgot to ask, but did you figure out why you can suddenly understand Talis?" Asked Alexander curiously as he folded his arms and leaned against the fridge while glancing at Lavender and Talis, who were conversing. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Yes, I figured it out, and it was quite surprising to boot." Replied Lavender with a slight smile as she looked at Alexander, her smile deepening when she saw his apron. "So, can you tell me, Master? I''d like to know why." Said Alexander as he gave Lavender a blank expression. "Hehe, nope; I''m not telling you. I can''t let you know all my secrets; a woman should always be a little mysterious." Declared Lavender with an amused smirk when she noticed Alexander''s annoyed expression. "Really? The whole reason you can even understand Talis is because you did the deed with me, yet now you''re telling me you''re keeping it a secret? Haa, what a selfish Master I have." Questioned Alexander as he gave Lavender an annoyed look, who merely continued smirking. Sighing to myself, I shook my head and ignored her as I knew the likelihood of Master actually telling me was rather slim; while I''m rather confident in forcefully looking at her status panel with my [Heroes Gaze], I wouldn''t do something so disrespectful to her. Even if she''s now my lover, she is still, first and foremost, my Master and a Mother to me; I had no intention of ever disrespecting her. Besides, while I did find it rather annoying she refused to tell me, I wasn''t really concerned about it; as long as it wasn''t something that harmed her, I wasn''t too bothered by it. For the next couple of minutes, Master and Talis continued their conversation while I used this chance to practice one of the new skills I''ve acquired over the years, [Mana Regen]. It''s like the skill [Mediation], except it''s passive, meaning I don''t have to use it actively; however, because of that, its effects aren''t nearly as potent, but still very effective, especially in drawn-out fights. Though while I call it practice, I''m just emptying my mana and allowing it to do its job as it attempts to refill my mana reserves. However, my practice was cut short when I heard steam escape from the pot cooking the rice; opening my eyes, I checked on the fried rice, only to see it cooked to perfection. Turning the fire off, I moved the pot off the stove and checked on the three meats, which weren''t entirely done, but give it a minute or so, and it should be finished. While the three meats were about to be done, I grabbed three plates from the shelf, all of varying sizes; the smallest one was obviously for Talis, then for Master, and finally for me, though if we were eating Master''s favorite dish, her plate might actually be bigger than mine. Scooping out some fried rice, I placed one on Talis''s plate, four on Master''s, and four on mine before setting them down and turning off the fire for the three meats. Same with the fried rice, Talis got a small amount, while Master got none as she can''t consume any meat, and for me, well, I got whatever was remaining, which was a lot. Grabbing the utensils, I carried our plates while floating Talis''s as I neared the table, interrupting their intense conversation. "Here, you go, Talis; enjoy." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he softly set the plate down before Talis, who wasted no time and started eating. "My selfish Master." Said Alexander blandly as he placed her plate down while looking at the amused Lavender. "Fufu, yet you still love this selfish Master of yours." Remarked Lavender with a smirk, her words causing Alexander to huff in annoyance, though he didn''t deny her claim. Sitting down opposite Master, just like Talis, I didn''t waste any time and dived right into the food; though, when I looked at Master, I noticed she hadn''t touched her food once, which was unusual as she loves my cooking. "Is something the matter, Master?" Asked Alexander with furrowed brows as he looked at Lavender. "Actually, yes, because of our little activity last night, my arms are quite sore; I don''t think I''ll be able to eat my food." Replied Lavender with a sigh of fake sadness as she shook her head while eyeing Alexander, who could see right through her lousy acting even without activating his eyes. It was wholly apparent to me what Master was getting at since I knew for a fact her arms were perfectly fine; still, I wasn''t about to state the truth; I wasn''t some dense anime character from Earth. "Well, then, how about letting me feed you? After all, we can''t let such food go to waste." Remarked Alexander, not even bothering to hide his smile as he moved his chair until he sat directly next to Lavender. Grabbing Master''s spoon, I scooped up some fried rice before bringing it toward her mouth, to which she opened her mouth and bit onto the spoon. "No matter what dish you prepare, it''s always delicious, Alexander!" Said Lavender with a smile as she looked at Alexander, who responded with a faint smile. Hearing Master''s praise, I smiled while continuing to feed her, feeling as if I was not only the luckiest man in existence but also the happiest. For me, there was nothing more I cherished and strived for than making the woman I love happy; it gave me a mystical feeling that was nearly impossible to describe with mere words. Even if I were forced to relive this exact moment for the rest of my life, no, for the rest of eternity, I''d be satisfied. Chapter 52: Improvements I had gotten so caught up in feeding Master that even when she finished her plate of food, I started giving her food from my plate, of course, only the fried rice; otherwise, she''d most likely vomit, not like she''d even willingly eat meat. "Here''s the last one, Master." Said Alexander with a soft smile as he carefully held the spoon filled with fried rice and fed it to Lavender as if she were a child. Feeding it to Master, she had a little bit stuck to the side of her lip, and while I found it utterly adorable, I wasn''t just going to leave her like that. Grabbing a napkin, I leaned forward and gently wiped her face; I was so focused on my task that I didn''t even notice her staring at my face the entire time, not that I would''ve minded. "Fufu, I could definitely get used to this." Remarked Lavender with a faint smile as she looked at Alexander''s concentrated expression, which she found incredibly sexy. "Hmm, get used to what, Master?" Asked Alexander as he returned to his seat while glancing at Lavender. "Being treated like a Princess; it''s a very blissful feeling to be tended to by the man you love, you know." Replied Lavender with a soft smile, her words only increasing Alexander''s joy. "Well, two can agree on that, Princess Vestalis. It''s an amazing feeling, being able to tend to the woman you love, you know." Said Alexander with a smirk as he again leaned in close, this time though he gave Lavender a peck on the lips. "Fufu, don''t go starting something, Alexander; I''d prefer not to spend the rest of the day in my bedroom." Mentioned Lavender with a lovely smile as she stopped Alexander from retreating before passionately kissing him, which he gladly reciprocated. "You''re one to talk, Lavender; aren''t you the one preventing me from leaving?" Said Alexander as he lifted Lavender from her chair and set her on his lap while he continued to kiss her, though he didn''t sound like he wasn''t enjoying it. "Whose hands are currently wandering my body?" Questioned Lavender as she retracted her face, only to catch her breath before diving back into Alexander''s lips while his hands caressed her body, slowly moving toward her breasts and butt. "Whose currently grinding against my crotch?" Asked Alexander with a slight smirk, kissing Lavender, who was softly grinding against Alexander''s erect member while his hand finally arrived at her butt. "~Ahh~ your large hands feel so good." Said Lavender with a slight moan as she felt Alexander''s hand squeeze her butt, causing her nipples to get slightly stiff from arousal. "You''re soft lips feel better." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he retracted his lips before submerging his face into Lavender''s neck, though as he did so, he suddenly froze when he saw who was currently looking at them. "Why are you stopping, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with a slight frown as she looked at Alexander, whose face was still buried into her neck. "U-Umm, M-Master; w-we are still in the kitchen." Muttered Alexander softly, his face a deep shade of red as he looked at Talis, who was looking directly at him. It seemed my words were enough to snap Master back into reality; the instant I said so, she quickly hopped off my lap and appeared back in her seat, acting as if everything was normal while her usually green face was bright red, no doubt from embarrassment. "Aww, why did you stop? It looked like it was just about to get good." Said Talis in disappointment as she glanced between Alexander and Lavender. While I would like to deny the claim that we were doing anything, Talis wasn''t stupid, simple, yes, but not stupid. "Well, for the record, Talis, even if we ended up getting to the good part, as you call it, we would''ve done it in a more private area, like a bedroom or a bathroom. Neither Master nor I are exhibitionists." Replied Alexander awkwardly in embarrassment as he looked at the dirty Talis while Lavender pretended like she couldn''t understand her. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Exhibitionists? What''s that?" Asked Talis curiously as she tilted her face, which would''ve looked cute if her beak wasn''t covered in sauce. "Haa, I''ll tell you later. First, let''s clean you up; you need a bath." Said Alexander as he stood up and grabbed the two empty plates, leaving his as it still had food on it, and placed them in the sink to clean later. "I''m not that dirty, am I? I thought I was being careful not to get dirty." Muttered Talis with a frown as she looked at her feathery body, only now noticing she was practically covered in sauce and fried rice. Shaking my head at her antics, I carefully picked her up, ensuring not to dirty up anything more than my hands; after all, I''d already bathed today and didn''t want to take another one. "While you''re cleaning Talis, I''ll be in my office like usual." Said Lavender with a red face as she stood up and left the kitchen, heading toward her office in the back. Exiting the house, I landed on the ground and approached the pond, which Talis had already taken flight to, occasionally dropping rice into the grass as she flew through the air. Arriving at the pond, I took off my shirt, mainly to avoid getting it wet, as Talis was prone to splashing. Grabbing a bar of soap and a rag, I stood by the edge of the pond as I waited for Talis to surface, which she did a few seconds later, and I will say, the sight of not only Talis but a wet bird, in general, will almost always be amusing to me. ''She looks so much less intimidating when she doesn''t have her fluffy feathers that make her look much larger than she actually is.'' Mused Alexander with an amused smirk as he squatted down and started cleaning her body with soap. Having done this many times before, I was already proficient in cleaning her, and like usual, I deeply lathed her in soap, ensuring I got nearly every feather she had before using the rag to get a more thorough scrub down. Though I had to be relatively gentle, Talis was somewhat fragile; just a little more than a slight squeeze, and I''d be able to snap her in half, and I meant that literally. ''Now that I think about it, in video game terms, she''d have gone for the glass canon character build, which is ironically something I''d usually go for. Forget about health; I''m more interested in enhancing my damage. I mean, nothing will be able to kill me if I kill them first, right?'' Pondered Alexander with a slight smirk while rubbing Talis''s talons, which he was extra careful on lest he get injured by them. Thinking about video games and stuff got me wondering about my status panel, which I actually haven''t bothered viewing in quite some time, a few months, to be exact, a relatively long time for me. ''Hmm, well, might as well check it now; as they say, no time like the present.'' Thought Alexander as he summoned his status panel, which has changed quite a bit in the past four years. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 16 years Tier: 0 Level: 42¡ú 49 Experience: [91%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+, Apprentice Chef(Uncommon), Apprentice Mage(Uncommon), Swordsmen(Uncommon) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 5,020/5,020¡ú 12,910/12,910 Vigor: 98¡ú 601 Endurance: 105 ¡ú 692 Agility: 67¡ú 455 Dexterity: 68¡ú 460 Intelligence: 456¡ú1,174(1,291) Perception: 121¡ú 734(807) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl3¡ü(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl2¡ü(Mythical), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl9¡ü(*Rare), Shrink¨Clvl10¡ü(Rare), Expand¨Clvl10¡ü(Rare), Blink¨Clvl8¡ü(Rare), Firestorm¨Clvl7¡ü(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl4¡ü(**Rare), Fire Breath¨Clvl2¡ü(**Rare), Wind armor¨Clvl3¡ü(*Rare), Fire Ball¨Clvl5¡ü(**Rare), Fire Shot¨Clvl2¡ü(**Rare), Wind Blade¨Clvl4¡ü(**Rare), Wind Shot¨Clvl2¡ü(**Rare), Wind Step-lvl4¡ü(**Rare), Cook¨Clvl7¡ü(**Rare), Meditation¨Clvl4¡ü(*Rare), Teleport¨Clvl2(Rare), Void Slash¨Clvl3(Rare), Mana Regen¨Clvl8(Uncommon), Air-Jump¨Clvl5(Uncommon), Strength Augmentation¨Clvl9(Uncommon), Speed Augmentation¨Clvl9(Uncommon), Lightning Bolt¨Clvl3(Uncommon), Mana Enhancement¨Clvl5(Uncommon) Condition: N/A //////////////////// Because of that guardian, I finally used my status points, which were roughly twenty-three hundred, a rather large amount, and if I so wanted to, I could now beat that guardian centipede with just my bare hands; for the record, I''ve done. I''ve also acquired a couple of other skills while increasing my already present skills, though the thing I''m most happy about is that I''ve finally managed to use one of the sub-attributes of fire mana, lightning. Though, since I only recently learned it, it''s a relatively low level, not to mention I''ve only got one skill, and possibly the most straightforward use of lightning mana still; even so, I''m satisfied with my progress, granted, I''m always striving to better myself under Masters tutelage. However, I was broken out of my inner monologue by Talis, who asked a question that made me want to drown her. "So, Alex, how was mating with Miss Lavender? I heard from other birds that mating is a pleasurable act." Asked Talis curiously as she looked up at Alexander, whose face blushed deeply. "I''m not going to respond to that question, Talis; my and Master''s sexual life will be kept private between the two of us. Now be quiet, you nosy bird, and let me finish cleaning you." Remarked Alexander while his face twitched in annoyance as he cleaned her, being much less careful than previously, causing her to chirp in pain occasionally. Chapter 53: Apprentice Swordsman For A Reason Once I got done washing and drying that nosy bird, despite my desire to stay at Master''s side, I started training. I didn''t even bother going into the house to change my clothes as I had a feeling I wouldn''t be able to prevent myself from visiting Master; if that happened, I would accomplish absolutely nothing. Knowing that, I approached my usual training spot in the clearing before summoning Trina and her Elder sister, who I still don''t know the name of, something that annoys me whenever I think about it, but it is what it is; after all, somethings can''t be forced. Grasping my two large greatswords, which have grown with me, by the hilt, I started doing a series of sword movements, something I do every day, well, almost every day. For ninety minutes to two hours a day, I''ll spend my time practicing my swordsmanship, though since Master is a Mage and not a swordsman, I''m pretty much on my own; well, at least I would be if I didn''t have the spirit of a little girl constantly guiding me and correcting my mistakes. ''No, no, you''re doing it wrong, Master; how many times do I have to tell you!'' Remarked Trina with her childlike voice, sounding cute despite her tone of disappointment. "Ugh, the same thing again?" Asked Alexander with sweat dripping off his chin while frowning as he lifted the greatsword in his right hand and looked at its pulsing purple marks. ''Yes, the same exact thing again, Master; you must stop resisting the flow and go along with it.'' Replied Trina while she folded her arms and nodded her head, though all Alexander saw was a glowing purple mark. "Haa, and how many times do I have to tell you, Trina? I don''t even know what this flow is you''re talking about; can''t you be more specific?" Questioned Alexander in confusion while looking at his greatsword, though the response was the same, just with about everything he asked her. ''No, It''s too hard to explain; it''s just whenever you swing us, I instinctively feel like you''re doing something wrong.'' Said Trina with a thoughtful expression while rubbing her head, sounding somewhat uncertain. "I swear, Trina, I don''t mean to be rude, but so far, other than being a very powerful greatsword, you haven''t been of much assistance at all; like, aren''t you thousands of years old? Shouldn''t you be even more knowledgeable than Master?" Remarked Alexander, his expression twitching in annoyance as he eyed Trina. ''Hmph, for the record, Master, I may be thousands of years old, but most of our lives were spent in hibernation until you awoke us.'' Stated Trina with an adorable pout as she folded her arms and angrily looked away, though unfortunately for Alexander, all he saw was a beautiful, black greatsword. "You say that, but for some reason, my heart is telling me your elder sister is rather smart and knowledgeable; I wonder why is that?" Said Alexander with a slight smirk, though his words only angered Trina even more. ''Hmph, fine, since you want to be like that, Master, I''ll leave you to your duties; I''m sure someone stupid like me wouldn''t have been of help anyway.'' Replied Trina with an angry huff as she stomped her feet and stormed off into the distance, leaving behind an older woman who silently watched their interaction while sitting down. Sensing Trina''s presence weaken before vanishing, I chuckled to myself since even though she was thousands of years old, she indeed had a child''s mind, which caused me to wonder whether that was simply because of her age or if that was her personality. ''I''m really hoping it''s just her personality; I can''t imagine dealing with two children as spirit artifacts; that would be something alright.'' Mused Alexander while wiping the sweat off his forehead as he got back to training; a certain Dryad occasionally observed him from the window. ___ ___ "Well, that was one hell of a workout, though if it weren''t from the sweat, one wouldn''t even be able to tell spent the last four hours training." Muttered Alexander, covered in a thin layer of sweat, which caused the sunlight to reflect off his flawless, caramel-colored skin, accentuating his impressive muscular physique. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Retracting my greatswords back into my body, I grabbed a nearby towel and wiped myself off; despite all of that rather intense training, which was double what I usually do since I needed to make for yesterday, I didn''t feel the least bit exhausted, the skill [Rebirth] is truly too powerful. ''Crazy thing is, it''s only level 2, although I don''t know if leveling up will increase my passive healing capabilities. Maybe it just shortens the cool-down for the active ability because while it''s powerful, it''s got a rather long downtime, nearly three months.'' Pondered Alexander as he grabbed his shirt, which he had taken off before starting his training, and headed toward the pond to clean himself for the second time today. ''Although, now that I''ve given it some thought, considering its power, a 3-month downtime isn''t that long; after all, most people only have one life; on the other hand, I practically have an infinite number. Well, that''s as long as I''m not killed while the active ability is on cool-down and if the skill can actually bring me back from the dead, which I hope I''m never in a situation where that''s necessary.'' Thought Alexander as he neared the pond and started stripping before hopping into the cool, calming water. For the next several minutes, I did my usual routine of swimming toward the bottom of the pond before surfacing to actually begin washing; once I finished that, I washed my pants and left my shirt alone, as It wasn''t dirty. "Ahh, yes, much better; I smell like a garden now." Muttered Alexander as he wore his clothes and the gravity belt around his waist. Yes, I''ve been wearing the gravity belt; how else would I be sweating from just swinging around two greatswords that weigh next to nothing for me? In fact, not only have I been wearing the gravity belt, I''ve been wearing it the entire day; for the past year and a half, the only time I ever take the gravity belt off is for cleaning myself and sleeping. Not to mention that I was using it at its maximum capabilities, making me roughly one hundred times as heavy as normal; not easy at all. ''Hmm, considering my height of 6''5(¡Ö 198cm) along with being lined with muscles, and given that the gravity here is the same as Earth''s, I''d estimate to be about 240 lb(¡Ö 109kg). This means I currently weigh about 24,000 lb(¡Ö10,900kg).'' Thought Alexander while looking at himself in awe as he jumped a few times, causing the ground beneath him to deepen underneath his massive weight. "Damn, I''ve known I''m stronger than any human back on earth, but only when I really think about it is it somewhat shocking; I''d be classified as the strongest land creature. I don''t think I''m stronger than a whale yet, or maybe I am; it''s not like I''ll ever be able to find out." Remarked Alexander while whistling as he looked to the sky, which was beginning to darken. Since it was already dusk, I didn''t intend to do anything for the remainder of the day; I figured I should just relax and enjoy myself, hopefully with Master. Approaching the home, I infused my legs with some mana before jumping from branch to branch; otherwise, I doubted I would make it. Though despite my extraordinary weight, the branches didn''t give out; in fact, they hardly shook to begin with, which caused me to wonder how strong this tree was to hold twelve tons effortlessly. Arriving at the front door, I entered the house and headed straight for Master''s office; although it''s only been four hours, I was a little excited to see her. "Master, you mind if I enter?" Asked Alexander softly as he knocked on the door, though unlike usual, he got a response rather fast. "No, you can enter." Replied Lavender, wearing glasses while sitting at her desk as she looked at Alexander enter her office. "Like the new look, Master." Remarked Alexander with a slight smirk as he approached Lavender, causing her to shake her head, ignoring his joking comment. "It''s not a new look, Alexander; they''re special glasses designed to allow one to see very small details that aren''t perceivable with the naked eye. Though, given your impeccable eyes, these are probably useless." Stated Lavender as she took off the glasses and handed them to Alexander, who gave them a look before wearing them. "Eh, these are quite bad; they somehow make my vision worse than usual." Said Alexander, frowning as he looked around through the lens with his glowing purple eyes; while everything was still highly detailed, it wasn''t nearly as good as his own eyes. Taking off these horrible glasses, I handed them back to Master, and since there were no other chairs besides the one she was using, like I''d done before, I carefully lifted her off her chair and sat down, placing her right atop my lap. "You better not try anything, Alexander, not while I''m working." Said Lavender as she turned around and looked at him while poking his nose. "Hmm, I''ll try my best, but it''s going to be hard to restrain myself when I''ve got such a lovely Master sitting on my lap." Replied Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he wrapped his arms around Lavender, pulling her closer into his embrace, eliciting a sigh from her smiling face. Chapter 54: Mini-Carousel While Master was comfortably sitting on my lap, I listened to her words and didn''t try to get all lovey-dovey, even though it was incredibly tempting to do so; still, I didn''t want to possibly annoy her with my love, although I doubt I would, mainly because she would just reciprocate my love. Anyways, with Master intently fiddling around with whatever was on the table, I started brushing her hair before eventually braiding it; believe it or not, I was actually pretty good at braiding hair, one of the few things that comes naturally to me, though until now, it''s never been practical. Still, Master had quite a large amount of hair, so it took some time to braid it, and it wasn''t until a little over an hour passed that I finally finished; it didn''t look that good considering I used only an hour, but even so, she still looked presentable. Once I finished braiding her hair, I wrapped my arms around her waist again and rested my head atop her shoulder as I watched her repair the item on the table. ''Hmm, now that I look at it, it resembles a miniature carousel; the only difference is that the horses look more like unicorns and pegasi.'' Pondered Alexander as he eyed the miniature carousel Lavender was working on. "What is that, Master?" Asked Alexander softly as he shifted his eyes to Lavender''s face, which was directly to the left of his. "It''s a mini-carousel, a staple toy for children from where I came from. My little sister had gotten it for me on my coming-of-age birthday; granted, she was only four years old and didn''t know any better. A 16-year-old wouldn''t ever use such a toy; this was for children her age." Replied Lavender lightly with a slight smile as she reminisced about her past. "Still, even if you never touched it since, you kept it by your side for over two millennia with it still in great shape; it just goes to show how much you love your sister." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he went quiet while reminiscing about his brother from his past life. "Anyways, why are you suddenly repairing it now, Master?" Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at the multi-colored mini-carousel, which had two unicorns and two pegasi. "Hmm, no reason, really; your birthday just got me thinking about my own, and then I remembered this thing. Considering it''s been some time since then, I wanted to play with it, as immature as it sounds, but it was broken; currently, I''m attempting to repair it, although, as you can see, I''m not making much progress." Said Lavender with a slight frown, having been working on the same spot for the past hour, making minimal progress. "A 2,3676-year-old Dryad, playing with a toy meant for toddlers; I don''t see how this could ever be immature, Master." Said Alexander sarcastically, earning him an elbow to the stomach from Lavender while giving him a dangerous look. "Ever since your birthday, Alexander, you''ve gotten much bolder; first, you forced yourself onto me, and now you''re making fun of my age. Maybe I need to re-educate you on whose in charge, MY disciple." Stated Lavender with a dangerous look, which looked exceptionally sexy from Alexander''s point of view, though he knew better than to anger Lavender. "Hehe, sorry." Remarked Alexander with a cheeky grin while tightening his hug on Lavender, causing her dangerous look to recede as she returned to normal. "Good; now, for future reference, just because I''m now your woman doesn''t mean the hierarchy has changed; I''m still in charge, and if you''ve got a problem with that, we can talk about it in my room." Said Lavender with a smirk, her voice turning slightly sensual as she traced her finger from his chest to his chin while licking her lips, causing Alexander''s heart rate to speed up. "I understand; your words are law, my Queen." Replied Alexander as he grasped her hand and gently kissed it, causing Lavender to smile subtly. "Hmm, I prefer Princess Vestalis." Muttered Lavender as he turned around, shifting her focus to the mini-carousel. "Yes, Princess Vestalis." Said Alexander with a slight shake of his head, playing along with the roleplay. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Also, for the record, Master, I may have forced myself onto you last night, but it''s not like you were helpless or anything. I may be able to overpower you physically, but if you really wished to escape, it would''ve been rather easy for you; there is no way I could''ve resisted your magic. So, really, you wanted to make love with me as well; you just had your status as Master holding you back from being the one to initiate it." Added Alexander with a slight grin as he looked at Lavender, who promptly ignored him. "Hmm? What did you say, Alexander? I''m getting up there in age; my ears don''t work like they used to." Questioned Lavender loudly as she pointed toward her ear, imitating a deaf old woman, causing Alexander to chuckle in amusement before kissing her on the lips. "God, I love you, Lavender." Said Alexander as he gave her an affectionate kiss. "Fufu, I love myself as well." Remarked Lavender with a mischievous grin as she reciprocated the kiss with another, which quickly turned into a make-out session. ___ ___ After our little makeout session, which ended up lasting for about an hour, I reluctantly left Master''s office to start preparing dinner, and unsurprisingly, I spotted Talis already at the table; ever since she tasted my cooking, not once has ever been late for a meal. "Where have you been, Talis? After cleaning you, I hadn''t seen you the whole day. Don''t tell me you were at the dungeon; you know I don''t like it when you go to the dungeon by yourself." Asked Alexander with a slight smile while looking at Talis before his expression shifted into a frown as he gauged her words, deducing whether she was lying. "Hmph, I''m a grown bird; I can go anywhere I want! However, I wasn''t in the dungeon; I was flying around the forest. I did encounter a Wind Eagle, but that thing was too slow; it couldn''t keep up with me!" Stated Talis pridefully as she puffed out her feathery chest and held her beak up high while looking at Alexander. With the way Talis was looking at me, she was obviously waiting to be praised, but even though she didn''t enter the dungeon, hearing that she raced with a wind eagle somewhat annoyed me; if that bird somehow caught her, she''d be it''s dinner. "Haa, good job, just please be careful; you may be faster than a wind eagle, but that thing is much stronger than you. If they somehow manage to catch you, it''ll be next to impossible for you to escape by yourself." Remarked Alexander with a sigh as he scratched the underside of Talis''s beak, causing her to release purrs like a cat despite being a bird. "I''m always careful; besides, it doesn''t matter that they''re stronger than me; they will never be able to catch me!" Yelled Talis eagerly in between her purrs as Alexander scratched her sweet spot. Shaking my head at her in-born stubbornness, I let go of Talis and approached the kitchen while wearing my appropriate outfit, my apron, as always. "Hmm, what should I cook today?" Muttered Alexander as he opened the fridge and looked inside. ___ ___ "Goddess Eywa, this food is delicious! I truly couldn''t ask for a better disciple; not only is he incredibly talented, but he can also cook as well!" Stated Lavender in bliss as she slurped up lasagna, causing the sauce to splatter across her face. "Alex, this dish is amazing!" Said Talis, though, unlike Lavender, she was much more barbaric as she ate, causing her entire body to be covered in sauce and noodles. ''Haa, what was I thinking when I decided to make lasagna?'' Mused Alexander in regret as he looked at the two while shaking his head. "You two, slow down; it''s just lasagna; there is literally nothing special about it." Said Alexander, though both were too absorbed with the taste of his dish to bother responding, causing him to sigh as he focused on finishing his food. The next few minutes were relatively quiet; only the sound of noodles slurping was heard echoing through the house, though thankfully, they finished rather quickly. "That may very well be the most delicious dish you''ve ever made, Alexander." Said Lavender as she wiped her face down with a wet napkin "Yep, I agree with Miss Lavender!" Added Talis as she burped, causing Alexander''s face to twitch in annoyance since she was looking at him. "Well, I''m glad you two enjoyed it; however, you will be cleaning up this mess, Master, since I need to go and wash this filthy bird for a second time." Remarked Alexander with a forced smile, standing up and grabbing Talis by her nape as he exited the kitchen. "Ugh, she''s such a messy eater; maybe I should just leave this for Alexander to clean?" Muttered Lavender with a frown as she looked at the surrounding area covered in sauce and noodles, specifically around Talis''s area. ___ ___ "There, now you''re clean again, Talis." Said Alexander as he finished drying Talis under the darkness of night, just outside the treehouse. "Thanks, Alex. Also, since I hardly slept last night, I''m incredibly tired, so don''t make too much noise while you''re mating with Miss Lavender." Remarked Talis as she flapped her wings and quickly took to the air, just in time, too; otherwise, she would''ve been punted. "Stupid bird." Muttered Alexander with blushed cheeks as he watched Talis enter through the window of the treehouse. Chapter 55: Trauma No More Entering the house, I closed the door behind me and walked down the hallway, passing my room, the kitchen, Master''s office before eventually arriving at her bedroom. Although our relationship had changed, I still showed proper decency by knocking on the door first, yet even after waiting for a whole minute, I didn''t get any response, causing me to knock again, though the same thing happened. "Master? Is everything fine?" Asked Alexander softly as he slowly opened the door into her room, only to get hit with a potent stench of sweat, urine, and other bodily fluids, also known as the smell of sex. Plugging my nose from the smell, which seemed to be marinating throughout the entire room, I entered and quickly closed the door behind me, lest the smell escape into the rest of the house, only to spot a messy and dirty bed along with an empty room. "This room smells absolutely like shit." Remarked Alexander with an ugly expression, though unluckily, someone exited from the closet the moment he spoke. "Language, Alexander, though yes, this room smells very unpleasant." Said Lavender while frowning as she exited the closet while wearing a different nightgown than usual, considering Alexander had damaged her other one during last night''s activities. "Why didn''t you clean the bedroom, Master?" Asked Alexander with a frown as he neared the wall and opened the window to air out the room, which he also helped with by creating a gust of wind. "I had forgotten about it; besides, even if I did clean it, I have a feeling it would just end up the same in the morning, as I doubt someone would be able to restrain themselves. After all, isn''t that why you''re here?" Replied Lavender with a shake of her head as she folded her arms and gave Alexander a knowing look while raising one of her eyebrows. "Well, you can''t really blame me, Master; I''m still a young man; it''s not like it''s an easy job to keep my pants on. Besides, after last night, I, umm, can''t seem to pleasure myself anymore." Said Alexander softly with a slight blush as he looked away and awkwardly tapped his fingers, which was funny given his large muscular frame. "Haa, unbelievable; so you''re telling me, after we made love last night, you aren''t able to feel satisfied unless you do it with me?" Asked Lavender in slight disbelief as she grabbed her forehead and sighed before looking at Alexander, who nodded in response. "You have a unique way of flattering someone, Alexander; I''ll give you that, but there will be no lovemaking tonight. As you can see, my bed is an utter mess, and I refuse to sleep in it, let alone do something like making love." Added Lavender with a slight chuckle as she glanced at her bed''s state, which had soaked up the urine, semen, and other bodily fluids that were ejected from their bodies, though besides the semen, every fluid on and in the bed belonged to Lavender. "Haa, alright, I''ll suffer for now; though, where do you intend to sleep, Master? Your office?" Asked Alexander with a dispirited sigh before returning to normal while looking at Lavender. "Of course not; that chair is not meant to be slept in. Trust me, I''ve done it before on multiple occasions; besides, why would I sleep in my office when I can just share my disciple''s bed?" Replied Lavender with a shake of her head as she pointed at Alexander while smirking, her words surprising him, though only briefly. "Ah, yeah, that makes sense; wonder why I didn''t think of that." Muttered Alexander, feeling slightly foolish from his earlier question. "Anyways, I''ll be going ahead since, unlike you, I''m tired; missing a night''s sleep affects me, especially considering I did something exhausting like make love for the entire night." Remarked Lavender with a slight blush while reminiscing last night''s incident as she exited her bedroom, leaving Alexander. Seeing Master leave, while I did wish to accompany her to bed immediately since I was already airing the room out, I decided to finish what I''d started. Not like it''ll take a long time to begin with; after all, I''m not really cleaning anything. Just like I stated, within a matter of a few minutes, the stench of lovemaking finally dispersed, though since the bed was still present, a slight smell lingered in the air, but as long as the window was open, it should be fine. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Exiting Master''s bedroom, I walked down the hall again before arriving at my room, which I shared with Talis. Entering, I spotted Talis already fast asleep in her hanging nest, prompting me to close the door slowly, lest I wake her up, as I''m sure she''d be annoyed; I also saw Master lying on my bed under the blankets. Staying silent, I took my shirt off before slowly getting into bed right behind Master; once entirely under the blankets, I wrapped one of my arms around her and moved closer to her until my chest touched her back. "Fufu, this reminds me of when you were young, Alexander; back then, you''d always sleep with me." Said Lavender in a whisper as she tenderly grabbed the arm wrapped over her waist, pulling herself even deeper into his embrace. "Well, it wasn''t like I had much of a choice; it was either sleep with you or lay on the cold, hard, wooden ground. Then again, only a fool would choose the second option; not like anyone would get the chance. You''re already taken, after all." Remarked Alexander quietly with a soft smile as he gently bit Lavender''s ear, causing her to lightly slap his arm. "Seems like I wasn''t the only one with a possessive side to them." Commented Lavender lightly with a small smile, her words causing Alexander to silently chuckle to himself. "Heh, well, you know what they say, Master; possessiveness and love go hand-in-hand. Or maybe I''m confusing obsession with possessive?" Whispered Alexander with a smirk before being quickly filled with uncertainty, prompting Lavender to chuckle quietly. We continued quietly talking for a rather long time, and while I was enjoying myself spending quality time with Master, it was also rather painful having to hold back my erection, and it didn''t help that Master''s soft, plump butt would occasionally grind against my shaft, which caused me to inhale a sharp breath. "I''m getting rather sleepy; we''ll continue this tomorrow. Good night, Alexander." Said Lavender with a yawn as she gently tapped Alexander''s arm wrapped around her waist before closing her eyes and going silent; only the sound of her soft breathing was audible. "Good night, Master." Said Alexander as he moved her red, vine-like hair to the side and kissed her cheek, causing her to smile slightly while slowly drifting off into a slumber. Following suit, I also closed my eyes while embracing Master, and before I knew it, I was already fast asleep, visiting the dream world once more. ___ ___ Opening my eyes and seeing not my ceiling nor Master''s hair but instead the familiar sight of a dark alley, I took off sprinting at the fastest speed possible without hesitation. In a matter of a few seconds, I arrived at the scene of a large drunken man abusing a malnourished and homeless little girl as he attempted to rape her, a sight I''ve seen well over a thousand times. However, while I was speedily approaching the man, I noticed, for some reason, the large man didn''t seem as large as usual, though I didn''t dwell on it for long as I had quickly appeared before the man, yet when I did, confusion had overtaken me. ''W-What''s going on? Why is he so small?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he was forced to look down at the man, which is usually the opposite of what he normally does whenever he experiences this dream. Now that I noticed such a drastic change, I just now took into account how quickly I arrived at the scene; barely ten seconds had passed since I first appeared in the alley. However, while I would like answers to my questions, I put them on hold, as I had more pressing matters, like dealing with the bastard before me. Reaching forward, I grabbed the man''s hand that was trying to undress the little girl and pulled him away while squeezing it, causing the man to hiss in pain as he finally noticed my presence. "Leave the girl alone." Stated Alexander with a cold expression of anger while glaring at the drunken man, who was unphased. "B-Bastard, w-who a-are you? T-Think y-you''re some s-sort of H-Hero, or s-something b-big guy!? W-Well, let m-me t-tell you s-something, y-your not!" Exclaimed the drunkard angrily as he looked up at Alexander''s large muscular frame that was covered in his caramel-colored skin while gazing into his purple crystal-like eyes. "You''re right; I am no Hero." Replied Alexander with a nod, and before the man could respond, he was suddenly punched in the face, the force of the impact causing him to crash into the brick wall. "Neither am I a man who likes the idea of killing, but I''ll gladly make an exception." Added Alexander with bloodlust as he approached the drunkard, who was embedded into the wall and bleeding from his broken nose. I didn''t know what was happening in this dream that I call a nightmare, but I didn''t waste this opportunity even if I knew there was a chance everything would return to normal the next time I experienced this dream. Without giving the man any chance to react, I grabbed him by the neck and rained down punch after punch onto his face; never did I ever feel pain in my hand, yet with each punch, his face became more disfigured. Even after his arms lifelessly hung, I didn''t stop my assault; I continued for an entire minute, and when I finally stopped, there wasn''t even a head anymore; it was just mush. Taking deep breaths to calm my raging heart, I neared the little girl, who seemed frightened by my presence, and given what I''d just done to that man, even a grown man would feel the same in her shoes. "No need to be scared; everything is fine. Alright?" Said Alexander with a friendly smile that eased the little girl''s fear as he squatted down and rubbed her small head with his hand, the hand that wasn''t covered in blood and brain matter. "T-Thank you." Replied the little girl quietly as she lightly smiled amidst her pain. Chapter 56: Time Flies Squatting down while tenderly rubbing the little girl''s head, reaffirming that she was safe when I retracted my hand, she suddenly grabbed it, prompting me to stop as I gave her a curious look. "Alexander." Said the little girl as she looked at Alexander, causing him to furrow his brows, confused how the girl learned his name. "Yes, my name is Alexander, but how did you know that? Actually, never mind, this is all a dream; of course, it would make sense for you to know my name." Asked Alexander before he chuckled to himself while shaking his head as he glanced at the little girl''s emotionless expression. "Alexander." Said the little girl, this time a little louder while also slightly shaking his arm, prompting him to tilt his head in confusion. "Yes? Is there something you need?" Questioned Alexander, though no matter what he said, he''d always get the same response of her calling his name. I had no idea what my brain was currently doing for me to experience such a weird lucid dream, but this back-and-forth continued for some time before I suddenly felt the air get noticeably colder, prompting me to pick up the little girl and embrace her so she also wouldn''t be cold. "W-Why, i-is it s-so cold a-all of a s-sudden?" Asked Alexander to himself while shivering as he carried the little girl, who was practically yelling his name in his arms. It didn''t stop there; no, it continued to get colder, eventually to the point where it became hard to move for some reason, filling me with confusion at such drastic changes. However, I wasn''t able to think about it much when all of a sudden, the little girl I was holding slapped me in my face, and despite her tiny frame, not only did it hurt, but she actually managed to knock me out as darkness quickly consumed my mind. ___ ___ Snapping my eyes open, I looked around, only to spot my room being illuminated by sunlight, causing me to sigh in relief, knowing I''d finally returned to reality; however, my relief was short-lived as I felt the cold return, and this time, the sensation was much more apparent. Looking down at my body, I noticed I was covered in a thick layer of clear ice, which was odd, but I also found that I was frozen to the wall. "Haa, finally, you''re awake." Remarked Lavender with a frown, wearing her nightgown still as she approached Alexander, who was hanging from his bedroom wall. "Umm, I don''t know what occurred when I was sleeping, Master, but for you to immobilize me like this, I''m assuming I was acting rather aggressively?" Asked Alexander, thinking back to when he turned the drunkard''s head into a pile of much while looking at Lavender, who nodded, causing him to be filled with dread as he intently looked at Lavender for any signs of injuries. "Calm down, Alexander; you didn''t hurt me nor Talis, who somehow managed to sleep through everything." Replied Lavender softly, feeling bliss at his instinctual worry for her as she placed her hand atop the frozen Alexander, causing the ice to melt swiftly, and in a matter of a few seconds, he was free. Landing on the ground, the first thing I did was summon a large flame and practically hug it so it could heat my freezing body; while I was doing that, I looked at Master, who instantly understood my intentions. "I don''t know what came over you, but while we were sleeping, you suddenly stood up, approached the mannequin I gave you so you could place your armor on, and started beating the hell out of it." Stated Lavender as she briefly described the events that led to the current situation while pointing toward the corner of the room, which had a pile of armor pieces sprawled on the ground. Following Master''s finger, I looked over, and just like she said, I destroyed that mannequin; the armor was mostly fine, and the piece that had sustained any damage was the helmet, displaying only a few minor dents that could easily be fixed. "Well, that is unfortunate, but at least I didn''t hurt you or Talis." Replied Alexander with a sigh as he glanced at the mannequin before shaking his head, forgetting about its existence as he looked at the sleeping Talis and Lavender standing before him. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "That''s one thing you don''t need to worry about; the reason I froze you to the wall wasn''t because you were getting aggressive with me. Let me rephrase that: You weren''t intending to harm me; that''s a better way to put it." Said Lavender with a thoughtful expression as she looked at Alexander, who gave her a confused stare. "After you destroyed that mannequin, you approached me and embraced me in a hug that continued to tighten, and if I didn''t do anything, I was worried you might split me in half." Added Lavender lightly as she chuckled at her own situation, finding it somewhat amusing. Nodding my head at her words, I put two and two together and eventually deduced that the little girl I was embracing in my dream was Master, though that got me wondering about the slap. "Hmm, so were you the one who slapped me then?" Asked Alexander as he squinted his eyes and looked at Lavender, who gave a teasing smirk. "Hehe, maybe?" Said Lavender with a smirk as she hid her hand behind her body, which was red from how hard she smacked Alexander''s face. Shaking my head, I didn''t bother pursuing the matter, considering I was the one mainly at fault, and now that I finally had time to process what had happened, I felt stronger. Not physically stronger, but mentally stronger; I don''t know how to describe the feeling properly, but it felt like I wasn''t being weighed down anymore. The trauma that I''ve lived with for the past sixteen years, I''ve finally managed to overcome and come to terms with it. "Haa, this feels nice." Muttered Alexander with a slight smile as he closed his, basking in the sensation of being mentally free. "Hmm, what did you say, Alexander?" Asked Lavender as she glanced at Alexander with a raised eyebrow. "Nothing, I was just muttering to myself." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he opened his eyes and snuffed out the large flame that had been heating him up. "So anyways, do you know why you suddenly started punching your mannequin in your sleep?" Asked Lavender, though before Alexander could respond, a little birdie awoke from her slumber. "Ahh, that was a wonderful sleep; morning, Miss Lavender and Alex. Is breakfast ready yet?" Stated Talis with a yawn as she stretched her wings and looked at Alexander and Lavender, completely ignoring the destroyed mannequin in the corner. "Heh, I''ll tell you over breakfast; how about that, Master?" Said Alexander with a smile, prompting Lavender to nod as she exited the room, followed by Alexander and Talis. ___ ___ Just like that, after my birthday, confessing my love to Master, and overcoming my trauma, the days returned to normal, at least relatively normal. The days were pretty much the same, except for the fact that Master and I were much more affectionate with each other; nothing much changed, and even though we were now lovers, she didn''t go easy on me whenever we sparred. I continued to train like usual, improving my swordsmanship and deepening my mastery of the newly acquired lightning mana, which, for the record, wasn''t easy, neither was, as a matter of fact. I still hadn''t managed to say Trina''s elder sister''s name, but I stopped worrying about it after so long; I''ll say her name one day; until then, she will just have to quietly watch me. However, while our days didn''t change, the same couldn''t be said for our nights; almost every single night, Lavender and I would engage in a several-hour-long intense love-making session. As the nights continued, In a few months, I improved my ability to pleasure Lavender to the point where she found it difficult to last the entire night, and sometimes I''d be forced to stop earlier as I''d literally cause her to pass out from such pleasure. Though I wasn''t the only one who had improved, Lavender had also gotten much better at pleasing me, causing me to orgasm in just mere minutes; in all honesty, if it weren''t for my skill [Rebirth], there is no way I''d be able to last for more than thirty minutes. Sometimes, I even wondered if Lavender was a Dryad and not a Succubus in disguise. Anyway, enough about our love life; today was an important day, an incredibly important day; after all, today was the sixth. Do you know what it means? ''Master''s birthday is today.'' Mused Alexander with a smile of pure excitement as he looked down at Lavender''s sleeping face, who was lying in his embrace after they finished a long round of lovemaking. It was still very early in the morning, but I wanted to make sure my surprise for her was ready, so reluctantly, I slowly left the bed, making sure not to wake her up; though even if I were purposely being loud, I doubted I''d wake her up, not after how exhausted she was from the intense lovemaking. Putting my clothes on, I didn''t even open the door and used [Blink] to appear in the hallway outside her bedroom door. Turning around, I quietly walked down the hall, and only when I arrived at the kitchen did I stop being so quiet. "Talis, did you finish what I asked you to do?" Asked Alexander as he looked at Talis lying on the table, also looking somewhat exhausted. "Yes, I finished them, but it took almost the whole night, so leave me alone for now, Alex; only wake me up when Miss Lavender is awake." Replied Talis softly as she glanced at Alexander while dismissively waving her wing before closing her eyes. Chapter 57: Lavenders Birthday Nodding to Talis, I affectionately rubbed her head a little before quietly leaving the kitchen, heading toward the front door I exited the house and left the two women to rest. Hopping to the ground, I headed toward the pond in the distance, yet there was something different; beside the pond was a tarp covering a large amount of area as if it were concealing something, which it was. Approaching the pond, or more specifically the tarp, grabbing it by the edges, before I lifted it and entered, I looked behind me at the tree house while activating [Heroes Gaze]; staring at the windows, I made sure Master wasn''t taking a sneak peek as this had something to do with her birthday, and while there were a few things I had planned for today, this was one of two things that under no circumstance could be revealed. After discerning no one was stalking me, I swiftly entered underneath the tarp, only to be embraced in darkness, though it did not affect my vision; my eyes were one of my strong points, after all. Looking around, I spotted a long white rug that led through several arches composed of various colored flowers; eventually, the white carpet stopped before a small, white, circular gazebo that was lined with even more flowers. Atop the gazebo on the roof was a small wooden statue of a tree with its roots engraved into the roof, connecting the two; though it may just look like a typical tree, it was modeled after the world tree. Observing everything, I couldn''t help but smile; after a few months of working, everything was just as I envisioned. The only thing missing were chairs for our friends and family, but the only family to me were Talis, Master, Trina, and my elder brother, who obviously wasn''t here. While Master does have a family, it doesn''t seem like she''s been in contact with them for quite some time; at least, that''s what I concluded after snooping around her bedroom. "I got to hand it, Talis; these details are immaculate; no wonder it took her the entire night to finish." Remarked Alexander with awe as he closely viewed the markings that lined the edges of the gazebo. Making sure everything was set, I did a last examination of the place before exiting from underneath the tarp and stepping back into the illuminated world. Since I didn''t have to worry about this for the rest of the day, I decided to enter the forest and search for eggs; considering today was Master''s birthday, it''s only appropriate I make her favorite dish, though before I do that, I shall be taking a bath as I''m still filthy from last nights session. Getting undressed, I hopped into the pond, and unlike usual, where I enjoy my time, I was somewhat on a time limit, so I cleaned myself within a few minutes before exiting the pond; once dry, I wore my clothes again and ventured out into the forest in search of eggs, mainly infertile eggs. Walking through the forest, which I know like the back of my hand after living here for so long, I took in the beautiful scenery of nature, something I''ll never manage not to find amazing. However, while I was somewhat aimlessly walking through the forest, I spotted a bear, not just your average bear, but a Runebear, whose massive frame was tearing trees from the ground as it walked through the forest. As I glanced at the Runebear, I couldn''t help but chuckle to myself; eleven years ago, such a creature could kill me easily, but now, it was the complete opposite; in fact, not a single creature within this forest is stronger than me. The strongest beast I''ve encountered was actually the Runebear when I was only five, and surprisingly yet unsurprisingly, I happened to meet it two months ago; it wasn''t much stronger than when I first saw it, and while he did try to fight me after I gave him a good beating, he fled back to his den. ''Thankfully, this Runebear is a female; otherwise, there is a good chance I''d be forced into a fight.'' Mused Alexander as he slowly approached the Runebear, who was rubbing her back against a large tree strong enough to withstand her might. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. When the Runebear noticed me, she gave me a dangerous look while emitting a deep growl, warning me not to try anything. Of course, I wasn''t going to do that; I had approached her for a reason, and attacking her wasn''t one of them. "Calm down; I''m not trying to fight you or anything; I''m just here to hug you." Said Alexander softly as he stuck his hand out, allowing the Runebear to get familiar with his scent, which she, like every other beast, found pleasant. After taking a few sniffs of me, I noticed her tensed body calm down, prompting me to approach her as I rubbed her large furry body, causing her to emit low, deep growls of pleasure while her hind leg subconsciously kicked the air. "Despite being a walking tank covered in muscles, you Runebears have some of the softest bodies I''ve ever touched; you''re like large teddy bears." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he rubbed his face on her large furry body, which felt even better than his pillow. For the next couple of minutes, I spoke with her while rubbing all over her body, practically acting as her personal masseuse, though eventually, I had to stop our little interaction; I needed to get things done, and enjoying her large body that was softer than a pillow wasn''t productive, even though it felt so. "Alright, while I enjoyed speaking with you, I must leave; I''ve got things to do." Said Alexander softly as he stroked the Runebear''s large snout, causing her to open her large maw and lick his face. Chuckling, I gave her a goodbye rub, leaving her alone once more as I continued walking through the forest, searching for eggs and possibly more fluffy animals to embrace. ___ ___ "13, 14, 15¡­ 23, 24, 26; 26 eggs, that should be enough. I know Master eats a lot, but I don''t think she''ll eat this much, even if it''s her birthday." Stated Alexander calmly while sitting on a branch high in the tree as he looked in his pouch, which is where he stored the eggs. Closing the pouch, I tied it to my waist before leaping from the tree, falling several meters before landing on the ground with a thud. Once back on the ground, I equipped my gravity belt, which I was forced to take off unless I wanted to collapse most of the trees I climbed. This whole search took a little over thirty minutes, so not that long, and thankfully, I''m pretty close to the house, so it''s not like I''ll be wasting time walking home. Several minutes later, I emerged from the forest and entered the clearing. Looking up at the sky, which seemed to be in the middle of dawn, I approached the house, jumping from branch to branch before entering the house. Heading toward the kitchen, I spotted Talis sleeping on the table, causing me to shake my head at why she didn''t just lay in our room; using my mana, I carefully picked her up with a dense gust of wind and headed toward my room as she followed behind me. The door was already open, so I just walked inside and softly placed her in her hanging nest before exiting the room while nearly closing the door. Entering the kitchen, I placed the pouch full of eggs onto the table as I wore my apron and got to work at the stove; within a matter of ten minutes, I heard a door open followed by footsteps, causing me to smirk since even though the room was filled with the stench of love, Master still managed to smell this dish. "Good morning, Master; did you have a wonderful sleep?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he turned around and glanced at Lavender, only to see her walking through the house in the nude, allowing one to see all the hickeys Alexander gave her. "You already know the answer to that question; I don''t even think I slept for 3 hours. Haa, we seriously need some self-control; we do it almost every night, and I always wake up tired. Also, is it just me, or is it rather cool in here?" Replied Lavender, who was still drowsy while rubbing her eyes and yawning as she sat at the table. "You say that nearly every morning, Master, yet when night comes, we always end up doing it; also, it''s because you''re naked." Remarked Alexander as he glanced at Lavender before focusing back on his dish. "Oh, you''re right; I don''t have any clothes on; I''ll put someone after breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, is it almost done?" Muttered Lavender as she glanced at her body before looking back at Alexander with a watering mouth. "Yes, just give me a few more minutes, alright?" Said Alexander while Lavender nodded in response as she eagerly awaited his food despite her tiredness. A few minutes later, I grabbed two plates full of food and brought them toward the table, where Master was eagerly waiting like a dog about to be given a treat; if she had a tail, I''m certain it would''ve been wagging. "Happy Birthday, Master." Said Alexander with a smile as he bent over and kissed Lavender on the lips before sitting in his own seat across from her. Chapter 58: Lavenders Ring? After telling Master happy birthday, I expected to get a reaction out of her, whether that was a happy or wry smile, yet I got nothing; looking up at her from my plate, I saw her practically shoveling the food into her mouth as she completely ignored my presence. Seeing that, I didn''t know whether to smile or shake my head, but I felt both would be applicable given the situation. I was tempted to admonish her etiquette, but I also knew she''d most likely ignore my words, considering this hasn''t happened once; whenever I cook this dish, it''s like she''s under a trance, and nothing from the outside world affects her. So, for the next several minutes, I calmly ate my food while keeping an air bubble around Master, catching all the fried rice she would''ve spilled and floating them back onto her plate. "Fufu, excuse my poor etiquette, but that was utterly delicious; I swear, with each dish, your skills improve, Alexander." Stated Lavender softly as she covered her mouth in embarrassment after burping, though Alexander hardly minded, as long as it wasn''t directly in his face. "Thanks for the compliment, Master, but it''s kind of lost its meaning after you say it nearly every day; it''s more like a formality now than an actual praise." Said Alexander lightly with a raised eyebrow while glancing at Lavender''s plate, which was spotless. "Well, the only person you have to blame is yourself; your culinary skills simply improve too fast." Remarked Lavender with a slight smile as she leaned forward and rested her head on her hand while looking intently at Alexander. "Anyways, happy birthday Master. I said it before, but I doubt you heard, considering you were wolfing down the food." Mentioned Alexander with a shake of his head as he repeated his earlier words, causing Lavender to display a wry smile. "Thanks, Alexander. Another birthday for me; what a wonderful day." Said Lavender with a sincere smile before her tone turned sarcastic as she remembered she''d aged once more. Seeing Master lamenting her birthday, I quietly chuckled to myself as I finished my food; once done, I grabbed our plates and placed them in the sink before grabbing a third plate and filling it with the remaining fried rice. "So, knowing you, Alexander, I''m sure you''ve prepared something special for today; what is it?" Asked Lavender with a smile as she greedily eyed the plate of food beside her, though when she went to grab some, Alexander lightly smacked her hand. "That''s for Talis, you greedy, Master; though Yes, I have prepared a few things specifically for you; however, I''ll present most of them during nighttime." Said Alexander with a grin, failing to contain his excitement as he looked at Lavender, who was rubbing her hand. "Fufu, seeing how excited you are, I''m rather eager to experience them; does it have something to do with that tarp by the pond?" Remarked Lavender with a smile of anticipation as she read Alexander''s emotions that were plastered on his face, not even requiring the use of her skill. "The tarp is actually the main event, so yes, though, make sure to wear something fancy, and I mean very fancy, like something you''d wear to a high-end ball where you might encounter Kings and Queens." Stated Alexander with a nod while advising Lavender, which further deepened her interest in what was beneath the tarp. "Alright, if you insist, I''m pretty sure I''ve still got a few dresses from way back when. So what time will this main event start?" Said Lavender with a thoughtful expression as a few clothing options came to mind, specifically the ones from when she was still a princess, though technically she still is one. "Well, then, Master, I''d love to accompany you on your special day, but I still need to finalize my presents, though hopefully, I''ll finish before nighttime." Said Alexander as she stood up and gently kissed Lavender before reluctantly leaving the kitchen. "Fufu, don''t keep me waiting, Alexander." Said Lavender with a lovely smile as she squeezed Alexander''s butt, causing him to shake his head at her antics. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Also, please put on some clothes, Master; the sight of your body is marvelous, but let''s save that for later tonight." Remarked Alexander as he exited the kitchen, his words causing Lavender to look at herself, only for her to blush in shame at the realization. "Tch, that boy, only telling me once he''s leaving." Muttered Lavender, quickly entering her room, which didn''t smell like sex as they were smart enough to keep a window open through the night. ___ ___ Exiting the house after checking upon Talis, who was still sleeping, I headed back into the forest; however, unlike last time, when I was just randomly wandering around, I had a specific direction. Heading towards the mountain in the distance, the same mountain where the centipede dungeon resides, within several minutes of jogging, I arrive and enter the dungeon, though before I do, I use [Heroes Gaze] to make sure Master isn''t following me. I highly doubted Master would follow me, especially considering it was related to her birthday, but still, having lived with Master for sixteen years, I''ve learned quite a lot about her, and when Master gets curious about something, it''s almost impossible to quell her interest unless her curiosity is satisfied. So I couldn''t completely rule out the possibility of her following me, though after looking around the vicinity, making sure to check the ground and air just to be safe, and spotting no Master, I entered the dungeon. My destination was the bottom-most floor, so I ran through the four floors so quickly that none of the centipedes even had time to exit the walls before I left the area. Arriving before the entrance to the guardian, whom I like to call the final boss, I entered only to spot a massive centipede, the same one that nearly killed talis and I. "Wakey, wakey." Said Alexander, approaching the massive centipede as he raised his open palm to the air, manifesting a ball of fire that grew substantially, only stopping until it was about the size of Alexander himself. Just when I finished casting [Fire Blast], the massive centipede finally noticed my presence as it faced me with its large black pincers that clamped together menacingly. Seeing it charge right at me, I launched the massive fireball towards the incoming monster, which, unlike usual, evaded the spell, though I used [Blink] on the fireball, causing it to appear directly in front of its face before connecting. The instant the fireball collided with the monster, it erupted into a fiery explosion as the centipede caught on fire, its hard scales burning underneath the flame''s high temperatures, and in a matter of a few seconds, it lifelessly collapsed onto the ground, it''s body still burning from the potent fire. //////////////////// Mana: 11,234/12,910 //////////////////// ''Heh, I hardly used any mana when casting that [Fire Blast]. I suppose I''ve gotten pretty strong.'' Mused Alexander with a slight smile as he approached the side of the cavern. Nearing some large boulders, I pushed them out of the way, revealing a small, dark passageway I created several months ago to keep my presents hidden, though I was really only worried about one of them being exposed. Entering the passageway, I moved the boulders back to position and walked down the dark passageway; a little less than a minute later, I arrived at a small, hollowed-out space with a desk, chair, and boxes, which was about. ''Nothing seems tampered with, that''s good.'' Thought Alexander as he ignored the boxes lying about and sat down at the desk. Grabbing a small box at the edge of the table, I carefully opened it up, revealing a small yet beautiful silver ring with a golden crystal in a bundle of soft leaves. Well, it was at least beautiful by my standards, considering I crafted this thing myself after many, MANY failed attempts at doing so. //////////////////// Name:______ Tier: Legendary Description: Made from common metal yet infused with the potent ichor of a True Hero, displaying the eternal and boundless love for his beloved. Grants the wearer immunity to all negative status effects of Epic and below. //////////////////// (Note: Don''t forget to look at Discord for images) The description was a little corny, in my opinion, but I couldn''t refute its words despite what it made me feel, and the only reason the name was empty is that I haven''t decided on a name yet; I''m still undecided on whether I should name it, "Lavenders Ring" or "Master''s Ring". "Now that I look at its description, I don''t think either of those names will work; they just don''t feel right, not enough flare." Asked Alexander with a slight frown as he examined the ring within the box. Still coming up blank on a good name, I decided to leave it for later, though not like there is much of a later left for me, considering I''ve got until nighttime. Opting to float the ring instead of possibly dirtying it with my hands, I grabbed a rough-looking metal stick with a pointy end, which I''ve used as a welding tool since it''s got a rather high melting point; I held it in my hand like a pen and caught the point side of it on fire. ''I really hope I don''t make a mistake.'' Thought Alexander, intently focusing on the ring as he started creating intricate designs on the silver ring with his make-shift welding tool. Chapter 59: Nearly Late! "Haa, finally, I finished, and thankfully, I didn''t make any irreversible mistakes." Said Alexander with a sigh of relief as he set down the pointy metal stick and began polishing the silver ring in his hand with a wet towel. Cleaning the ring to the best of my ability, I dried it off with a light gust of wind and closely inspected the ring, making sure I hadn''t missed something, though luckily there was nothing wrong with it, causing me to smile as I gently placed it back inside the ring-box, filled with tender leaves before closing it. Standing up, I did a little stretching as my body had gotten stiff from sitting in the same posture for such a long time, which caused me to wonder how long I''d been down here. ''Eh, probably a few hours.'' Thought Alexander as he grabbed the ring box and headed back down the entrance passageway. Approaching the boulder, I moved it out of the way, entering back into the large cavern where the guardian usually resides; a new one hadn''t been created yet, but the corpse of the one I killed was missing. It is not the first time such a thing has happened, so it didn''t surprise me; while I''ve never seen it happen, I''m prone to assume the dungeon is absorbing the body to reuse for later, at least, that would be the only logical sense to me, I''ve never really bothered to confirm my theory or not. Anyways, I didn''t linger for long, and after putting the boulder back in its place, I exited the cavern, heading back up to the fourth floor. When I arrived, I instantly started sprinting through the passageway, passing by numerous alpha centipedes that chased after me in the process, though with my speed, they were quickly left behind, and a few minutes later, I arrived back outside, though what I saw caused my eyes to widen. "It''s nighttime?" Muttered Alexander with widened eyes as he looked at the sun setting behind the horizon, emitting a soft, reddish glow. To say I was surprised would be an understatement, but I shook my head and quickly sprinted back home, even going so far as to use [Wind Steps] since I didn''t want to keep Master waiting. Dashing through the forest, I evaded every tree and beast I encountered before returning to the clearing in a minute. Looking around, I noticed the tarp was still in place, and I didn''t see Master, which prompted me to sigh in relief that I''d returned in time, as I wasn''t really keen on being late for such an important thing that I''d been preparing for months. Before entering the house, I stuffed the ring box in my pouch, concealing it from Master''s eyes, and only then did I open the door. Entering inside, I headed towards Master''s office, though she surprisingly wasn''t there, so I headed towards her bedroom, and again she wasn''t there, but just before I left, I heard chirping coming from her closet. "Talis? Are you in there?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he approached the door, though it was slammed shut before he could fully open it. "Don''t come in, Alexander; I''m getting dressed." Said Lavender solemnly while leaning against the door, preventing him from entering. "Hmm, what''s the big deal, Master? I''ve seen you naked plenty of times before; you were even naked in the morning today?" Remarked Alexander as he tilted his head in confusion; though he didn''t try to open the door, he could tell by her voice Lavender was being serious. "I''m not concerned with you seeing me nude. I''m currently greeting dressed, you know, for tonight, and I didn''t want you to see me until I was ready." Stated Lavender as her eye twitched in annoyance as she remembered the morning; she calmed down and shook her head, though it wasn''t like Alexander could see her. "Alright, I''ll wait then, Master, but don''t take too long; it''s not every day I''ll get to see you in a dress. I want to be given the opportunity to relish such a breathtaking sight." Said Alexander with an eager smile as he imagined Lavender in various dresses, though none of them would ever compare to the real thing. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "How do you know I''m going to look breathtaking? You haven''t even seen me yet." Asked Lavender with a soft smile as she slightly opened the door and peeked her head through, looking up at Alexander. "Well, because I don''t recall a time when you haven''t ever been beautiful, so going by that logic, and considering you''re wearing something that''s meant to enhance your beauty, it only makes sense you''ll be utterly breathtaking." Declared Alexander with a brazen smile as he looked into Lavender''s orange eyes while she smiled back. "Fufu, when you put it like that, I suppose I can''t refute your logic; your Master is one hell of a beautiful woman, after all." Said Lavender with fake arrogance as she flipped back her red, vine-like hair. "I''d say far more than just simply beautiful; I think she''s more along the lines of being sexy, arousing, seductive, erotic." Remarked Alexander with a sensual smile as he leaned in and tried to kiss Lavender, though before he could get close, she stopped him with her finger. "Wait a little bit longer, boy; I''m still not fully dressed, and I''m not allowing any sneak peeks, no matter how much you praise me." Said Lavender with a smirk, seeing right through Alexander''s plan as she placed a finger atop his lips, causing him to click his tongue. "Tch, it was worth a try; anyway, Talis is in there, right? I heard her chirping earlier." Asked Alexander with a shake of his head, only for Talis to also appear from behind the door. "Did you need something, Alex?" Asked Talis while looking up at Alexander from behind the door, causing his expression to twitch while Lavender quietly chuckled. "Don''t tell me you''re also wearing something, Talis?" Asked Alexander, finding the concept of Talis wearing clothes to be weird, considering she''s never worn clothes before. "Heh, yep; what you think, Alex? Miss Lavender picked it out for me." Asked Talis, fully emerging from behind the door as she proudly lifted her beak and showed off her tiny white bowtie. Honestly, this was much better than I had envisioned; I don''t know why, but I had pictured Talis wearing a full suit for some reason. I mean, she could; it would just be a weird sight of a bird wearing human clothes, though I think Talis could pull it off, or maybe I''m just being biased; who knows? "You look adorable with that little white bowtie." Said Alexander with a smile as he squatted down and stroked her head, though his words annoyed Talis. "What do you mean adorable? I''m supposed to look intimidating; Miss Lavender said I looked intimidating, right?" Questioned Talis with a huff of annoyance quelled by Alexander''s rubbing as she looked up at Lavender. "Yes, you look much more intimidating; people who dress well are very intimidating, after all." Said Lavender as she agreed With Talis, causing Alexander to give her a blank look. I wasn''t about to tell her that while Master''s statement can be true, that isn''t always the case, but I didn''t feel like ruining Talis''s mood, not when an important event is about to take place, so I just went with the flow. "Eh, I guess Master''s right; you just don''t seem intimidating to me ''cause I know you, but I bet you''re even more intimidating to everyone else." Stated Alexander, lying right through his teeth, and luckily for him, Talis couldn''t determine whether he was speaking the truth or not. "Exactly! Now that I''m even more intimidating, no one in the forest will mess with me; I''ll become the Queen of the Skies!" Yelled Talis with a nod as she proudly declared her ambition before she exited the closet and flew out the window. ''Well, as long as she''s happy, I suppose.'' Mused Alexander while slightly shaking his head at her antics. "Anyways, I''ll be leaving, Master. If I stay, you won''t ever get dressed." Said Alexander as he turned around, though Lavender called out to him before he left. "Ahh, I just remembered; stay right there, Alexander; I think I''ve got something for you." Said Lavender as she closed the door and started rummaging through her closet, making all kinds of noise. For a solid two minutes, I stood outside Master''s closet while listening to her ransack it, creating who knows how big a mess that she''ll probably ask me to help clean up later; just when I finished sighing at the inevitable, Master opened the door and handed me what looked to be a tuxedo. "Here, have this; Talis and I can''t be the only ones wearing fancy clothes if you call a bowtie fancy." Remarked Lavender as she handed Alexander a brown tuxedo with an accent color of green, seemingly paying homage to a dryad''s skin tone. Grabbing the brown tuxedo from Master''s hand, I gave it a slight inspection, but other than it looking similar to the suits from Earth; there wasn''t anything different; at least not anything I could pin-point, I was relatively poor after all, so it''s not like I knew a lot about suits. "Thanks, Master, but why do you have this in your closet?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the shy Lavender. "Well, It''s a long story, but I''ll save the details for another day; but as you''ve figured out, I''m from a rather prestigious family, and well, when we get married, we have the person who marries into our family wear our clothes." Replied Lavender awkwardly as she looked away from Alexander''s purple eyes. Chapter 60: Beauty & Handsome Her choice of words was flattering since she saw me as someone willing to marry, but also worrying since this seemed a little too much to be a coincidence; I mean, what are the chances she hands me a suit specifically tailored for marriage when I intend to propose to her tonight? Quite low, in my opinion, but I didn''t make a deal about it, mainly because if this just so happened to be a coincidence, I didn''t want to give away my surprise, granted her actions caused me to think she must have some clue about what''s going to happen. "I appreciate it, Master, though just out of curiosity since you have a marriage suit, I''m assuming you have a dress specifically for marriage as well? I don''t suppose you''re also wearing it?" Questioned Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he rested the suit onto his shoulder while looking at Lavender''s face that peeked behind the door. "Yeah, I do; I''m also wearing it, as well." Replied Lavender with a slightly blushed face, and while her words didn''t mean much, her actions were an indirect statement that she was more than willing to marry Alexander. To say her words didn''t fill me with bubbles of joy would be me lying, and it was pretty difficult to suppress the emotions I felt, but for tonight''s surprise, I did just that and only gave Master an understanding nod, seemingly acting oblivious to her underlying meaning. "Well then, I better leave you to it, Master; I still need to get dressed and prepare the final touches to your birthday surprise. Though, just a heads up, I''m keeping this suit, Lavender." Said Alexander with a soft smile as he gave Lavender a peck on the lips before turning around and exiting her bedroom, leaving an embarrassed dryad all alone. "Ugh, so embarrassing! I can''t believe I practically just proposed to my own disciple! But I mean, I can''t imagine spending the rest of my withering life with anyone else." Muttered Lavender shyly with blushed cheeks as she closed the door and leaned against it, acting like a young woman in love; such a sight Alexander hadn''t had the privilege to see. ___ ___ Exiting Master''s bedroom, I headed toward my room and closed the door before stripping naked, yet at the same time, Talis flew into the room, taking me by surprise with her sudden appearance. "Haa, Talis, next time, could you please announce your presence? You freaked me out." Remarked Alexander with a sigh of relief as he glanced at Talis before carefully putting on his brown and green suit, starting with the pants. "Nope! The Queen of the Skies doesn''t announce her presence before anyone! Now tell me, what does a lowly land dweller like you want with me?" Stated Talis, proudly pointing her beak to the sky, accentuating her white bowtie as she stood on her hanging birdcage while stretching her wings. Seeing her act like that, I just shook my head, sighed, and ignored her as I wore my remaining clothes, which consisted of a green long-sleeve shirt, a brown buttoned-down vest, a green tie with the image of the world tree tailored onto it and finally a brown coat with green stitching. Approaching a mirror, which was actually a frozen slab of ice that Master somehow managed to make super reflective, I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn''t help but whistle in awe. "I can''t be the most handsome man on the market, but my goodness, I don''t think I''ve seen someone as handsome as me back on Earth! It must have something to do with the mana, as that''s really the only thing different about this world." Declared Alexander as he did a few poses in the mirror, looking far better than any supermodel from Earth. "What do you think, Talis? Do I look good?" Asked Alexander as he stopped posing in the mirror and looked at Talis. "You look great, very intimidating, almost as intimidating as me!" Stated Talis with a nod as she flew and landed on Alexander''s left shoulder. "If you say so, Queen of the Skies. Anyways, have you prepared your gifts, Talis?" Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he viewed the two of them in the mirror, Talis''s brown feathers complimenting the suit. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Yep, everything is ready; what about you, Alex? You''ve been gone all day; did you finish your gifts?" Asked Talis with a nod before looking at Alexander with a curious glint in her little eyes. "Yeah, I''ve also finished everything; I just intend to check up on the tarp before we begin everything, though I still haven''t thought of an appropriate name for my gift." Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as he shook his head and sat in his bed with a thoughtful expression, pulling out the ring box from his pouch. "Hmm, so that''s what you''ve been working on for so long? A ring. I didn''t know you could craft those things; what do you call people who can do that? A blacksmith?" Questioned Talis as she looked at the silver ring covered in unique markings with a hollow mana crystal full of ichor embedded into it. "No, but you''re close; what you''re thinking of are Artisan''s. Though no, I''m no Artisan; in fact, if it weren''t for Trina, I wouldn''t have even made it this far." Stated Alexander with a shake of his head while carefully holding the ring in his hand as he tapped his head, which is where Trina resides; her sister, whom he still hasn''t spoken the name of, dwells within his heart. "Maybe you''ve got a good name for this ring, Talis?" Added Alexander as he looked at Talis with hope-filled eyes, though he shouldn''t have expected much from her. "Um, what about Silver Ring? Or, Golden Crystal? No, I''ve got an even better one, Silver & Gold!" Stated Talis confidently, though her ideas caused Alexander to stare blankly at her. "Well, let''s think about this later; I''ve still got things to do." Said Alexander as he stored the ring back into the box and placed it in his pouch before standing up. While I look quite spiffy in this suit, without any shoes, it only makes me look tacky, but luckily, there was a pair of shoes that came along with the outfit; they were brown dress shoes that were coincidentally just the right size. Putting them on, they initially felt slightly uncomfortable, not only because they were narrow but also because I hardly wear any shoes; besides the boots I wear alongside my armor, I seldom wear any shoes, nor do I ever wear any underwear. ''Copying Master''s habits is going to be problematic when I start exploring the world and joining civilization again. Eh, but I''ll worry about that later; besides, I like feeling so free.'' Mused Alexander as he once again checked his outfit in the mirror before exiting the room alongside Talis, who was still perched upon his shoulder. Since Master was still readying up, I exited the house and gently landed on the ground with the help of a vortex of wind before approaching the tarp in the distance beside the pond. Arriving, I swiftly entered, and even though I checked everything this morning, I did so again; it must''ve been my paranoia kicking in. "Talis, you should bring your present here, and I''ll hide it underneath the tarp alongside my other presents." Said Alexander as he pointed toward the items placed beside the white gazebo. "Alright, I''ll be back in a few minutes." Said Talis as she flew off of Alexander''s shoulder and exited from underneath the tarp. I was about to follow behind her, but I noticed the rug was creasing, so I took some time to fix it; while doing that, I heard someone approaching from outside the tarp. "Alexander, you in there?" Asked Lavender softly with slight traces of nervousness, and although she was beyond curious, she held back and stopped herself from looking underneath the tarp. "Yes, one second, Master; I was just fixing something. I''ll come right out. Though I''m surprised you''re finished so quickly, I thought it would''ve taken you much longer." Remarked Alexander as he did the finishing touches before patting himself down to be more presentable. "Well, to be honest, when you first arrived, I had already been getting ready for two hours, so I was nearly done." "Never mind then, that makes ple-" Said Alexander with a soft chuckle while exiting from underneath the tarp, only to freeze as he laid eyes on Lavender. Master''s natural beauty alone was something already leagues above any women I''d ever laid my eyes on, but right now, as I looked at her, it felt as if I was looking at a goddess in the flesh; I honestly, couldn''t even formulate words to describe the beauty radiating off of Master. I could tell she had used makeup, but unlike some women from Earth who would use it to change their entire appearance, she only used a little, which ended up greatly enhancing her already present beauty. Her full red lips were covered in bright red lipstick, and she had a slightly darker shadow around her eyes, which accentuated her gorgeous orange eyes; her cheeks seemed as if she was constantly blushing, though it was only slight, not enough to completely hide her vibrant green skin underneath. Her red vine-like hair was tied into a thick braid and resting on her shoulder, displaying her slightly pointed ears, along with her nape, which was covered in hickeys. Master was wearing what looked like a white wedding dress that fit snugly to her upper body and loose as it got lower, dragging across the grass beneath our feet. Her Dress itself was actually rather plain; nothing that made it stand out, but that was wonderful, in my opinion, as it served to enhance Master''s vibrant green skin and radiant beauty. Chapter 61: Lavenders Birthday Celebration "S-So, h-how do I look, Alexander?" Asked Lavender bashfully with blushed cheeks and a slight smile as she looked away. I had heard Master, but I was still too stunned by what I was witnessing that I didn''t process the words she was saying; it wasn''t until she closely approached that I finally managed to snap out of my trance. "Alexander, are you okay?" Asked Lavender softly as she gently stroked Alexander''s cheek, breaking him out of the trance she had unknowingly put him in. "Y-Y-Yeah, I-I''m fine, Master; d-did you say something?" Replied Alexander in embarrassment while refusing to look away from Lavender''s charming appearance. "I-I had asked you how I looked?" Said Lavender while looking up at Alexander, who had his shoulder-length white hair tied into a ponytail. "You''ve just put Aphrodite out of a job." Stated Alexander with a large smile, and while Lavender could discern it was a compliment, she was still a little confused. "Aphrodite, I''ve never heard that name before; who is that?" Asked Lavender as she tilted her head in confusion, causing Alexander to gulp at the sheer sexiness radiating off her. "She''s a Goddess from my previous world; she''s known as the Goddess of beauty. I don''t know if such a God or Goddess exists here, but if they do, I can''t imagine there exists such a being of even more beauty than you, Lavender." Stated Alexander seriously as he grabbed Lavender''s hand while using the language of the trees, speaking through pure emotions. "Fufu, thank you, Alexander; your compliment means a lot. I was feeling a little nervous as it''s been hundreds of years since I''ve worn any makeup; it''s also the first time I''ve ever dolled myself up for a man, so I didn''t know if I had gone overboard." Said Lavender with a soft smile that radiated confidence from feeling Alexander''s pure emotions, something she always found to be a little overwhelming, though she would have it no other way. "I don''t know why you should ever feel nervous, Lavender; even if you were covered in dirt and sweat, I''m willing to bet my life you''d still be utterly gorgeous." Declared Alexander with a proud smirk, to which Lavender slightly chuckled while lightly hitting his arm. "That''s an easy thing to say when someone can just come back to life." Remarked Lavender lightly while Alexander displayed a cheeky smile, causing her to shake her head and laugh. "Anyways, I need to check out my disciple; back up." Added Lavender as she pushed Alexander back and observed his attire, causing her to nearly drool at the sight of his handsome face, broad shoulder, large back, and tight butt. "So what do you think, Lavender? I look pretty good, right? Very intimidating, as Talis would say?" Questioned Alexander confidently with a smirk as he slowly spun around, giving Lavender a full-body view of his attire, her eyes lingering on his backside. "A-Are you sure you''re a High-Human and not an Elf?" Asked Lavender skeptically as she gulped nervously with a pounding heart while eyeing Alexander, causing him to chuckle in response. "Hehe, I''m no Elf, though I''ll take that as a compliment." Commented Alexander as he again approached Lavender, though, unlike last time when he was behaving rather professionally, his eyes now contained a strong lustful desire. "Still though, Lavender, while your appearance would put a Goddess to shame, I think you''re the most beautiful when you''re not wearing anything." Declared Alexander sensually as he pulled Lavender into his embrace and leaned down, whispering into her ear, his hot breath stimulating her sexual desire. "Fufu, what was that saying? Great minds think alike? I''m sure those clothes were hard to get on; let me help you remove them; it''ll be much easier." Replied Lavender with a sultry tone as she placed one hand on his crotch, the other resting atop his chest while she rubbed her body against his groin. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "I don''t mind, but only if you let me assist you. I wouldn''t want such a precious dress to get damaged; four hands are always better than two." Said Alexander lustfully as he grasped Lavender''s butt and kneaded it through the dress, causing her to emit a soft moan of pleasure. It seemed seeing us in such attire heightened our sexual desire as neither of us was stopping; I was passionately groping her breasts while Lavender stuck her hand into my pants and eagerly rubbed my erect member, the two of us emitting moans and grunts, respectively. Just when it looked like we were about to get freaky outside, we suddenly heard the flapping of wings, followed by several chirps, causing us to look into the sky and see Talis rapidly approaching us while carrying something within her talons, which effectively quelled our desire for each other. Though only for now. "Don''t think this is over, young man." Stated Lavender erotically in between her breaths as she gave Alexander''s erect member one last squeeze before releasing her grasp and withdrawing her hand from his pants. "Oh, this is far from over, you cougar." Said Alexander with a lust-filled, raspy voice as he pinched her nipple through the dress, forcing her to suppress a moan before he removed both hands; the other was latched to her behind. Taking a second to fix our clothes and catch our breath, we approached Talis, who had landed on the ground behind the tarp, only for us to see her quickly hiding something underneath it, a sight that caused Master to chuckle while I sighed. "Here, let me help you, Talis; look away, Master, no sneak peeks." Said Alexander as he lightly shook his head and approached Talis, though not before picking up Lavender and turning her around. Nearing Talis, I squatted down and lifted the tarp while Talis pushed the object underneath; once it was fully hidden, I dropped the tarp and picked up Talis, perching her upon my shoulder. "Haa, thanks, Alex; that was much harder than I anticipated." Said Talis with a sigh as she chirped a few times, still sounding adorable as always despite her increased size. "Heh, you''re welcome; now, let''s finally start the birthday!" Replied Alexander with a smile as he glanced at Talis before approaching Lavender and lifting her in a princess carry, catching her by surprise while he kept her dress from dragging on the floor with his wind mana, lest he trip over it. "Fufu, someone''s eager." Remarked Lavender with a blissful smile as she leaned against his chest while wrapping her arms around his neck. "But of course I am; I''m getting the chance to celebrate the love of my life''s birthday; how could I not be excited?" Replied Alexander with a grin before awkwardly standing still as he looked at the ground. "Umm, Master, could you make a stone table, please?" Asked Alexander awkwardly, his sudden shift in emotions causing Lavender to laugh, though she did as he asked, and with a wave of her hand, a stone table emerged from the ground before them. "You''ve been preparing for my birthday for months, yet you forget to get a table? I don''t know whether to be worried or excited about what''s underneath that tarp anymore." Said Lavender while giving Alexander an amused look as he gently set her down in one of the two stone seats she had created. Rolling my eyes at Master''s remark, I had Talis get off of my shoulder before I swiftly ran back into the house, only to exit a minute later, though this time, I was holding with me a five-layer cake I had made yesterday and hid in the fridge. Setting the cake down on the table, I sat opposite Master and summoned Trina to cut it into smaller pieces, something which caused her to grumble. ''I''m a Mythical artifact crafted by a Godsmith, capable of causing immense destruction, yet I''m being used to cut a cake?'' Said Trina in disbelief while her elder sister watched everything unfold from a distance with an amused expression. "To be fair, Master, after everything was over, I intended for us to eat the cake inside the house, but after what had just happened, I have a feeling neither of us will be able to wait that long, especially considering what I''ve got planned." Declared Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he handed Talis, Lavender, and himself a slice of cake before absorbing Trina back into his body. "Now, before you take a bite, back on Earth, there''s a little song we sing whenever it''s someone''s birthday; I think you''ll like it, Master." Remarked Alexander as he quickly cleared his throat. "Well, sing away." Said Lavender with an eager expression while Talis ignored his words and started eating the cake, though her eyes widened when Lavender heard Alexander''s words. Once I finished clearing my throat, I started singing the happy birthday song, which was a common practice back on earth, well, at least where I lived, and while I was doing so, I saw Master''s eyes widen in shock. Unfortunately, it wasn''t because I had an excellent voice; it was much better than my previous voice, but not on the level of a professional musician. No, what elicited Master''s shock was the language I was singing it in, as I wasn''t using the common language as Master called it; I was using the Druidic language, Master''s native tongue. "??...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!??" Said Alexander in his best singing voice while smiling as he looked at Lavender''s astonished expression. "Alexander, how do you know the Druidic language?" Asked Lavender curiously while speaking the druidic language as she stared at Alexander. Chapter 62: Taliss Present! Seeing Master''s astonished face, I merely smirked in response before taking a bite of my cake, which tasted like carrot cake, one of my favorite types of cake, mainly because it''s the only cake I''ve ever had in both of my lives. "How do I know the Druidic language? Well, it should be rather obvious how, Master, after all, other than you, who else could I have learned it from? Talis?" Replied Alexander with a sly smirk while relishing his delicious cake; Talis was already finishing her slice, leaving her with a face full of frosting. "I taught you? When did I do that? I don''t remember doing so; the only time I ever used the Druidic language was when I cursed, and I don''t do that often." Remarked Lavender with furrowed brows and a thoughtful expression as she intensely rummaged through her memories, searching for all the times she''d used that language. ''Heh, well, of course, you don''t remember Master; you may have taught me, but you don''t know you did.'' Mused Alexander mischievously, though he was somewhat worried about when Lavender discovered the truth. "No need to worry so much about it, Master; I''ll tell you about it. Just enjoy the cake; I want to get the celebration moving." Said Alexander with an eager smile as he slapped Talis''s talons away from the cake, stopping her from sneakily stealing more of the cake. "Hmph, stupid Alex." Muttered Talis in annoyance as she sat back down while eyeing Alexander, who kept his eyes on her to ensure she wouldn''t steal more of the cake. Although Master seemed rather hellbent on unveiling the mystery as to how I learned the Druidic language, she did heed my advice and eventually left it be, though that was only for now; I knew she''d rest at nothing until she uncovered how I knew, I also knew, it would be best to inform her willingly since I did violate her privacy. Which isn''t something I''m proud of, nor do I like deceiving Master, but since it was for her birthday, I did such things, though I had intended to tell her once her celebration was over. "Hmm, since we''ve got important things to do, I''ll set the matter aside, but don''t think I''ll forget about it as I''m sure I- MY GOODNESS!" Stated Lavender with a shake of her head while eyeing Alexander as she grabbed a fork she crafted with her earth mana before taking a bite of the cake, only for her eyes to widen in pure shock. "Hehe, like it? I call it Carrot cake; it''s my favorite cake back on Earth. I figured it would be perfect for a Dryad such as yourself, Master." Remarked Alexander with a large smile from seeing Lavender''s delightful expression as she savored the taste, nearly moaning. "T-This, this is utterly wonderful; I''ve never tasted a cake so delicious before in my entire life. With culinary skills like these, I wish you died sooner." Declared Lavender while her mouth watered from such delicious food as she nearly started to stuff her face with food, only restraining herself since she didn''t want to get the dress stained. "I''m glad you liked it, and I''ll take your words as a compliment. I had made it with your mind, but I''m sure it''ll taste even better if I do this; say ah." Said Alexander with a twitching expression while smirking as he grabbed a bite-sized piece of cake with his fingers before reaching forward and placing it inside Lavender''s wide-open mouth. As I placed the cake inside Lavender''s mouth, she quickly closed her mouth while my finger was still inside, lightly sucking on my fingers while I slowly pulled them, causing them to be covered in her saliva. Yet, such an act only stirred my arousal as I felt my pants tighten around my crotch. "Fufu, that was even better, Alexander, but I think you missed; I''ve got some on my lip. Could you be a dear and clean it up?" Remarked Lavender with a lovely smile, leaning forward while pointing at her perfectly clean lips. "But of course, Lavender, allow me." Replied Alexander with an equally lovely smile as he licked his fingers, which were just inside Lavender''s mouth, clean before leaning forward over the table and kissing her. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I intended for it to be a peck on the lips, but Lavender''s charm truly knew no bounds, and before I knew it, the two of us were engaged in a deep sensual kiss, constantly sucking on our tongues and biting our lips; if this continued, I held no doubt, we would quickly head to her room for the remainder of the night. Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of the kiss, causing the two of us to lean back in our chairs while breathing heavily from lack of oxygen. Looking at Lavender''s sexy face blushing while her chest heaved up and down only ignited my lust further, and her gorgeous orange eyes, containing such intense desire as she looked at me, nearly sent me over the edge, though, thanks to my trait [Herat Of A Hero] I was able to contain myself, if just barely. "Before we decide to move things to the bedroom, let''s start the celebration; otherwise, I don''t think my mind will be able to take it." Stated Alexander, regaining his composure and standing up, his words causing Lavender to chuckle since she felt the same desire. "Ah, is it time for the presents, Alex? If so, I''m going first!" Said Talis energetically as she stood up and quickly towards the tarp before entering underneath it. "Tsk, I wanted to go first." Muttered Alexander with a frown as he folded his arms and childishly kicked the ground. A few moments later, Talis emerged from underneath the tarp while carrying a large pouch about the size of her body, though, despite her frail constitution, she could easily carry it towards the table where Master was sitting. ''I''m curious what it is; Talis wouldn''t tell me whenever I asked her.'' Mused Alexander curiously as he neared the table while eyeing the large pouch. "Here''s my present, Miss Lavender; I know you''ll like it!" Declared Talis with a confident smirk as she handed the pouch to Lavender before landing on the table beside the cake. "Hehe, if it''s from you, I don''t doubt such a thing." Said Lavender with a soft smile as she opened the pouch, only for numerous tentacles covered in thorns to emerge from the hole, though given Lavender''s profession, she reacted almost instantly and froze them, covering them with a thick layer of ice. "Care to explain, Talis?" Asked Alexander with a twitching frown as he eyed Talis, who didn''t seem surprised by such an outcome. "A few months ago, while flying through the forest, I found these weird vines that I''ve never seen before, so I followed them, which eventually led me to this even weirder plant with teeth and head! When it noticed my presence, it controlled the vines and tried to attack me, but obviously, the Queen of the Skies wouldn''t be defeated by such a slow creature, so I defeated it, yet even when I cut it from its roots, it was still alive. At that point, I didn''t know what to do with it, but I knew Miss Lavender''s birthday was coming soon since Alex had been preparing for it, so I decided to make it my present." Said Talis with a prideful expression as she eyed Lavender, who was holding the head of the plant, which constantly tried to bite her. Shaking my head as I knew Talis probably left out a good chunk of important information, I eyed the monster plant, which was, in fact, the first time I''d ever seen such a thing, so it was rather interesting. It had a yellowish plant head, similar to one of those carnivorous plants I remember seeing. Its teeth are also rather sharp, capable of tearing through flesh, and its vines seemed to protrude from the back of its head, probably where Talis had cut it from the ground. "Can you speak to it or not, Master?" Asked Alexander curiously; while he could speak to plants, Lavender was much better than him, considering their language was one of the more complex ones he knew. "Hmm, I can, but it''s challenging; it doesn''t like to listen, and it has an intense desire to rip Talis to shreds." Remarked Lavender with a frown as she looked at the ferocious plant monster within her grasp. ''Well, of course, it would want to rip Talis to shreds; she practically killed it, though I''m surprised it''s still alive; it must be quite unique.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow while eyeing the plant monster, which was stuffed back into the pouch by Lavender since it wouldn''t stop trying to attack her. "This is quite the rare find, Talis; the forest shouldn''t have a high enough concentration of mana for such a creature to be born, yet I wonder what changed that." Said Lavender with a soft smile as she looked at the Talis, who was sporting a prideful expression before she glanced at Alexander with a smirk, confusing him. "Anyways, this a wonderful gift, Talis, and I very much appreciate it; thank you." Added Lavender with a lovely smile as she stroked the Talis''s sweet spot, causing her to purr like a kitten, which is something Lavender finds odd yet pleasing at the same time. "Heh, you''re welcome; the Queen of the Skies always delivers!" Said Talis pridefully in between her cat-like purrs while Lavender softly chuckled. Chapter 63: Whats Under That Tarp!? "Since Talis has given you her present, it''s my turn." Said Alexander with an eager smile as he turned around and headed toward the tarp, intending to grab his two presents for Lavender, excluding his ring. "Fufu, well, they better be good presents, Alexander; the Queen of the Skies has greatly raised my expectations, so you''ve got a lot to live up to." Said Lavender with a slight chuckle as she rested her face on her hand while leaning on the table, using this chance to ogle Alexander''s back, particularly his butt. Shaking my head at Master''s remark, I entered underneath the tarp and approached the gazebo, which my two presents were resting up against; grabbing them, I exited from the tarp and returned to the table with Talis and Master both curiously eyeing the box''s wrapped in large leaves, that I weaved together to act as a wrapping paper. Setting them on the ground beside the table, I handed Master the smaller one first while being forced to smack Talis''s talons away from the cake for a second time. "Here you go, Master; unlike Talis, I didn''t stuff a living plant monster in there, so you don''t need to worry about being attacked the instant you open the box." Said Alexander with a light smile as he moved the cake closer to him while glancing at Talis, who glared at him. With a laugh, Master ripped through the leaves and broke the wooden box before reaching inside, only to retract her hand, holding a seemingly pristine pouch. "Is this, my old space pouch, Alexander?" Asked Lavender in amazement as she held a small brown pouch with a golden string and the symbol of a bright green leaf. "Yes, that''s the same old, dusty, and damaged pouch; I was able to stabilize the space inside the pouch, but I couldn''t increase its size without risking obliterating the entire thing. Restoring it to its former appearance was rather easy; it just required patience, which I''ve got plenty of. I even managed to stitch your name onto the bottom of it." Replied Alexander with a smile as he watched Lavender inspect the pouch before flipping it over to see her full name stitched into the bottom. "Granted, it''s still old, so if you''re too rough with it, it''ll easily get damaged." Added Alexander lightly, pleased that Lavender seemed delighted with the present. "This means quite a lot, Alexander; this pouch has been with me since the day I first left my family with the intention of becoming an Adventurer. Besides my wand, ''The Staff of Ethos'', this is the only thing that reminds me of my family; thank you, Alexander." Said Lavender with a soft yet blissful smile, wiping a tear in her eyes before standing up and kissing Alexander as a thank-you gesture, which he gladly reciprocated. "Heh, I''m glad you liked it, Master; it took me a few weeks to fix it, so I''m delighted the time spent wasn''t for naught." Said Alexander with a smirk as he picked Lavender up and gently set her on his lap as he handed her the next present, which was a slightly larger box. Once Master set her pouch down, she started opening the next box, quickly ripping through the leaves and breaking the wooden box; yet despite the box being larger than the other previous box, it was a ruse to deceive Master as the item inside was even smaller than the pouch. "So, how do you like it?" Asked Alexander softly while lightly massaging Lavender as he glanced at the small piece of paper in her hands. "I absolutely love it! It might be one of the best presents I''ve ever received." Remarked Lavender with a beautiful smile as she looked at the paper in her hand, a photo of Alexander and her peacefully embracing each other in the bed. "Though I''m curious, when did you take this picture, Alexander?" Asked Lavender curiously while resting her head on Alexander''s, finding warmth and protection in his broad chest. "Last Friday, the only day where we don''t spend hours a night making love; otherwise, the picture wouldn''t have come out that nice." Replied Alexander with a slight chuckle while Lavender''s face took on a light blush from his bold remark, considering Talis was right there listening to them. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Believe it or not, but when I found out cameras existed in this world, and they looked very similar to cameras back on Earth, I wasn''t as surprised as one would expect; when you take a few seconds to think about it, it''s not that shocking. If I could reincarnate from Earth, I''m sure there must''ve been other people as well; they might not have come from the same Earth, maybe a parallel Earth or something similar, but that doesn''t matter. I''m sure those reincarnated individuals used the knowledge from Earth to create items like the camera or boom-box to become successful in this world, which is a rather smart thing to do. I''d do the same if I had enough knowledge about a specific item. "Anyways, I''ve got a third present, but I''ll show it to you in just a second; right now, it''s time to reveal what''s underneath the tarp. Talis, if you could do the honors!" Stated Alexander excitedly as he quickly stood up with Lavender in his arms, nearly causing her to drop the picture. "I''m on it!" Replied Talis as she quickly removed her beak from the cake and flew towards the top of the tarp, clutching it with her talons before lifting it into the air. With Talis removing the tarp, a white rug leading through several large arches composed of various flowers that only stopped once it arrived before a small, white gazebo covered in flowers while the roof had a statue of a tree engraved into it; to say the least, it was a breathtaking and magnificent sight considering I crafted the entire thing myself with some help from Talis. "My goodness, so this is what you''ve been hiding underneath that tarp; did you make this by yourself, Alexander?" Remarked Lavender with widened eyes as she gazed upon the gazebo, arches of flowers, and white rug in astonishment. "Heh, nope; I also helped." Replied Talis while seemingly smirking as she landed on one of the arches. "Yeah, besides the statue of the tree on the top of the gazebo, I did everything else." Said Alexander with a smile as he stood at the beginning of the rug while still holding Lavender, who was intensely staring at the Tree. "Alexander, is that tree modeled after what I think?" Asked Lavender with shock as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who was sporting a wry smile. "Yes, that statue is modeled after the World Tree; I had a feeling you''d eventually figure that out, but I didn''t think it would only take a few seconds. Seems I underestimated you, Dryads, Master." Remarked Alexander with an awkward chuckle while lightly shaking his head, though his words caused a reaction within Lavender, which he feared would happen. "First, it was the Druidic language, and now it''s the World Tree; I''ve never talked about either of those, so please enlighten me how you learned about such things, Alexander." Stated Lavender with a frown as she folded her arms and looked up at Alexander, whose awkwardness only intensified. "Umm, can we speak about this later, Master?" Asked Alexander with a forced smile, though all he got in return was a raised eyebrow. "I plead the fifth?" Muttered Alexander, though he quickly went silent as he felt Lavender''s glare intensify. "Alexander." Said Lavender, her voice calm yet commanding. "Haa, alright; please don''t be mad, but whenever you go to sleep after we make love, I may or may not snoop around your room, which led me to find your diary that I may or may not have read." Said Alexander as his voice became softer with each word, causing Lavender''s glare to reach an all-time high. "Before you get angry, Master, I didn''t read much of the diary, only a few of the beginning pages; I also intended to tell you, but with your birthday approaching, I decided to keep it a secret until then. Either way, I''m still sorry for snooping around your room, and I''ll accept whatever punishment you decide." Added Alexander quickly as he confidently raised his head to the sky with his eyes closed, ready for whatever Lavender threw at him. I waited for Master to say something, but for a solid minute, I just stood there with my eyes closed in silence, which prompted me to slightly open my eyes and look at Master, only to see a small green hand flying right for my face. ''Ouch, though I deserve that.'' Mused Alexander as he felt a stinging sensation on his left cheek from being smacked by Lavender. "That''s for secretly snooping around my room." Said Lavender with a stoic face as she rubbed her hand, which was in pain from the impact of hitting Alexander''s face. "Although listen, Alexander, I''m not that mad that you snooped around my room or read my diary; I don''t have anything to hide from you, well, maybe a few things I''d like to keep a secret from you, but either way, if you had just asked me, I wouldn''t have minded if you read my diary." Added Lavender calmly as she tapped Alexander''s forehead, causing him to look at her. "I understand, Master, and I''m sorry for doing that, but why did you slap me if you weren''t that angry?" Asked Alexander with a nod while looking at Lavender, who smirked. "Hmm, because I felt like it." Replied Lavender with a smirk of amusement as she eyed Alexander''s twitching expression. Chapter 64: Ring Of Eros(R18) As much as Master''s remark annoyed me, I wasn''t in any position to voice my thoughts on the matter; after all, I was the one in the wrong, and I did deserve that for snooping around her room without her permission. Still, that doesn''t mean I liked it. So, with a shake of my head, I gave Master an annoyed glance before gently setting her back on the ground while grabbing her rather small hand. "If you''ll follow me, you abusive Master, there is something I want to ask you." Said Alexander with a light smile, his annoyance vanishing as he walked across the white rug, bringing Lavender with him while stepping underneath the arches of flowers. "Hehe, anyways, Alexander, this is spectacular; I never imagined you''d do all of this for my birthday, although I can''t help but feel it gives off a specific aura." Remarked Lavender with a soft smile and a chuckle as she followed behind Alexander, letting him lead the way until they arrived at the white gazebo, which they then entered. "I appreciate it, Master; as you know, building everything took several months, and it could still be improved upon, but considering I''m no carpenter, I''m rather proud of my work. What about you, Talis?" Stated Alexander with a prideful smile as he stroked the gazebo, feeling satisfied with his masterpiece before glancing at Talis. "Yep, I did a wonderful job!" Said Talis pridefully as she landed on the gazebo''s railing while rapidly nodding her head, imitating her fellow birds. Chuckling at Talis, I turned around and grabbed Master''s other hand as I positioned the two of us to stand directly in the middle of the gazebo. Standing opposite each other while holding hands, we looked into each other''s eyes, nearly losing myself in Master''s gorgeous orange eyes; a part of me wanted to stay standing just like this, seemingly staring into each other''s souls, but I couldn''t do that just yet. "Lavender, you''re an experienced woman; you''ve got any idea what I''m about to ask you?" Asked Alexander softly with a smile while tenderly rubbing Lavender''s delicate hands, his words snapping her out of the trance she was in from gazing into his purple-crystal-like eyes. "No, but it seems to me like it''s some kind of ritual, hopefully not a sacrificial one." Replied Lavender lightly with a beautiful smile as she looked around before focusing back on Alexander, only to see him giving her a blank look. "You should know you can''t lie before me, Lavender; my eyes can see right through you." Said Alexander dryly as he gazed upon Lavender, who was laughing to herself, causing him to shake his head and enjoy the sight of her charming beauty. "Fufu, it was worth a try, no?" Remarked Lavender with a delightful smile, to which Alexander nodded in agreement. Once we descended back into silence, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do; despite having rehearsed for this moment nearly a thousand times in my free time, I was still a little nervous. ''No need to be nervous, you''ve got this, Master!'' Said Trina with her childish yet enthusiastic voice as she gave Alexander moral support. ''Thanks, Trina.'' Thought Alexander with a wry smile as he exhaled before releasing his grasp from Lavender''s hand and reaching into the pouch attached to his waist. Clutching the ring box, I brought my hands before my abdomen, allowing Lavender to view the box, and from the various emotions swirling about within her heart, I was able to discern that she most likely figured out my intention. Holding the ring box, I got down to one knee and outstretched my hands as I looked up at Lavender, who was on the verge of bursting into tears, only stopping herself by continuously wiping her eyes. "I-I would''ve preferred to do this how you Dryads do this, but I, unfortunately, couldn''t find anything about this when reading your diary, so I just decided to do it the only way I know how, though, considering it''s my first time doing it, I hope I didn''t make a mistake." Said Alexander awkwardly with a laugh while staring at Lavender, tears streaming down her face as she was forced to cover her mouth lest she yell out her answer. I was pretty confident in my words and my ability to verbally express myself, but I didn''t think words alone were enough to be able to describe the love I had for Lavender; no amount of telling her "I loved you" would be able to capture the full extent of my love for her. However, thankfully, I know a language that can help me with situations like this, so using the hand that wasn''t holding the ring-box, I grabbed Lavender''s arm, gently yet forcefully removing it from her mouth before placing my hand atop hers while hers rested atop the ring-box. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. With everything ready, I used the language of trees and conveyed all of my purest emotions to Lavender while she did the same, allowing me to feel the overflowing love from her that I''d only ever felt from my elder Brother in my past life. Yet Lavender''s was slightly different; not only did it carry within it familial love, but there was also the love one would feel between a man and a woman. As I bathed myself in Lavender''s emotions, I used her hand, which I was covering with my hand, to open the ring-box, revealing the intricate silver ring with an embedded crystal filled with my ichor, causing Lavender''s breathing to come to a halt as she motionlessly gazed at the ring. "Lavender Vestalis, will you marry me and become my wife?" Asked Alexander nervously as he looked up at the unresponsive Lavender despite already knowing her/ answer. "Y-Y-YES!" Yelled Lavender with a heavenly smile amidst her crying expression as she didn''t even wait for Alexander to stand up before grabbing his face and passionately kissing him. Feeling Lavender''s lips smash up against mine, I reciprocated the kiss as I opened my mouth and sucked on her tongue while occasionally biting her lips, the desire that had been building up since we first saw each other finally becoming too much to bear as we nearly gave into our lust, thankfully, though, we were capable of holding ourselves back, even if it was just for a few seconds. "W-Wait, Lavender, l-let me put the ring on." Said Alexander between the intense, passionate kissing as he tried to remove himself, only for Lavender to push him onto the ground and mount him. "F-Fine, but be quick! I want a taste of my Husband." Remarked Lavender seductively as she stopped kissing and breathed her hot breath into his ear. Feeling Lavender''s hot breath brush against my ear, I grunted in response and flipped our positions, causing me to be the one mounting her as she lay on the gazebo''s floor. Clutching the ring, I threw the box away and grabbed Lavender''s right hand as I smoothly put the ring onto her ring finger, causing her to release a soft moan. "T-That feels wonderful; what''s the ring''s name, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with a sexy expression as she gazed upon the on her hand, finding the ring incredibly beautiful, though her mind and body were presently too preoccupied to worry about such matters. I desired to give Lavender''s ring a proper name, but I was too consumed with my carnal desire to even bother, so I just spoke a random word that appeared in my mind. "Ring of Eros." Said Alexander with a lustful expression as he stood up and quickly picked up Lavender in his arms before gazing at Talis, who had been silently watching the entire thing. (Note: in the Bible, Eros is one of the four different kinds of love that means romantic or sexual; Eros is also the name of the Greek God of erotic love, and I had just found that out today, funnily enough.) "Lavender and I are going to make love." Added Alexanders bluntly as he looked at Talis, not even bothering to hide his actions. "Enjoy yourself!" Replied Talis, waving her right wing as she watched Alexander practically run towards the house while simultaneously kissing Lavender, who was already in the process of undressing. "Hehe, with those two gone, there is no one to stop me from eating the cake! Hahaha, the Queen of the Skies always prevails in the end!" Stated Talis with sinister laughter as she flew towards the stone table and started devouring the carrot cake. ___ ___ Busting the door open, I tossed Lavender onto the bed as I quickly started undressing, not even caring whether I damaged the clothes or not. Once I was fully undressed, I looked at Lavender with a hungry gaze, and although she wasn''t fully nude, I didn''t care as I jumped on top of her. "~Ahh~, more, Alexander ~Ahh~ More!" Yelled Lavender between her sensual moans as she felt Alexander plant tender kisses all over her body, starting from her shoulders before slowly moving downwards. When I arrived at her nether region, her dress was obstructing my path, and because of my lustful state, I wasn''t thinking correctly, which caused me to rip it off her body, revealing her beautiful pink lips that were surrounded by a small bush of red hair. Without any hesitation, I dived right into her womanhood and started giving her cunnilingus while lightly biting on her clitoris, causing her to release loud moans of pure bliss for an entire minute. "~Ahhh~ A-Alexander, I-I''m ~Ahhh~ I''m cumming, Alexander ~AHHHH~." Yelled Lavender amidst her cries of pleasure as she wrapped her legs around Alexander''s face, pushing him deep into her nether region while drenching him with her love juices. Despite Lavender having reached orgasm, I didn''t stop, and once I was finished slurping up her love juices, which tasted sweet like tree sap, I made her orgasm another time using my mouth, and this time, it was even more intense than last time. "Delicious." Muttered Alexander with a drenched face as he lightly licked Lavender''s vagina before removing his head and looking her in the eyes, causing her lust to spike even higher at the sight of Alexander covered in her juices. Chapter 65: Wife & Husband(R18) No longer able to suppress my desire to make love with Lavender, I got onto my knees and positioned my erect member before her drenched womanhood, though just as I was about to thrust inside her, I sensed a slight change in the mana surrounding me, before I could even react, next thing I knew, my wrist and ankles were covered in ice. "Fufu, it''s not time for dessert yet, Alexander; I still need to pleasure my husband, no?" Said Lavender with her blushing face in between her heavy breathing as she pointed her palm toward Alexander, immobilizing him with the ice chains that bound his wrists and ankles. Before I could respond, I was floated into the air and then dropped onto the bed; my arms were chained together above my head while my legs were spread apart, allowing Lavender to easily straddle me as she looked at me with her lustful orange eyes. "Lavender, why? I-I can''t wait much longer." Asked Alexander with a frown between his breaths as he looked up at Lavender''s sexy, sweat-covered body. "Fufu, don''t worry, my disciple; Master knows how to pleasure you." Remarked Lavender with a sensual smile as she laid down and started licking and sucking Alexander''s nipples, causing him to release a few grunts of pleasure. "L-Lavender ~Urgh~ s-stop teasing me ~Urgh~ please!" Said Alexander with a blushed face between his grunts of pleasure as he tried his hardest to escape Lavender''s ice chains, even going so far as to fill his body with mana, though he couldn''t so much as crack the ice, let alone break it. "I never realized you look so adorable, Alexander; it makes me want to tease you more." Stated Lavender with a perverted smirk as she sucked on Alexander''s nipples while pinching the other with her hand. ''I-I''m a man! Why does having my nipples played with feel pleasurable!?'' Thought Alexander in confusion, breathing heavily while grunting in pleasure from Lavender''s teasing. Despite Lavender playing with my nipples, which felt good, but with my pride as a man, I would never tell her that; she eventually stopped, causing me to release a sigh of relief and disappointment simultaneously. However, what she did next completely surprised me as she slid down towards my crotch and wrapped my raging member in her soft hands, softly stroking it while licking the tip of my penis, which is something she''s never done before. I mean, she''s stroked my penis many times before, but despite me pleasuring her with my mouth several times a night, she''s never done the same to me; while I''ve always wanted her to do so, I could tell there was always something holding her back from doing it, so I never bothered to mention it as I didn''t want to pressure her. "Fufu, surprised, Alexander?" Asked Lavender with a lovely smirk as she looked up at Alexander while stroking and licking his erect penis, causing him to grunt loudly in pleasure. "A-A ~Urghh~ l-little. W-Whats'' the ~Urghh~ reason for the ~Urghh~ sudden change, ~Urghh~ Lavender?" Replied Alexander between his grunts of pleasure, even going so far as to lightly shake his hips, causing Lavender''s smile to deepen at the sight of satisfying her husband. "My pride. Believe it or not, Alexander, while I may not have shown it, I''m a rather prideful person, and the act of getting onto my knees and pleasuring a man with my mouth is seen as a form of submission in my eyes. Even though I love you more than anyone in the world, the only people I''ll ever submit myself to are Goddess Eywa and my now-husband, so as your wife, it''s only right that I submit myself to you and pleasure you to the best of my ability." Stated Lavender with a slightly prideful expression despite being on her knees and happily stroking and licking Alexander''s penis, finding nothing but pride in her actions. "S-So you mean ~Urghh~ to tell me, ~Urghh~ this entire time while ~Urghh~, I was pleasuring you with my mouth, ~Urghh~ I was submitting myself to you ~Urghh~, and you didn''t say a thing?" Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as his face twitched in annoyance amidst his loud grunting that was like music to Lavender''s ears. "Fufu, I suppose you could say so." Replied Lavender with a mischievous smirk as she licked Alexander''s shaft while using her other hand to play with his testicles. "~Urghh~ I-I''m going to cum!" Said Alexander as he felt the pressure build up around his testicles, his words causing Lavender to stroke even faster. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Let it all out, Alexander!" Yelled Lavender lustfully as she increased her speed and put the tip of his penis into her mouth, seemingly wanting to drink everything. With Lavender''s wet and warm mouth pleasuring my tip along with her soft hand stroking my shaft, it didn''t take long before I reached my limit and orgasmed, feeling as if I was ejaculating everything stored in my testicles. "~Urghh~ I-I''m cuming Lavender~URGHHHH~." Yelled Alexander, raising his hips, causing his penis to hit the back of Lavender''s mouth as he spewed forth thick ropes of cum inside her. "F-Fuck, that felt incredible." Added Alexander between his heavy breathing while looking at the ceiling as he finally finished ejaculating, yet even so, his penis didn''t go soft. Feeling Lavender removing her mouth from my penis, I looked down at her, only to notice her cheeks looked like a chipmunk''s, and before I could say anything, she gave a look, followed by her opening her mouth, allowing me to see my semen spill from her mouth as there was too much. However, I don''t know why, but the sight of Lavender''s mouth filled to the brim with my semen caused a euphoric feeling to well up inside me. As I stared at her semen-stained face for several seconds, she closed her mouth and slowly swallowed everything before giving me a lustful look. "Fufu, so, how did you like it, Alexander? The sight of your beloved wife submitting herself before you as she drank all of your cum with a blissful smile on her face like an experienced whore?" Questioned Lavender seductively as she rested her head right beside Alexander''s penis, and funnily enough, they were about the same size. "It felt great." Replied Alexander with slight embarrassment, causing Lavender to chuckle in amusement as she started stroking Alexander''s shaft again. "Still, though, I don''t mind you submitting yourself to me, Lavender, but since you''re stronger than me, wouldn''t it make sense for me to submit myself to you? Which I''ve already been doing, apparently." Asked Alexander curiously while softly grunting as Lavender slowly stroked his penis. "Hmm, yes, it would make sense if you put it like that, but I''m rather old; I won''t be improving much when it comes to strength; you, on the other hand, Alexander. You may not be as strong as me just yet, but you''ll definitely surpass me. Although you didn''t manage to break out of those ice chains, you were actually rather close to doing so; it took quite a lot of mana to stop you from breaking out of it." Stated Lavender with a thoughtful expression before her tone became serious, which was slightly comical considering she was pleasuring Alexander. "Eh, you say that, but I have this feeling it''ll take quite some time before I surpass you." Remarked Alexander with furrowed brows, causing Lavender to chuckle once again as even though she didn''t lie about Alexander surpassing her, it would indeed take a long time. "Anyways, another thing I''m curious about, Lavender, is the way you''re acting. How should I put it? You''re much more vulgar than usual, which isn''t like you at all." Said Alexander while giving Lavender a weird look, causing her to look away awkwardly. "Hehe, I thought I''d let go of any reservations now that I''m your wife; do you not like it?" Asked Lavender in slight embarrassment as she opened her mouth and inserted the tip of his penis inside while stroking it with her tongue. "I wouldn''t exactly say that; it was just different and caught me off guard, that''s all." Said Alexander, finding her raunchy behavior rather charming in its own right. "Well, you have my teammate to thank for that; she was a rather obscene woman whose lust was incredibly difficult to satisfy. Because of that, she''s taught me many ways to pleasure and satisfy a man and woman; granted, I learned nearly everything against my will." Replied Lavender with an annoyed expression while servicing Alexander''s penis as she reminisced all the times she''d heard moans and grunts that kept her awake at night. "Heh, no wonder you always seemed to know how to satisfy me best despite me being the only one you''ve done it with; I suppose I should thank her." Remarked Alexander with an amused smile before suddenly grunting in pain as he felt Lavender squeeze his testicles. "No thinking about other women while we''re making love, and definitely don''t think about her; knowing that woman, she may very well take you for herself." Stated Lavender with a frown as she eyed Alexander, who swiftly nodded his head in response, causing her to release his testicles. "Alright, now then, let''s stop with all this talking, Alexander. All I want to feel is your massive cock pounding my insides into submission." Said Lavender with an incredible lustful smile as she mounted Alexander and stroked his cock with her drenched vagina. In all honesty, I probably preferred Lavender''s usual way of speaking rather than this vulgar speech, but I would be lying to myself if I didn''t find the contrast incredibly sexy and stimulating. "Don''t worry, Lavender, I''ll fuck your pussy so hard, you''ll be meeting Goddess Eywa." Said Alexander with a grin as he decided to adopt Lavender''s vulgar speech, though her frown was saying a lot. "Eh, too much?" Asked Alexander, to which Lavender nodded in response. "No, how should I put it? It just doesn''t feel right when you say it; I think you should stick to your usual self and let me speak vulgarly." Said Lavender with a thoughtful expression, while Alexander nodded in response before the two started passionately kissing. Chapter 66: 24-Hour Long Session(R18) "Lavender, I can''t wait anymore; let me put it in." Said Alexander with a raspy voice, giving Lavender a hungry gaze amidst their passionate kissing. "Fufu, since my dear husband said so, I''ll oblige." Remarked Lavender with a lovely smile as she retracted her lips from Alexander''s and squatted above his groin, positioning his penis so it could enter her. Before Lavender put it in, she teased me a little by rubbing the head of my penis against her wet vagina, causing me to grunt in both pleasure and annoyance, but eventually, she finally stopped and slowly lowered herself onto my erect member. "~Ahhh~ F-Fuck, I just inserted it in, yet I''m already having an orgasm!" Said Lavender softly as she stopped midway to catch her breath, having only taken half of Alexander''s length. Seeing Lavender take a second to regain her bearings, I smirked and slightly thrust my hips upwards, causing roughly three-quarters of my shaft to disappear inside her while she released a loud, sexy moan, drenching my groin in her love juices. "Heh, you''ve always been easy to pleasure, Lavender; it''s not even been a full minute, yet you''ve already orgasmed twice." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Lavender, who finally regained her composure after squirting all over Alexander. "T-Two can play that game, boy." Declared Lavender with an erotic smirk from having just orgasmed as she squeezed her vagina and started bouncing atop his member, causing Alexander to emit several grunts of pleasure. "~Urghh~, N-Not fair! I still ~Urgh~ can''t move!" Yelled Alexander with grunts of pleasure while watching Lavender''s supple yet perky breasts sway as she bounced on his shaft, though her petite body couldn''t take it all. "Just lay there like a good husband ~Ahhh~ and let your wife ~Ahhh~ do all the work." Said Lavender lustfully as she leaned down and started teasing his nipples once again. With Lavender attacking me from two places at once, I wasn''t able to last long, and she must''ve sensed it as she increased her pace. "~Ahh~ Cum inside me, Alexander! Fill this Dryad with your thick cum!" Yelled Lavender in a vulgar manner as she felt Alexander''s head enlarge inside her, knowing he was close to his limit. "~Urghh~ I-I''m ~Urghh~ CUMMING!!" Said Alexander loudly as he thrust upwards, his penis pressing against Lavender''s very cervix, filling her with his semen, causing her to release a high pitch squeal of pleasure. Seeing Lavender orgasm as I filled her with my semen when I finally released everything inside her, I lowered my hips back down onto the bed and allowed Lavender a moment of respite, which she clearly needed. "F-Fuck me, that was so intense." Muttered Lavender with bated breaths as she stood up, causing Alexander''s shaft to emerge from her womanhood along with copious amounts of sperm that dribbled down her thigh. "I love the normal lovemaking we do, but spicing up our sex life isn''t a bad thing." Remarked Alexander lightly with a satisfied smirk as Lavender finally freed him from his icy constraints. "I could get used to this." Said Lavender and Alexander simultaneously, causing them to look at each other before bursting into laughter as they embraced one another. "So, since we''re already spicing things up, why not go a little further?" Said Alexander with a smirk as he flipped Lavender onto her stomach and positioned his penis along her butt, rubbing it between her buttcheeks. "Fufu, anything for my dear Husband; what do you have in mind?" Asked Lavender with a naughty grin as she squeezed her butt between Alexander''s penis and started moving. Chuckling, I grabbed her by her waist and moved her forward, causing her butt to be parallel with my face, allowing me to clearly see her stained vagina filled with my sperm, though I wasn''t focused on her vagina but on the small, quivering, pink wrinkly hole above it. "Bon app¨¦tit!" Said Alexander as he strayed clear of Lavender''s cum filled vagina and started eating her butt, or more specifically, her anus, causing her to release a high pitch squeal of both pleasure and shame. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "EEHH! A-Alexander, t-that''s my b-butt ~Ahh~ d-don''t lick there; it''s ~Ahh~ d-dirty!" Stated Lavender in shock as she grabbed the bed sheets and looked behind her, only to see Alexander''s face submerged in her butt. I clearly heard Lavender, but I promptly ignored her and continued to eat her out, and despite this being my first time, in a matter of minutes, I managed to make Lavender reach climax; all from pleasuring her butt as odd as that sounds. "I-I''m ~Ahhh~ C-Cumm~Ahhh~ming!!" Yelled Lavender loudly as she squirted out both her love juices and Alexander''s semen onto the bed. "Hehe, they may not be as delicious as your vagina, but it was meaty. Now, it''s time to move on to round two." Declared Alexander with a grin as he gently set Lavender''s waist down before positioning his penis right before her anus, her mind too messy from the last orgasm to think properly. With her anus having been loosened slightly from my teasing, I managed to put the tip in just fine, but that was about it as her anus was still too tight, even managing to put her vagina to shame in terms of tightness. "A-Alexander, you''re too big, i-it''s not fitting; y-you''re already stretching me to my limit!" Said Lavender with a blushful face, finding pleasure in the shameful act of using her anus, and although she was more than willing to satisfy Alexander''s request, she wasn''t capable. Although her words were a little unfortunate to hear, I had no intention of hurting her for some short period of physical pleasure, so with a nod, I pulled the tip of my penis out; still, as I looked at her gaping anus, it just looked so inviting and delicious, almost as if it were whispering me to ravage her butt. "I may not be able to fuck, your anus today, but you better start preparing it for the future, my Wife." Said Alexander with a sexy grin as he kissed Lavender on the cheek before lightly slapping her butt, causing her to release a soft moan. "~Ahh~ Y-Yes, Husband." Replied Lavender in a slightly submissive tone, finding Alexander''s dominant side to be irresistible. "Now, continue laying like that; I''ll bring you to the epitome of pleasure as a form of revenge for earlier." Said Alexander as he positioned his penis before Lavender''s womanhood and, without any warning, plunged it in as deep it would go, causing them both to emit sounds of pleasure, while Lavender seemed to have another orgasm. "Don''t forget, it''s your birthday, my Wife, so I''ll be the one to pleasure you all night long." Declared Alexander with deep, long thrusts, his penis lightly hitting her deepest parts repeatedly, causing her to emit loud moans of pleasure every second. Although it usually changes throughout our sessions of lovemaking, tonight, I stayed the dominant one as I made love to Lavender continuously, not even giving her a respite in between each orgasm, causing her to release some of the sexiest moans imaginable, but because of that, she quickly tired out; wasn''t even able to last three hours before collapsing on the drenched bed full of exhaustion. ''Hmm, I know I was more aggressive than usual, but not even three hours, almost two full hours less than several months ago.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he pulled out of the exhausted Lavender for the first time in a full hour, allowing her stomach, which had a small bulge, to expel some semen finally. "A-Alexander, c-check, m-my c-closet f-for a r-red v-vial." Said Lavender between her ragged breathing, while covered in sweat and other bodily fluids, as she pointed towards her closet door. Heeding Lavender''s words, I entered the closet, searching for, as she said, a red vial, which I found on the top shelf alongside several other red vials. Grabbing it, I was about to exit the closet, but for some reason, I could feel my heart urging me to examine it, and considering my heart never misguided me, I did as it said; using [Heroes Gaze], I read its description. //////////////////// Name: Endurance Enhancement Potion Tier: Epic Description: Grants the user greater levels of endurance for prolonged periods of time. //////////////////// There was nothing wrong with the description per se, but why would Lavender need this? Especially considering she''s never used it before? So what''s changed about her that she''s required to use this? ''Haa, I''ll ask her in the morning; Lavender''s clearly enjoying herself, and I don''t want to ruin her mood.'' Thought Alexander as he shook and exited the closet, though deep within his heart, a foreboding feeling started to emerge. "Hear you go, Lavender." Said Alexander as he handed the vial to Lavender, who promptly uncorked it and drank it. "Ahh, that feels better; now, I should be good for quite some time." Muttered Lavender, her exhaustion having disappeared as if it were never there to begin with. "Now, where were we?" Asked Lavender with an erotic expression as she made a vulgar pose by spreading her legs open and stretching her vagina with her hands, a sight that caused Alexander to momentarily forget about the worrisome red vial. "We were at the part where you moaned loudly." Said Alexander as he quickly mounted her and stuffed her womanhood with his penis, causing her to moan in pleasure from the intense lovemaking. ___ ___ "T-That was fun; to think we spent a whole day making love." Muttered Alexander, lying on the bed while embracing Lavender, the vial''s effects finally wearing off. "Yeah, it''s already nighttime again." Remarked Lavender softly as she looked out the window into the night sky. "Well then, we should go to sleep. Good night, Lavender." Said Alexander with a nod as he kissed Lavender on the lips, which had been put to good use in the last twenty-four hours. Chapter 67: Lily Carnal Opening my eyes and seeing Alexander''s peaceful sleeping expression just a mere few inches before my face, I tenderly stroked his cheek as I looked at him with such love. I had to be careful it didn''t spill forth and awaken him; his sleeping face is so adorable that I''d hate to ruin it. "Here you are, peacefully sleeping without a care in the world after having just made intense love with the [Princess of the Dryads]. Fufu, what a lucky man you are to be my Husband; I hope my nieces and nephews are fond of you when you eventually meet them. Eh, knowing you, even with their dislike for humans, you''ll quickly become good friends." Muttered Lavender with a blissful smile as she gave Alexander a peck on the lips, causing him to smile slightly amidst his dreaming adventures. Seeing his smiling expression, I chuckled to myself as I slowly and carefully exited his embrace, which wasn''t an easy thing to do when your strength wanes with each passing day, not to mention I was already exhausted; passionate love-making for an entire day will do that to someone. ''Urgh, finally; my goodness, I should''ve just used [Blink] to escape his embrace.'' Thought Lavender wearily, having been required to use every ounce of her strength to not only escape Alexander''s clutches but to do so while not awakening him. Taking a second to catch my breath, I headed towards the bathroom, which was opposite of my closet, closer to Alexander, though while I was walking, I spotted something poking the bed sheets; out of curiosity, I slightly lifted the sheets, though I don''t know what I was expecting when I did that, as all I saw was Alexander''s massive rod standing proudly despite having made love for an entire day. "What a beast! Even after doing it so much, he''s more than ready to go; not even an Orc would last that long." Muttered Lavender with a twitching expression as she eyed Alexander''s massive rod, which was covered in a variety of bodily fluids. "Well, I can''t really blame him, even though I''m beyond exhausted; I''d still love to go a few more rounds." Said Lavender quietly, licking her lips with a hungry gaze as her eyes were glued to Alexander''s manhood that occasionally twitched. Unfortunately, I had self-control, which meant after a few more moments of staring at Alexander''s impressive shaft that I couldn''t even fit all inside me, I let go of the blanket and continued heading toward my bathroom, making sure to lightly close the door. Once I was inside, I nearly collapsed on the ground with a painful expression, vividly feeling the poison within my system corrode my body; I was forced to muffle my grunts of pain by biting on a towel, causing them to turn into nothing but whispers that didn''t leave the bathroom door. "URGHHH!!" Grunted Lavender in pain, clutching her stomach as a glowing black crotch tattoo revealed itself, which caused the pain to slowly dampen until it was manageable. Feeling the pain finally start to subside thanks to Lily''s tattoo; the towel dropped from my mouth as I weakly lay on the ground, panting heavily from that painful session. Although I was thankful for the tattoo doing its job, I would''ve preferred to overcome that pain by myself since Lily''s tattoo would only come into effect when I was no longer able to keep the poison at bay by myself. ''My time, it''s nearing; I-I probably don''t even have a month left.'' Thought Lavender in heartache, though she wasn''t sad for herself but for Alexander, as she knew her death would have a massive impact on him. As I knew my death was merely around the corner, I wasn''t scared nor worried; I''ve never been that way at the thought of my death, though that doesn''t mean I''m okay with dying; I want nothing more than to live out my life with Alexander by my side as he impregnates me many countless times. However, I also knew Goddess Eywa would watch over me amidst my death and ensure everything was fine; after all, unlike most species, we are Goddess Eywa''s direct children. "Still, excuse my rudeness, Goddess Eywa, but I don''t want to ever see you again." Said Lavender with a slight smile as she looked toward the ceiling, knowing the only chance she''d see her would be if she''d be dead. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I didn''t know whether she heard me, but as I felt my strength start to return, I slowly started to stand back up, a challenging endeavor, though manageable; I may be dying, but I was no old woman. Leaning against the sink, I looked at myself in the mirror, and the first thing I noticed was my skin wasn''t as vibrant as usual, causing me to grunt in anger as I realized what Lily''s tattoo was doing. ''So it uses my remaining lifespan to keep myself alive longer? Rather ironic, if you ask me.'' Mused Lavender with a slight shake of her head as she turned on the faucet and splashed herself with cold water, her body soaking it up like a sponge. Turning the faucet off, I grabbed the towel I was previously biting and dried myself before putting it back in its spot; however, just before I exited the bathroom, I sensed someone was calling me through my adventurer license. Extending my left arm, a slight hole was made in my forearm as I started pushing out a medallion-looking object before grabbing it with my hands. Holding it in my hand, I looked at the familiar black medallion with a silver outline that had two golden S''s embedded into the polished black scale, which was supposedly from that of a wyvern, an incredibly powerful beast that roamed the skies and mountainous terrain. ''Given the timing, it must be Lily.'' Thought Lavender as she looked at the two blinking golden S''s before injecting her mana into the medallion. Once I injected mana into the medallion, a floating image suddenly appeared a foot above the medallion, and on the floating image was an incredibly beautiful woman whose appearance was even superior to mine, at least in my opinion. I wasn''t able to see her full body, but just from the half I could see, her skin was a light blue, she had large breasts, much larger than mine, two red horns sprouting out the side of her head, along with two small black wings and a black tail with a spade tip. Seeing her nude appearance, I looked into her fiery red eyes and gave her one suspicious look, though I knew what she was doing. "It''s great to see you again, Lily; what''s it been half a century since we last spoke? However, while I''m no longer your leader, would it kill you to show some level of professionalism?" Remarked Lavender softly as she eyed Lily through the floating image, only to hear several deep grunts following her words. "It''s wonderful to see you again as well, Lavy, but to be fair, this call is rather urgent since I sensed my tattoo activate." Said Lavy with a slight smile as she brought her hand, which was covered in semen, to her face and licked it clean, causing Lavender''s face to twitch constantly. Knowing she was pleasuring a man while speaking with me, I closed my eyes and calmed myself, which was relatively easy since she always does things like this. "I know semen tastes delicious, but can you drink it when we''re not having an important conversation about my life?" Asked Lavender in annoyance as she glared at Lily, only realizing shortly after what she had just said. ''D-Dammit! Why did I say that!? Stupid Lavender!'' Thought Lavender with an ugly expression as she scolded herself while looking at Lily, who was astonished. "D-Did I just hear that, right? My pure and modest Lavy, talking about semen tasting delicious?" Questioned Lily in disbelief with widened eyes as she deeply observed Lavender, noticing several things different about her, though what stood out the most was the occasional dried semen stuck in her braided hair. "Knowing you, Lavy, you would never do it with just any man, let alone sucking on a man''s cock and devouring his cum. That could only mean one thing then: you''ve found a Husband! Hehehe!! This is wonderful; my dear Lavy has finally found a lover!! Those 2,300 years of staying pure weren''t for nothing!" Exclaimed Lily in excitement as she stood up and started jumping in joy, her large breasts bouncing around, a sight that caused Lavender''s face to constantly twitch. "L-Lily, can we please stay on topic?" Asked Lavender angrily with a blushed face, though she should''ve known that wasn''t going to happen. "We can worry about your well-being later; what I want to know is, who is the man that managed to capture Lavy''s heart?" Asked Lily eagerly as she sat on the couch and eyed Lavender with bated breaths, though her guest wasn''t enjoying it. "H-Hey, what are you doing? I paid several gold coins to spend a night with you, so get back over here and suck on my cock, you whore!" Said a deep voice in slight anger as he stood up and approached Lily, only for her to glare at him angrily. "I''m speaking with my Best friend. Leave this establishment, or I''ll kill you." Ordered Lily as her eyes released a soft glow as she stared at the man, causing his anger to dampen while his eyes took on a cloudy look. "Yes, my Queen." Muttered the man emotionlessly as he gave her a bow before exiting her room, not even bothering to grab his clothes. "Anyways, now that I won''t be interrupted for the rest of the night tell me about this handsome Man." Said Lily with a joyful smile as she focused back on Lavender, who was used to seeing such sights. Chapter 68: Lavenders Time Limit As much as I would love to talk about Alexander, the last person I wanted to know about Alexander was Lily; she''s been known to steal men from women on many occasions, and while I didn''t think she''d do something like that to me, I don''t know what she''d do after I died, as I can''t completely rule out the possibility. After all, Alexander is amazing. "Lily, can we speak about it later, okay?" Asked Lavender as she looked at the excited Lily through the floating image displayed by her adventurer license. "Nope, I need to know the details right now, Lavy; there is no way I''m about to let you brush aside the man who stole your heart. After all, he must be exceptionally special if he managed to make the [Leader Of the Gypsies] fall in love with him." Remarked Lily with a devious smirk as she stubbornly desired to know about Alexander. ''Ugh, this little¡­'' Thought Lavender in annoyance as she rolled her eyes and sighed before eventually caving to Lily''s desire, knowing just how petty she could be when she doesn''t get her way. "Fine, I''ll tell you, but you better not try to steal him away from him; otherwise, I''ll take you with me to go see Goddess Eywa." Stated Lavender with utmost seriousness as she glared daggers at Lily, causing her to nod nervously while increasing her desire to meet Alexander. "I first met him a little over 16 and a half years ago after he escaped a tragic event; ever since then, he''s been living with me, though only recently did our relationship enter the next stage. His name is Alexander, well, it''s Alexander Vestalis now, and he''s¡­" Said Lavender with a frown as she reluctantly started to tell Lily about Alexander. At first, I was somewhat hesitant to tell Lily about Alexander, but as time passed and as I continued to speak about Alexander, my inhibitions about it started to vanish; before I knew it, I had forgotten entirely why Lily called me as I was blissfully speaking about Alexander as if a young woman gossiping with her friends. "Oh! He''s also an amazing cook; you must taste his food when you visit! It''s like he turned Heaven into something you can eat; it''s utterly sublime!" Said Lavender with a giant smile of joy as she spoke to Lily, who silently listened. "Ho, he does indeed sound amazing; I''m rather excited to meet this man. I bet he''s handsome as well, no?" Remarked Lilly softly with a thoughtful hum, feeling incredibly happy that Lavender had finally found love. "Don''t even get me started on his appearance, Lily; he''s like a chocolate mountain with clouds for hair! His caramel-colored skin is so silky smooth, and his muscles, ~Ahh~ he''s like an angel; I''m confident he could put even Elves to shame, he''s that handsome." Declared Lavender eagerly while going into more detail, occasionally emitting a soft moan. "Alright, alright, Lavy, I get it; he''s the most handsome man on the planet." Said Lily in fake envy as she chuckled, finding Lavender very cute when so eagerly speaking about Alexander. "Anyways, what I want to know is, how big is his cock, and how''s the sex? Is he good in bed, or what? Because nobody is perfect, but so far, you''ve been describing this Alexander as if he is perfect, which I don''t believe. He must lack in something!" Added Lily with a mischievous smirk as she leaned closer to her adventurer license, though her words caused Lavender to show a prideful expression amidst her blushing face. "Heh, I know you''ll be jealous when you hear this, but his manhood is utterly massive! Roughly the size of my forearm! I can''t even take it all the way inside me when we make love." Declared Lavender proudly as she showed Lily her forearm, which was a pretty accurate comparison. "T-That large!? That''s impressive for a human, and to think my dear Lavy was taking such a monster of a cock; but even so, how''s his stamina? Having a large cock is nice, but it means nothing if he''s not able to last, that''s even more important, in my opinion." Remarked Lily with a slight shock, feeling her core heat up at the thought of taking such a size inside her; granted, it would''ve been far from the largest thing she''d taken. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Well, to give you an idea of his stamina, as you can tell from the semen in my hair, we just recently finished up a night, or I should say a day of lovemaking." Said Lavender with a prideful grin as she looked at the astonished Lily. "A-A full day of sex!? You must be kidding me!? He isn''t even a Tier 1, yet he can already last a full day of non-stop sex? I don''t believe you, Lavy, that''s too much. You''ve literally just described the perfect man; you must be lying!" Exclaimed Lily in disbelief as she stood up from her couch and walked around, her desire to meet Alexander and gauge him for herself increasing by the second. "Not only am I not lying, but the only reason we stopped was because the endurance-enhancing potion I took finally wore off; if it weren''t for that, he would''ve been able to continue for who knows how long." Said Lavender with a smug smile as she practically rubbed Alexander in Lily''s face, though her words caused the two to remember the problem at hand. "Endurance-enhancing potion, as Succubus, I respect your desire to have sex, but Lavy, that was a stupid decision given your condition." Said Lily, her smile vanishing along with the joyful atmosphere as she sat down and eyed Lavender. "Yeah, I know, but I won''t stop; your tattoo has already been activated, so I don''t have much longer to live; my days are numbered. If that''s so, I''d rather spend the remainder of my life pleasing Alexander and spending quality time with him than anything else." Declared Lavender with a wry smile as she shook her head, her decisions final, something Lily could discern, but she wasn''t about to give up, not on her best friend. "I understand where you''re coming from, Lavy. I really do, and if I were in your position, I''d want to spend the remainder of my life with you, Marlin, and Simba, as you all are family to me. But that doesn''t mean you should give up your life; the three of us have been searching the continents for ingredients to cure the poison; we''ve already found several ingredients but were only missing two more: the heart of a Hydra and a magma flower. And Marlin has already made a deal with a merchant who happened to have a magma flower, so now we are merely waiting for them-" Stated Lily anxiously, her words causing Lavender to display a soft smile before shaking her head and interrupting her. "Mythical." Said Lavender, her words causing Lily to give her a confused look before her eyes widened in disbelief as signs of fear took over. "N-No, t-that''s impossible!" Yelled Lily with traces of suppressed sadness as she stared at Lavender, though her unflinching expression said it all. "H-How, h-how did he get his hands on a Mythical poison?" Asked Lily in defeat; tears began to form in her eyes as she collapsed on the couch behind her and blankly looked towards the sky, knowing everything they''d been doing had been for naught. "I don''t know, nor do I care anymore; thanks to Alexander, I managed to learn it was a Mythical poison eight years ago, and while it was terrible news, I quickly came to terms with my death; after all, there is nothing for me to worry about. You, Simba, and Marlin will be fine without me; my nephews and nieces are more than competent enough to run the Kingdom, not like I''d be of much help in the matter." Remarked Lavender with a light chuckle as she thought about everyone she cared for before her mind ended on the person sleeping on her bed. "The person I''m a little concerned about is Alexander; he''s very attached to me, and my abrupt death will be a tough thing for him to swallow. If it''s not too much trouble, could you stay by his side for some time after my passing? Just to make sure he doesn''t do something stupid." Added Lavender with a lovely smile while tears formed in her eyes as she thought of Alexander before looking at Lily. "O-Of course, Lavy, anything for you; are you sure you want me to do it? If he''s truly as perfect as you''ve described, I may want him for myself." Said Lily as she wiped her tears and suppressed her emotions about the matter before nodding at Lavender with a somewhat forced smile. "Heh, that may be just what he needs; I just want you to distract him from my death, whether that be through sex or other means is irrelevant to me." Remarked Lavender lightly with a smirk as the two descended into silence. "Anyways, Lavy, I-I''ll gather Simba and Marlin; we''ll visit you real soon, okay, so don''t go dying on us until then. Bye, Lavy." Said Lily with a forced smile as she waved goodbye before the floating image disappeared, causing Lavender to place her adventurer license back on her forearm. "Now, then, Let''s get some sleep, I''m tired." Muttered Lavender as she exited the bathroom after spending a few hours speaking with Lily and approached the bed where Alexander was still lying. Quietly getting back into bed, I snuggled deep into Alexander''s loving embrace that dispersed all my thoughts before eventually falling asleep. Chapter 69: Kitchen In Shambles Feeling warmth in my eyes, I slowly opened my eyes, getting hit with the soft sunlight that emerged over the thick canopy of trees before entering through the open window, signifying the start of yet another day. Yawning, I looked down at Lavender, who was sound asleep deep in my embrace, and smiled as I kissed her on the cheek before deciding to stay in bed alongside her until she woke up, which was quite a while, roughly a full hour, before I started seeing signs of her awakening, like the fluttering of her eyelids. Though I wasn''t bothered by it, even if she was asleep, I still enjoyed spending time with her; besides, given how we spent a little over a full day making non-stop love, she must''ve been greatly exhausted. "Good morning, Lavender. Sleep well?" Asked Alexander softly as he tenderly rubbed his cheek against Lavender, who was still waking up. "Ahh, good morning, Alexander, and yes, that sleep felt wonderful." Replied Lavender with a yawn as she turned and opened her eyes, only to see Alexander looking right back at her. "Heh, I bet; we were rather wild yesterday." Remarked Alexander with a slight smirk as he gazed deep into Lavender''s bright orange eyes. "Fufu, more like you were wild, Alexander; other than the beginning, I hardly did anything else; the entire time, you dominated me, and I couldn''t refute your words." Replied Lavender with a slight chuckle and a charming smile as she stared into Alexander''s purple, crystal-like eyes. "I was quite aggressive yesterday, wasn''t I? I didn''t even really notice; I was too caught up in your sexiness. Do you dislike it?" Said Alexander with a thoughtful expression before complimenting Lavender, causing her to chuckle. "Not at all, my Husband; I quite like it when your aggressive side comes out, not to mention I love it when you dominate me." Stated Lavender with a lovely smile as she reached her hand and grabbed Alexander''s manhood before gently stroking it, causing him to emit a soft groan of pleasure. Smirking at Lavender''s words, I grabbed her hand, which was stroking my shaft, and lifted it above her head, doing the same with her other hand before mounting her, followed by me engaging in an aggressive yet passionate kiss, only stopping once I felt her start to squirm beneath my hold. "Since you like it when I dominate you, how was that Lavender?" Asked Alexander with a lustful smile as he looked down at Lavender, who was gasping for air after almost being smothered to death by his love. "W-Wonderful." Replied Lavender with her own naughty smirk amidst her heavy breathing, her words only prompting Alexander to kiss her again. ___ ___ "Alright, Lavender, I think that''s enough; if we continue any longer, it''ll be hard for me to hold myself back, not like it already isn''t." Said Alexander, his head pointing toward the ceiling as he sat on the edge of the bed with his legs spread open while Lavender was kneeling between them, pleasuring his manhood with her mouth. "Fufu, you sure, my dear Husband?" Asked Lavender with a sexy smile as she retracted her mouth from Alexander''s shaft before looking at him while stroking it with her hand. "No?" Replied Alexander in confusion as he looked down at Lavender, who was chuckling at his words; however, she did eventually stop, though only after he reached climax. "Well, you''re not wrong; it''s the middle of the morning. Instead of behaving like sex fiends, we should be somewhat productive." Said Lavender as she stood up after swallowing all of Alexander''s semen, a sight that heightened his arousal, though he reluctantly controlled himself. "Yes, not to mention, we should do a proper marriage ceremony since I had intended for that to happen, but you know how that went." Remarked Alexander as he stood up and did a little stretching before both he and Lavender looked at the messy bead, which had soaked up all their various bodily fluids, and despite the window being open, there was still a heavy stench of sex. "Why does it always end up so dirty after our lovemaking?" Asked Alexander with a sigh, as his expression twitched in annoyance, knowing it would be a tedious ordeal to clean everything. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "I suppose we are just that intense?" Replied Lavender with a thoughtful expression, though she sounded uncertain, knowing that their lovemaking was relatively docile compared to what Lily had done before. "Haa, anyways, we can just sleep in my bed tonight; I don''t feel like cleaning this up. Let''s go and take a bath, Master; my nose has gotten accustomed to this stench of sex, but I bet we smell terrible." Remarked Alexander with another sigh as he shook his head before opening the door and exiting, Lavender following right behind him. Walking down the hallway, Master and I entered the kitchen, only to spot Talis eating the carcass of an animal, which wasn''t problematic, in my opinion; what was problematic was the fact that the kitchen looked as if a hurricane had just been here. Pots and pans were lying everywhere; the fridge was open and covered in various sauces; there was blood everywhere, and the oven and skin were on. I was so astonished that I didn''t even care about being naked anymore as I mechanically moved my focus to Talis, almost like a robot, and I glared at her. "Talis, what happened here?" Asked Alexander calmly, though you could hear the anger he was suppressing leaking through his voice. "On the name of Goddess Eywa, what the hell happened!?" Said Lavender in druidic language with widened eyes when she saw the devastation within the kitchen, causing her to also glare at Talis. "Ah, Miss Lavender, Alex, you''ve finally finished mating. You must be hungry; I''ve prepared breakfast!" Remarked Talis in joy as she lifted her bloody beak and eyed the two before offering up the carcass she was eating. "We can eat later; what we want to know is, why is the kitchen the way it is?" Asked Alexander, his eyes constantly twitching as he took a deep breath to calm himself while Lavender just wordlessly stared at the kitchen. "Ohh, the kitchen? Well, I first tried copying what you usually do, Alex, when you make breakfast, but I failed, so I just gave up and decided to eat it raw. It isn''t that tasty, but it''ll suffice. Anyways, now that you''re here, Alex, you can properly cook it." Replied Talis calmly as she glanced at the kitchen before eagerly looking at Alexander, who seemed to be on the verge of strangling her. "Hmm, is something the matter, Alex, Miss Lavender? Your faces are both red?" Asked Talis in concern as she stopped eating and approached the edge of the table. "In the name of Goddess Eywa, I''ll send you to her, Talis!" Yelled Lavender in anger as she approached Talis, scaring her, though before she could, Alexander stopped her. "Calm down, Master; it''s not good to get worked up on an empty belly." Said Alexander calmly as he stood between the two, causing Lavender to be taken aback while Talis chirped in relief. "Let me cook you some food first; after all, we''ve already got a nice, plump chicken to eat!" Added Alexander as he suddenly turned around and angrily lunged toward Talis, frightening her. "Get back here, you flying chicken!" Yelled Alexander as he chased after Talis, who took to the air and swiftly flew away in fear. "No!" Replied Talis fearfully, confused at why they were angry with her, but she wasn''t stupid enough to stick around and find out. Unfortunately, despite chasing after Talis, once she escaped from the house, she instantly increased her speed, breaking through the sound barrier before disappearing into the forest, causing me to click my tongue in annoyance since there was no point in chasing after her now; I wouldn''t be able to apprehend her. "Tsk, lucky chicken." Muttered Alexander angrily as he kicked the ground, knowing he would be forced to clean her mess. After venting my anger a little, I turned around and headed toward the pond to clean myself, though when I arrived, I spotted Master already bathing, a sight that I''ve seen numerous times, yet not once have I gotten tired of it. "Are you just going to watch?" Remarked Lavender as she glanced at Alexander, whose anger quickly disappeared from such a mesmerizing sight. "Why not?" Replied Alexander as he entered the pond, his words causing Lavender to chuckle. Although I was now cleaning myself, I was mainly watching Master, making sure to engrave every single one of her movements into my mind. However, while watching her, I noticed she didn''t seem as vibrant for some reason, almost like her skin had slightly darkened. "Master, I was curious about that red vial you consumed; why did you need that? You''ve never used them before." Asked Alexander curiously as he closely inspected her body with his eyes, no longer in just a lustful way. "Well, it''s simple, really; I just wanted to spend more time making love with you since it doesn''t seem like my stamina was nearly enough to please you. After all, it''s quite annoying and humiliating that I''m not able to satisfy the man I love while you''ll leave me so exhausted I''m not able to move." Stated Lavender with a frown and a blush, both embarrassed and angry with herself. "Eh, I never realized you thought about that, though I guess I can''t say anything. Since I know I''d probably feel the same or worse if I wasn''t able to satisfy your sexual urges, though to be fair, Master, It''s not your fault; after all, I doubt even if you could last 100 times as long, it still wouldn''t be enough. You should know better than me how powerful a Mythical skill is." Replied Alexander as he attempted to cheer Lavender up, which slightly worked, but it was obvious she still blamed herself. Chapter 70: Freaky Alexander(R18) Seeing how my comforting words did little to alleviate Master''s mood, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her lithe, petite figure, embracing her in a hug as I used my emotions themselves to comfort her instead of words, which seemed to do a much better job as I noticed her softly smile. "Feel better yet, Master?" Asked Alexander lightly as his large frame enveloped Lavender, filling her with warmth and affection. "A little." Said Lavender with a delightful smile as she leaned into Alexander''s embrace, relishing his touch. Smirking, I reached down and grabbed her nipples before lightly pinching and pulling them, causing Lavender to emit soft, pleasurable moans. Hearing that alluring music, I was tempted to turn her around and start making love again, but as I was currently attempting to improve her mood, I held back and went easy on her. "How about now? Is this better, Lavender?" Questioned Alexander softly as he whispered into her ear before gently biting it, causing Lavender''s body to tremble slightly as she moaned louder than before. "Ho, don''t tell me you just climaxed, Lavender? I''ve barely even touched you." Remarked Alexander with a smirk and a raised eyebrow as he continued pleasuring Lavender despite her recent orgasm. "I-I ~Ahh~ can''t help it ~Ahh~ fondling my breasts while ~Ahh~ conveying your love to me ~Ahh~ isn''t fair; ~Ahh~ how am I supposed, ~Ahh~ stay composed?" Replied Lavender amidst her melodic soft moans that only spurred Alexander on as he reached his face into the back of her neck, sucking and kissing on her skin, leaving behind various red marks. "~Ahh~ n-not my neck and ~Ahh~ breasts, I-I''ll c-come a-again ~Ahhhh~." Said Lavender lightly as she grabbed Alexander''s face and pulled him closer to her neck despite her words, causing her body to tremble once more, this time with slightly more intensity. Feeling Lavender tremble in my arms again, I stopped kissing and caressing her as I picked her up and carried her out of the pond before laying down by its edge, waiting for her to calm down since she was already panting despite going rather lightly. "Heh, feel better now, Lavender?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Lavender, who was resting atop his chest while tenderly rubbing her head. "Fufu, I don''t know; maybe if you pleasured me down there, I might feel better." Remarked Lavender with a sensual smile as she looked up at Alexander while grabbing his hand and placing it right on her womanhood. "Hehe, so much for not behaving like sex fiends." Muttered Alexander with a chuckle as he flipped their positions and slowly moved down toward Lavender''s womanhood while pleasing it with his fingers. Seeing Lavender''s small, pink, and beautiful vagina that I had literally thrust in and out of for a full day, filling it with copious amounts of sperm, I rested my hands on her legs to keep them open before diving right into her juicy and delicious vagina. "~Ahh~ s-so ~Ahh~ g-good, y-your tongue ~Ahh~ f-feels amazing!" Said Lavender softly as she slightly arched her back, feeling waves of pleasure emit through her whole body from her nether region. For several minutes, I pleasured Lavender with my mouth, and as I felt her get slightly more aggressive, like grabbing the back of my head and pushing my face deeper into her, I knew she was close to orgasming, which caused me to go even harder. "~Ahh~ A-Alexander, I-I''m ~Ahh~ g-going to cum, I''m going to ~Ahh~ cum; I-I''m C-CUMMMING ~Ahhhh~" Yelle Lavender loudly as she fully arched her back and squirted out love juices from her womanhood, but none of it touched the ground since Alexander greedily slurped up all of it. ''No, her love juice tastes superior to tree sap.'' Mused Alexander as he devoured Lavender''s love juices while continuing to pleasure her immediately after climaxing. "A-Alexander ~Ahh~ s-stop, I-I need a ~Ahh~ break or I-I''m going to ~Ahh~ pee!" Said Lavender softly as she tried backing away, but Alexander reached underneath and grasped her butt, stopping her from retreating. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Although her words were problematic, I didn''t bother stopping; I mean, how was I supposed to stop when she looked so sexy and inviting? As I continued to pleasure her womanhood with non-stop enthusiasm before I knew it, she started squirting again, causing me to drink it greedily, but from the taste, I instantly realized it wasn''t her love juices. "A-Alexander s-stop ~Ahh~ I-I''m going to ~Ahh~ pee! I-I can''t hold it any ~Ahh~ longer! A-Alexander ~Ahh~ I-I-I''m P-Peeing!" Yelled Lavender as she tried her hardest to remove herself from Alexander, though, with her declining health, her physical strength was vastly inferior to his, and against her will, she started peeing on Alexander. As I drank Lavender''s pee, despite how freaky, unsanitary, and disgusting it was, I couldn''t stop now; I was already too far deep into it; besides, to my surprise, the taste wasn''t that bad. ''Hmm, taste like sugared water; not delicious or anything, but also nowhere near as bad as I imagined it to be. Thankfully, I doubt I''ll get sick from this, so everything is fine.'' Mused Alexander as he continued drinking Lavender''s pee until there was nothing left, doing this while never once breaking eye contact with her. "Heh, that wasn''t half-bad; maybe we should try something freaky like that again." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he casually wiped his mouth while looking at Lavender, who gave him an angry and embarrassed look. "Alexander!" Yelled Lavender angrily with a red blush full of shame as she stood up before stomping away. Seeing her angrily walk away, I sighed as I followed behind her, but before I could get far, I was suddenly encased in a frozen block of ice, immobilizing me and forcing me to watch Lavender submerge herself into the tree. ''Haa, Master''s definitely angry with me; I should''ve listened to her and stopped.'' Thought Alexander internally with a sigh as he summoned a [Fire Ball], quickly melting the ice that encapsulated him. Once I was free, I just shook my head and headed back to the pond to continue cleaning myself since I hadn''t finished in the first place as I got too preoccupied with comforting Master, which ended up having the opposite effect. ___ ___ A few hours since, Master angrily stormed off because I got a little too freaky; currently, I was standing in the open field as I attempted to improve upon a skill I''d been working on for the past several months. It''s not a fully developed skill yet, but I''m quite close; the only thing holding me back is my proficiency in manipulating one of the fire''s sub-categories: lightning mana. "Alright, instead of trying to cover my whole body in lightning-like last time, let''s try a small body part at a time." Muttered Alexander, outstretching his arm and intently focusing on it as he summoned forth the lightning mana within his heart, causing a blue tendril of lightning to dance around his arm, followed by many more. Watching the lightning coil and snake around my arm, occasionally zapping me and leaving behind burn marks that were healed within a matter of a few seconds, I looked at the lightning with [Heroes Gaze] to better understand how the mana behaves. As I observed the lightning mana, I made some slight changes in how I manipulated them, which resulted in some changes being good, while others nearly broke the skill, but I was still improving. ''My goodness, it''s taken me five months to get this far, and that''s with massive help from my eyes; I can''t imagine how long it would take someone else to make a skill like this.'' Mused Alexander, feeling incredibly lucky and thankful he has such eyes, as they''ve saved him from who knows how many more months or years of work. After several minutes of tedious changes, I finally managed to get the lightning to stop zapping me, which was a good breakthrough, but the problem now was I had to do this while lightning coiled around my whole body, not just my arm. Since I had one arm working perfectly, I clutched my hands together, causing the lightning to spread to my other arm, resulting in both of my arms getting zapped again; however, after ten or so minutes, I finally managed to fix it. I then moved onto one of my legs, causing the same thing to happen again, but with another twenty or so minutes of tedious changes, I got it working. This little back-and-forth occurred each time I introduced a new body part, forcing me to spend more time fixing it as the lightning was now spread through a larger surface area. However, except for my head, I eventually got my entire body covered in lightning mana without being continuously zapped; now, it was only time for my head. "Haa, alright; you''ve got this." Muttered Alexander while thousands of arcs of lightning danced around as he closed his eyes and spread the lightning to his head, completely covering him. Once fully covered in lightning, I was instantly bombarded with hundreds of painful stings a second; thankfully, because of my powerful healing capabilities, they didn''t cause any lasting damage, though it was difficult to focus when constantly getting zapped by lightning. Eventually, after what felt like days, I managed to fix everything, and while it did take much longer since I wasn''t able to keep my eyes open for too long, I''m just glad I''m finally finished. "Hahaha! Yes, I finally completed it! I''ll go show Mas-" Yelled Alexander excitedly as he clenched his fist and looked to the sky before turning around, only for him to suddenly erupt in a large explosion. Chapter 71: Lily, Simba & Marlin "Alexander!?" Yelled Lavender worriedly shortly after the large explosion as she emerged from the tree and quickly approached Alexander. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch." Said Alexander as his burnt body lay motionless on the ground amidst a small burning crater that Lavender put out with her water mana. "Alexander!? Are you Okay!?" Exclaimed Lavender as she kneeled before Alexander and tried touching him, only for her hands to get burnt. "Haa, yes, I''m fine, at least I think I am; if you don''t mind, Master, could you please lessen the pain?" Replied Alexander softly as he rolled onto his back and looked up at Lavender. "Alright, just stay still." Said Lavender as she hovered her hands just above Alexander''s slightly burnt skin while a soft golden glow emitted from her hands and entered his body. ''Ahh, that feels so much better.'' Mused Alexander as he released a sigh of relief, the sensation of his skin burning being vastly diminished. "Feel better now, Alexander?" Asked Lavender as she retracted her hands and covered them in ice, helping him stand up without getting burnt herself. "Y-Yeah, much better. Hopefully, by the time your healing effects wear off, I''ll have recovered from this." Said Alexander as he looked down at his body, which was stark since the explosion destroyed his slime outfit. "Ugh, I look like Freddy Krueger''s younger brother; this will take several minutes to heal from, but luckily, it doesn''t seem to have penetrated deeper than my skin." Muttered Alexander with a scowl as he observed the extent of his injuries. "Let''s take you to your bed so you can get some rest. I may have lessened the pain you feel, but I''m sure it''s still painful to move." Remarked Lavender as she practically covered her body in a thin layer of ice so she could support him. I was about to lean against Master, but then I remembered I was still wearing the gravity belt, so I quickly took it off first before leaning against Master; otherwise, I''m pretty sure I would''ve crushed her under my increased body weight. Unlike how I usually enter the house, this time I accompanied Master as we submerged our bodies into the tree, a familiar yet weird feeling, though it didn''t last long, as the moment I was fully submerged, I was already exiting the tree. "Urgh, Thanks, Master; it would''ve been a pain to do this by myself." Said Alexander as they emerged directly into his room while Lavender gently helped lay him down on the bed. "I''m your Master; of course, I''d assist you. Now, why don''t you tell me how you ended up like this?" Asked Lavender with a smile as she sat at the edge of the bed with a raised eyebrow while pointing at him. "Eh, I was creating a new skill, and well, in my moment of excitement, I lost control of it, causing it to explode in my face." Replied Alexander with an awkward smile, while Lavender just shook her head while sighing. "I''m assuming the skill you were perfecting is the one you''ve been keeping a secret from me?" "You don''t need to say it like that, Master; I want to surprise you with it; there is a difference between the two." Said Alexander while smirking. "Whatever you say, my Disciple, that likes to keep secrets from his Master." Remarked Lavender with a sly smirk as she lay down beside him, the two conversing deeply. ___ ___ Looking at the forest before us, I glanced at my adventurer''s license, which showed a mana connection to Lavy''s adventurer license, giving me the general location of where she, well, at least her adventurer license. "You sure this is the spot, Lily? I know Leader is a Dryad, but this forest is in the middle of nowhere." Asked a large, burly man in a deep voice with a head full of hair, a bushy beard, two furry ears sticking out from the top of his head, and a long brownish tail. "What do you want me to tell you, Simba? This is where my Adventurer license is leading us; maybe if you didn''t lose yours, we''d be able to ensure we were in the correct place." Remarked Lily as she fearlessly glared at the large, burly man, Simba, who, despite his appearance, was quite mellow. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Hehe, sorry." Said Simba with an apologetic chuckle, while Lily just huffed in annoyance and ignored him. "Anyways, it''s been over 50 years since we''ve last seen Lavy; you boys excited!?" Asked Lily excitedly as she walked forward before turning around and looking at Simba and a tall, slim figure whose appearance was covered by a cloak. "Yes, now, let''s stop wasting valuable time and go. Lavender doesn''t have much longer to live if your tattoo is activated." Said the cloaked figure with a slightly masculine voice as he walked past Lily and entered the forest. "Haha, the rare few times Marlin and I agree on something!" Said Simba with a deep, thunderous laugh as he passed Lily and entered the forest after the tall, slim, cloaked figure, who goes by the name of Marlin. "Tch, impatient men, can''t even wait a few seconds. Wait for me!" Muttered Lily with a frown before turning around and yelling as she ran after them. The walk through the forest was uneventful; very weak beasts inhabited this forest, and besides the rare tier one creature, everything else hadn''t even ascended to the next tier, so just casually leaking our mana was more than enough to repel every beast, well, except one. "Oh my, what a cute little bird." Muttered Lily in awe as she noticed a bird perched on a branch while intensely looking at them. "That bird has intelligence." Remarked Marlin calmly as he glanced at the bird, causing it to flinch slightly before quickly taking to the skies, disappearing at a speed that surprised them. "Dammit, Marlin, you scared the bird off! I swear, you''re the only Elf that can scare off nature." Said Lily in irritation as she attempted to smack the back of his head, though he swiftly dodged it easily. "How many times do I have to tell you, Lily? I''m a Dark Elf, not your everyday Elf; there is a distinct difference between the two." Replied Marlin as he glanced at Lily while effortlessly evading all of her slaps, causing her to click her tongue in annoyance. "Yeah, one''s fun to be around, and the other''s a buzzkill; I''m sure you can tell who I''m referring to as well." Said Lily as she folded her arms, ignoring Marlin, who shook his head and stayed silent. "I smell Leader! Quickly follow me!" Yelled Simba in joy as he ignored the two behind him and swiftly started running through the forest, bulldozing through numerous trees. "Tsk." Muttered Marlin as he suddenly vanished from beside Lily, only to reappear running behind Simba, who was clearing a path for him. "Urgh, wait for me, you two! Always running ahead, leaving Lavy and I behind!" Remarked Lily in annoyance as she ran after them; though annoyed, she couldn''t stop smiling. ___ ___ A few weeks passed after my little accident, and since then, I''ve made sure not to lose focus while practicing my skill, which I''m super close to completing, though I can worry about that later as right now, I am facing off against Master. "Focus, Alexander. You may be getting stronger, but that doesn''t mean you can lack focus when facing your opponent." Stated Lavender softly as she waved her hand, causing numerous frozen icicles to appear as they rushed toward Alexander, who dashed right for her with his two greatswords in each hand. Seeing Master utilizing the same move every time we start a fight, unlike usual, I didn''t bother to find the opening she purposely made and just slashed toward the icicles in front of me with [Void Slash], destroying the icicles and nearly reaching Master, but just before it did, she created an earth wall, stopping it. "Heh, is something the matter, Master? Have I gotten too strong for you?" Questioned Alexander with a cheeky grin as he dodged the icicles and continued dashing toward her. "Fufu, you get a little stronger, and your confidence turns into arrogance; allow me to show you why I''m your Mas-" Replied Lavender lightly with a wicked smile though, before she could mobilize her mana, she suddenly coughed blood, before collapsing onto the ground. "M-Master!" Yelled Alexander in worry as he ran right towards her. While running toward Master, who for some reason just collapsed on the ground, my heart suddenly warned me of impending danger coming from my left, and before I could even react, something hit my face, causing me to be flung far into the distance. "Bastard! How dare you try to harm my Leader!" Yelled Simba angrily as he watched Alexander get flung into the forest, his body crashing through several trees. Once my momentum finally stopped after skidding across the ground, I tried my damndest to get up, but I couldn''t feel anything besides my head, which was full of pain. ''W-What happened?'' Thought Alexander as he tried to recall what hit him, though besides seeing some fur, he got nothing. ''Master! Are you okay!?'' Asked Trina in worry, seeing Alexander taking a devastating blow. "Yeah, I''m fine, but I need to get to Master; she''s in trouble right now!" Stated Alexander angrily through gritted teeth as he began to stand up once he felt the sensation of body return to him. Taking off my gravity belt, I filled my body to the brim with mana before dashing back toward the clearing; within a few seconds, I arrived, only to see three people; one was a large, burly man without a shirt covered in hair approaching, the other was a tall, lanky man, whose appearance was covered by a cloak, and lastly, a blue woman was wearing skimpy clothes with horns and a tail. Just looking at her, I felt a great deal of lust start to form, which caused me to assume she was a succubus, not to mention that she looked similar to one. Looking at each one of them, my heart warned me of doom, much more intensely when facing that centipede boss for the first time; it made me feel as if I had no chance of beating them, though even if that is the case, over my dead body was I about to let them harm Master. "DON''T TOUCH HER!" Yelled Alender in pure wrath as he glared at Simba, who was about to touch Lavender but suddenly stopped. Chapter 72: The Power of [Rebirth] Seeing that the large man actually stopped at my words, while it was slightly surprising, I didn''t bother thinking about it and manifested two [Fire Balls] before hurling them toward him; yet the instant they landed upon him, creating a small explosion, though with my eyes, I was able to discern not so much as a burn mark appeared on his body. Frowning, I ran forward, tightly clutching my greatswords, and just when I was about to attack him, I noticed the tall, cloaked figure had vanished. ''Where did he go?'' Thought Alexander as he continued running toward Simba while using [Heroes Gaze] to look at his surroundings, only to see he appeared directly behind him. ''H-How did he get there!?'' Exclaimed Alexander internally as he used his eyes, causing his perception to be significantly heightened and allowing him to see everything happen in slow motion. Despite using my ability, which is supposed to heighten my perception to the point where everything slows down, I was still barely able to see the man''s movement as he pricked me in the neck with a weird-looking dagger covered in a viscous liquid. Once he retracted his weird-looking dagger, I attempted to turn around and slash at him, but I rapidly lost any sensation in my body, causing me to collapse onto the ground. ___ ___ "Tsk, meathead, can''t even deal with one person; also, get up." Said Marlin in annoyance as he glanced at Alexander''s motionless figure before approaching Simba and lightly kicking him in the back, causing him to fall over. "Dammit! What did that bastard do!? I couldn''t move!" Yelled Simba angrily as he quickly stood up and glared at Alexander, seemingly wishing to rip him to shreds. "Tch, yeah, okay, whatever. Anyways, I''ve already poisoned him, so he won''t be going anywhere; you can deal with him later; we''ve got a job to do." Remarked Marlin with a shake of his head as he sheathed his weird-looking dagger and reached down towards Lavender, only for him to suddenly disappear while a wind blade passed where he previously stood. Appearing standing at a distance, I looked towards where the attack came from, only to spot Lavender''s attacker calmly standing up despite me poisoning him, causing me to slightly frown as I used this chance to view his status panel, though what I saw surprised me. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 16 years Tier: 0 Level: 49 Experience: [91%] Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): (¨CHidden¨C) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 12,910/12,910 Vigor: 601 Endurance: 692 Agility: 455 Dexterity: 460 Intelligence: 1,174(1,291) Perception: 734(807) Traits: (¨CHidden¨C) Skills: (¨CHidden¨C) Condition: N/A //////////////////// ''He''s not even a Tier 1, yet I can hardly view his status panel, not to mention his absurd stats!'' Mused Marlin with a frown as he gazed at Alexander, who scowled before doing the same thing to them, causing them all to feel uncomfortable. "Marlin, I thought you said you poisoned him!? Why is he standing like everything is fine then!?" Exclaimed Simba angrily as he glanced at Marlin before eyeing Alexander, who was standing in between them and Lavender. "I don''t know, he must have a powerful resistance to poison; anyways, it doesn''t matter, just kill him; he''s a threat to Lavender." Said Marlin calmly as he glared at Alexander before lunging toward him at an unbelievable speed. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Gladly!" Said Simba with a ruthless expression as he charged at Alexander while clenching his paw-like hands. "Wait a second, Alexander, 16 years old? Don''t tell me! Wait, you two stop! Don''t kill him!" Muttered Lily as she viewed Alexander''s status panel before suddenly widening her eyes as she attempted to stop them, though it was already too late as they were fighting Alexander. ___ ___ Feeling that uncomfortable sensation once more as those three read my status panel, I grunted before doing the same, yet what I saw was terrible; I would''ve felt better if I had seen nothing. //////////////////// Name: Simba Rey Species: Lion Demi-human Age: 2361 years Tier: 7 Level: 4123 Experience: [32%] Class: Frenzy Brawler(Epic) Sub-Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Sub-Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Title(s):(¨CHidden¨C) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 63,430 ___ Vigor: 43,232 Endurance: 42,292 Agility: 27,0293 Dexterity: 26,933 Intelligence: 6,343 Perception: 28,333 Traits:(¨CHidden¨C) Skills:(¨CHidden¨C) Condition: N/A //////////////////// //////////////////// Name: Marlin Taly Species: Dark-Elf Age: 2359 years Tier: 7 Level: 4120 Experience: [12%] Class: Black Assassin(Epic) Sub-Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Sub-Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Title(s):(¨CHidden¨C) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 100,232 ___ Vigor: 23,413 Endurance: 17,787 Agility: 60,484 Dexterity: 31,498 Intelligence: 10,232 Perception: 30,343 Traits:(¨CHidden¨C) Skills:(¨CHidden¨C) Condition: N/A //////////////////// //////////////////// Name: Lily Carnal Species: Succubus Age: 2357 years Tier: 7 Level: 3789 Experience: [02%] Class: Lustful Cleric (Epic) Sub-Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Sub-Class: (¨CHidden¨C) Title(s):(¨CHidden¨C) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 51,584 ___ Vigor: 14,87 Endurance: 50,874 Agility: 13,847 Dexterity: 18,557 Intelligence: 51,584 Perception: 6,178 Traits:(¨CHidden¨C) Skills:(¨CHidden¨C) Condition: N/A //////////////////// I couldn''t view their entire status panel, but honestly, I didn''t need to; just their pure stats were more than enough for me to understand; beating them was wholly impossible. ''Even if I were to add all of my stats together, it still won''t amount to their lowest.'' Thought Alexander with gritted teeth as he tightened his grasp on his two greatswords, preparing to fight an unwinnable battle. Knowing I couldn''t win against even the weakest one, I started coming up with plans, but I wasn''t given much time to think as Marlin and Simba dashed toward me at such speed that I could hardly make out their figure; this was with heightened perception, too. Although my heightened perception helped me keep track of them, my body wasn''t anywhere fast enough to react, and before I could move, I was stabbed in the stomach with a different dagger, followed by another punch to the face, which flung me into the treehouse. ''F-Fuck!'' Thought Alexander as he bled golden blood from his wound, though it was healing at a visible speed. I was about to pull myself out of the tree I was somewhat embedded into, but before I could, I saw and felt Marlin stab me in the chest, his dagger penetrating deep into my heart. "I don''t know who sent you, but die a slow death for harming Lavender." Said Marlin as he plunged his dagger deep into Alexander, causing him to cough blood onto his cloak, though, to his surprise, Alexander grabbed his wrist. "NOO!!" "Heh, come along for the ride then." Remarked Alexander with a devilish smile as he tightly grabbed Marlin''s wrist before using his skill, [Fire Blast], manifesting a large and incredibly dense ball of flames enhanced by his wind mana, making it a truly powerful spell. ''Hehe, it seems like it''s time to truly test out my [Rebirth] skill.'' Thought Alexander with a wicked grin as he and Marlin were suddenly engulfed in a giant fiery explosion that shook the tree. ___ ___ ''No, I''ve got to quickly stop Marlin before he kills him; how am I supposed to tell Lavy that they killed her lover!?'' Thought Lily as she tripped Simba, stopping him from attacking Alexander again, but she was too slow to stop Marlin, who lunged forward and stabbed Alexander in the heart. "NO!!" Yelled Lily in slight fear as she ignored Simba and dashed toward the two as quickly as she could, though they were suddenly engulfed in a massive explosion before she could. "Hmph, coward, tried to take me with him." Said Marlin with a frown as he exited the intense flames without so much as a scratch; not even his cloak was burnt. "M-Marlin, p-please, tell me h-he''s still alive?" Asked Lily as she grabbed Marlin and the collar of his cloak, surprising him, though he answered nonetheless. "No, the explosion killed him in an instant; he''s nothing but a pile of ash." Replied Marlin as he gave Lily, who lifelessly slumped to the ground, a weird look. ''N-No, I can''t just give up; maybe I can save him!'' Thought Lily as she swiftly stood up and ran into the raging flames, which, despite not being a fighter, didn''t harm her thanks to her high endurance. Looking around, I tried to find any semblance of body remains, but after searching around, I found nothing, causing me to slump again on the ground in defeat. ''W-What am I supposed to tell Lavy? We killed your lover by accident, oops?'' Thought Lily as she mockingly chuckled to herself while amidst the burning flames, though suddenly, she felt someone aggressively grab her. "Move a single muscle, and I''ll kill you." Said Alexander as he positioned one of his greatswords right on Lily''s neck, causing her to bleed slightly. "A-Alexander is t-" Asked Lily in glee, though she was interrupted as she felt the greatsword dig into her neck. "You open your mouth again, and I''m killing you." Stated Alexander angrily as he tightened his hold on Lily. ___ ___ Seeing that my hostage had finally shut up, I exited the fire while carrying her with me, making sure to keep my greatsword right on her neck, lest she tries to escape, as that''ll be an easy thing for her to do; I just hope, I''m quick enough to kill her before then. Once I exited the fire, I saw both Simba and Marlin approaching Master, though before they could harm her, I made my presence known first. "Touch her, and I''m killing your friend!" Yelled Alexander as he eyed Simba and Marlin, who were utterly shocked to see him still alive. "H-How, h-he turned himself into ash?" Muttered Marlin in disbelief as he observed Alexander, nearly believing he was hallucinating. Chapter 73: New Skill Seeing the two stop moving, I threatened them again, tightening my hold on Lily, my hostage, which forced them to slowly back away, just as intended, though from their stance, they were prepared to lunge right at me at a moment''s notice. "I don''t know how you survived that explosion, but you don''t want to do this; harm Lily, and I''ll rip your guts out and feast upon your corpse." Said Simba solemnly as he glared at Alexander angrily while Marlin stood motionlessly beside him, though his eyes never once left Alexander''s figure. Despite his threatening words, which I could tell were truthful, I wasn''t phased; I couldn''t show fear before these people while Master was so vulnerable; I needed to do everything I could to keep her safe. With the two having backed away, I slowly moved in between them and Master; while I wanted to check up on her condition, I didn''t have the freedom to do so, not when I was facing off against such powerful enemies when just a blink of my eyes was enough for me to end up dead. Still, although I had managed to capture one of their friends and forced them to retreat from Master, I was stuck in a dilemma; I had no idea what to do. I couldn''t kill Lily. Sure, that would make it a two vs. one instead of a three vs. two, but really, it wouldn''t make a difference; they were so much stronger than me that even if there were only one of them, I would have no chances of winning. Right now, I''m merely prolonging the inevitable as I attempt to formulate a feasible plan. ''Dammit! If only I could''ve killed Marlin in that explosion; fuck, there is no point in thinking about Ifs. How do I beat them!?'' Thought Alexander with cold eyes as he analyzed his situation, though all he managed to come up with were failures. "A-A-Alexander-" Said Lavender weakly between her heavy breathing, her voice causing Alexander to look behind him, which was all Marlin needed. "Ma-" Said Alexander worriedly, though he couldn''t even finish half a word before he felt a tremendous pain on his face, flinging him back into the tree. ''F-Fuck, I-I can''t feel my body again!'' Thought Alexander, his neck having been twisted a full one-eighty degrees, though his condition was worse than previously, as he had lost sensation from his entire body. Let alone move my mouth; I couldn''t even breathe; I had lost function in my entire body; it felt like I was trapped within myself, and I didn''t like it one bit. Thankfully, my body''s healing capabilities worked faster than usual, and within seconds, I could feel the sensation of my body slowly return to me while my neck was getting set back into place, which caused me to see the scene of them grabbing Master, though weirdly enough Lily was running towards me. "Alexander, listen to me, my name is Lily, we''re Lav-" Stated Lily as she looked up at Alexander, astonished he was still alive, though before she could finish speaking, he had caught her off. "S-SHUT UP! Don''t talk to me. I don''t know what you want with Master, but I will kill you three!" Yelled Alexander angrily as he looked at Lily while lightning emerged from his body and surrounded him, forming an ethereal blue aura. I finished perfecting my new skill, [Lightning Cloak], yesterday, or more accurately, I should say that I perfected it enough to the point where the system considered it a skill; I had intended to display it during my spar with Master, hopefully, to catch her by surprise and finally win, though that doesn''t look like that''ll be happening anytime soon. Lightning Cloak(Epic)¨Clvl1: [Significantly increases the user''s strength, endurance, agility, and reflexes] I was very surprised the system considered my skill an Epic ranked one, considering I had copied it from a show I watched in my past life, but either way, it was very powerful; with this skill, I could finally react fast enough to my enhanced perception. Grabbing the trunk of the tree I was embedded into, I lunged right past Lily, and without a shred of mercy, I sliced down at her with my greatswords, though even with my enhanced speed, she was still able to evade my attack, which caused me to frown, but I had expected that. The sheer difference in our stats was so significant that my skill wouldn''t be enough to bridge the gap, and I knew it; still, it would help me better react to them, not to mention it also helped protect me from their attacks. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ignoring Lily, I dashed straight for Marlin and Simba, who were, much to my anger, manhandling Master, causing me to swing my greatswords, launching two [Void Slash]''s at them, which, despite their bodies being incredibly tough because of their high endurance, still forced them to dodge given the space elements unique properties. "I''m done with you! I''m killing you!" Yelled Simba angrily with a roar as long claws showed themselves from his paw-like hands before he lunged at Alexander, who fearlessly confronted him. Seeing Simba lunge right for me, I absorbed one of my greatswords back into my body and tightly grasped Trina with both hands as I brought her above my head, causing her to emit a bright purplish glow before swinging her down. ''Divine Judgment!'' Said Trina with a happy smile at the fact of Alexander finally using her strongest and only skill, [Divine Wrath]. Slashing down at the rapidly incoming Simba, Trina sucked up precisely fifty percent of my maximum mana before launching it towards Simba in the form of a large purplish sword wave that destroyed everything in its path, the ground, air, and even the very fabric of space wasn''t spared from destruction. "I-Is that Divinity?" Muttered Marlin with furrowed brows as he watched the large purple wave head straight for Simba, sensing minute traces of divinity in the attack. As it was my first time using the skill, I had no idea how strong it actually was, but given the fact that it''s on a Mythical artifact, it must be powerful, and my assumption was correct since when it collided with Simba, it erupted into a small explosion that was quite pathetic given how much mana it absorbed; however, despite the dense dust and smoke, I was able to see Simba. He was still alive, but there was a large bloody gash on his body; the attack was without a doubt powerful, but it or I should say I, wasn''t powerful enough to finish the job. ''Dammit! He''s still alive! Hopefully, he can''t fight anymore, at least.'' Thought Alexander as he summoned his other greatsword back and lunged toward Marlin, who was still busy looking for Simba. Marlin was probably the most problematic one so far, and while I would''ve preferred to use [Divine Wrath] on him, he seemed much more cautious than Simba, so I doubted he would take the attack head-on. However, while dashing toward Marlin, I sensed something coming from my right, and I was barely able to react in time by bringing one of my greatswords to my side, blocking a claw swipe from Simba, though the force still flung be a distance away. "Now I know why they sent you; with an attack like that, you''d be able to actually kill her." Said Simba with a ferocious grin as he glared at Alexander while he profusely bled from the large gash on his body that extended from his left ankle to his left shoulder. "Fool, that attack held small traces of divinity; next time, dodge. Also, don''t kill him; we can get information out of him." Said Marlin as he looked at Simba''s injury before glancing at an angry Alexander, who came dashing right towards the two. "Be cautious; who knows whether he still has something else up his sleeve." Advised Marlin with a frown, though like usual, Simba ignored his words and lunged toward Alexander, causing him to sigh in annoyance. ___ ___ "Lavy, are you okay!?" Asked Lily as she got on her knees and placed her hands atop Lavender''s abdomen, using one of her many healing skills, which helped to slowly lessen the pain. "Urgh, I-I''m o-okay, h-how''s A-Alexander?" Asked Lavender weakly as she opened her half-lidded eyes and looked at Lily. "Umm, h-he''s fine for now, but because of Simba jumping to conclusions, we''ve started off on the wrong foot, so please hurry and stop them." Stated Lily with an awkward smile as she looked behind her, only to see Simba and Marlin clawing, cutting, slicing, and stabbing Alexander, littering him with countless wounds, which were healing within a matter of a few seconds, allowing him to continue fighting despite the massive strength difference. "I-I understand, haa, that fool; h-help me stand up. A-Alexander can take a b-beating, but he won''t last a-against Simba." Said Lavender; some strength has returned to her body thanks to Lily''s healing. With Lily''s assistance, I slowly managed to stand back onto my own two feet, though I was mostly leaning on her shoulder; thanks to my condition, my vision was blurry, but I was still able to make out Alexander fighting against Simba and Marlin. Granted, if it weren''t for his skill [Rebirth], he''d have been defeated within a few seconds, but still, seeing him last that long against my old party members, even if they were considerably holding back, instilled me with a prideful feeling, though as I needed to stop this fight, I quickly took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air. "STOP!!" Yelled Lavender loudly, her words causing the three men to instantly halt as they looked at her. "Master!" Said Alexander in worry when he noticed Lily standing beside her. "Leader! Lavender." Said Simba and Marlin, respectively, as they also looked at Lavender. "Huh?" Remarked Alexander, Simba, and Marlin in confusion as the three glanced at each other. Chapter 74: Lavenders Rest "Leader?" Remarked Alexander in confusion as he looked at Simba and Marlin. "Master?" Muttered Marlin, in doubt while observing Alexander. ''Wait a second, Simba, Marlin, Lily; those are the names in Master''s party!'' Thought Alexander with widened eyes as he glanced at the three. Now that I thought about it, not only did they have the same name, but their class was also the same; there was no way this was a coincidence, and if it were, that would be insane. Looking at Marlin and Simba, noticing their will to fight diminishing, I backed away while deactivating my [Lightning Cloak] as we stood there calmly observing each other. However, that didn''t last for long since I remembered Master''s condition, causing me to ignore them as I sprinted towards her. "Master, are you okay!?" Exclaimed Alexander in worry as he recalled his two greatswords into his body and dashed toward Lavender, causing Simba and Marlin to do the same. "Yeah, Leader, are you okay?" Asked Simba with eyes of concern as he rapidly appeared before Lavender and Lily, followed by Marlin and then Alexander. "I-I''m f-fine, j-just an o-old wound acting u-" Replied Lavender with a pale face, though she started violently coughing, causing her to spit out some blood. "Dammit, Lavy, don''t lie to us; we''re trying to help!" Stated Lily angrily as she once again started to heal Lavender; well, that was until she was suddenly taken into Alexander''s arms. "Hey, where are you taking Lavy, Alexander!? I need to heal her!" Exclaimed Lily as she, Simba, and Marlin followed Alexander, though none of them stopped him. "I''m taking Master to her room!" Yelled Alexander as he dashed to the front of the tree house and jumped from branch to branch, quickly climbing the tree until he arrived at the front door. Busting right through the door, I ran through the entire house and entered Master''s room, only to immediately turn around and exit as her room was still filthy from last night''s lovemaking session. Closing the door behind me, I squeezed my way through the three who were following closely behind me and ran towards my room, which thankfully didn''t smell of sex, as I gently set Master down on my bed. "I''ll be right back!" Said Alexander as he once again ran out of the room, confusing the three, though they were more concerned with Lavender''s condition, so they didn''t question it. Running through the house once more, I entered Master''s office and rummaged through her shelves, and unfortunately, while I didn''t find what I was looking for, I found a beaker, which was all I really needed. Sprinting back to my room, using the walls as my breaks as I slammed into them, I busted into my room and ran to my bed, kneeling beside Lily, who was attempting to heal Master. "An empty beaker? How''s that useful?" Questioned Lily with a frown as she glanced at Alexander, her confusion only deepening when she saw him summon his weapon from his body. "It''s not what I was intentionally looking for, but it''ll work." Replied Alexander as he set the beaker on the bed and placed his hand right over it before slicing his wrist with Trina, causing his viscous golden blood to spill into the beaker. "That smells good." Muttered Simba with a slightly hungry gaze as he looked at the beaker, filling up with Alexander''s golden blood. "Golden blood; does he have a unique bloodline?" Whispered Marlin with a slight frown as he intently observed the beaker, wanting to inspect it with his skill, though he held back his desire, unlike a certain Dryad. "What the? Don''t tell me you''re going to make Lavy consume that?" Asked Lily with uncertainty as she gazed at Alexander, who nodded his head in response. "It''s the best healing potion we''ve got access to. Master, open your mouth." Said Alexander, glancing at Lily before absorbing Trina back into his body as he grabbed the beaker and hovered it over Lavender''s mouth, waiting for her to open it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "D-Don''t tell me w-what I think t-that is, Alexander?" Asked Lavender as she tilted her head toward Alexander and gazed upon him through her blurry vision, though when she saw him nod, she sighed before eventually listening to his words. Once Master opened her mouth, I grabbed her chin with one hand and used my other hand to steadily tilt the beaker, pouring my blood into her mouth, and almost instantly, I was able to notice the changes taking place. Her face was regaining its previous vibrant color, her coughing and wheezing significantly diminished, her breathing returned to normal, and she no longer seemed to be in pain. "Eh, it actually worked?" Muttered Lily in surprise when she saw Lavender''s condition instantly improve, though she still continued healing her. "Master, do you feel better?" Asked Alexander as he set the beaker down and leaned in closer, though all he heard was her soft, rhythmic breathing. "She''s sleeping, let''s not disturb her." Commented Marlin quietly as he glanced at Lavender, his eyes softening considerably before turning around and exiting the room while dragging Simba with him. "Aw, but I want to stay with Leader." Remarked Simba in a downcast expression, though all that earned him was a smack to the head by Marlin. "Shut up. Didn''t I say Lavender was sleeping?" Said Marlin angrily as his and Simba''s voices got quieter the further they went. Seeing that Master was sleeping, I sighed and backed away, but I continued to stay kneeling beside her, and just as I was about to inspect Master''s status panel with my eyes for the first time, I felt someone tap my shoulder, causing me to halt my actions and look up at Lily. "We should leave Lavy alone; after what''s happened, she''s mentally exhausted and needs some time to recuperate and get back to full health." Said Lily softly as she looked at the sleeping Lavender before quietly leaving the room, prompting Alexander to nod and do the same. "Haa, you''re right." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he lovingly looked at Lavender before standing up and following Lily, only for her to stop him once he reached the door. "Before you do that, put on some clothes first, will you? You''ve been naked ever since that suicidal explosion, and while you''ve got an incredible body that I would love to taste, it''s not very appropriate to walk around naked." Said Lily with a slight smirk as she stopped Alexander with her hand and pointed towards his groin. Just as Lily said, when I looked down, my clothes were gone, and I was completely naked, my manhood bare for all to see. "T-Thanks for telling me." Replied Alexander with a deep blush of embarrassment as he closed the door, though even so, he still heard Lily''s chuckling. ___ ___ Exiting my room, wearing clothes this time, I closed the door behind me and headed towards where I heard talking, which so happened to be the kitchen. "Ah, there he is! We were just talking about you, Leader''s disciple!" Said Simba with a giant smile, displaying his sharp teeth and several fangs, while Alexander wryly smiled in response. "Tch, is that all you''ve got to say, Simba? Don''t you, I don''t know, have something to apologize for?" Questioned Lily with a frown as she glared at Simba while healing his wound; Marlin stayed silent. "Sorry for attacking you; I just saw Leader hurt, and you were running towards her with large swords, so I thought you were the culprit. Sorry." Stated Simba with an awkward smile while rubbing his head, a slightly comical sight given his intimidating appearance, especially with the large gaping wound. "Eh, well, it''s understandable; I might''ve done the same thing If I was in your shoes." Replied Alexander forced a smile while thinking back to the attack, which had left him paralyzed for some time. "Anyways, here you go, Simba. I''m sure that wound hurts; this should help heal it." Added Alexander as he reached into his pouch and grabbed the beaker, which was filled with his blood, before handing it to Simba, who quickly drank it. "Ahh, that was delicious! Can I have some more?" Asked Simba with eager eyes as he downed the entire beaker in one gulp while completely ignoring the fact that his large wound was visibly healing. "No, that''s his blood." Said Marlin as he snatched the beaker out of Simba''s hand and handed it to Alexander. "Though speaking of that, Alexander, you shouldn''t just expose the healing properties of your blood like that; I don''t know exactly how powerful it is, but that doesn''t really matter. If people discover your blood''s abilities, you''ll be hunted down and used as a blood bank." Stated Lily seriously while inspecting Simba''s wound, which had fully healed; if it weren''t for the blood, no one would suspect a thing. "I know; Master had already informed me about that several times; she would constantly say that if anyone found out that Mythical blood flowed through my veins, I''d be hunted by every faction in existence." Said Alexander calmly with a nod as he walked toward the sink to rinse out the beaker, not even realizing how much of a shock his words caused within the three. "D-did you just say Mythical blood?" Asked Marlin with widened eyes as he, Simba, and Lily turned and eyed Alexander in disbelief. "Yeah, but it''s actually not blood; it''s called [Heroes Ichor], but they are pretty much the same thing, in my opinion." Replied Alexander with a nod as he corrected himself, only to turn around and find the three looking at him in pure astonishment. Chapter 75: The Calm Before The Storm "Hmm, is something the matter? I''m not somehow still naked, am I?" Questioned Alexander in confusion as he looked down, which only deepened his confusion when he found everything was fine. "D-Did you Ichor?" Asked Lily slowly as she, Simba, and Marlin stared at Alexander in disbelief; although they didn''t have the same skill as Lavender, they could still somewhat determine Alexander wasn''t lying. "Yes, [Heroes Ichor]; I don''t know what Ichor actually is, though I''m pretty sure it''s something unique." Replied Alexander with a nod as he reached into the pouch and grabbed his apron. "Anyone hungry? I may not be that strong, but I''m confident in my culinary skills." Added Alexander with a prideful smirk as he puffed out his chest, accentuating his apron and causing the three to nearly laugh. "Y-Yeah, I''d love something to eat." Said Simba greedily as he suppressed his chuckle while looking at Alexander''s apron that read, "Master''s little disciple". Nodding my head at Simba, I opened the fridge and grabbed a whole bunch of ingredients, and although Lily nor Marlin had answered, I still intended to make them some food; besides, while it didn''t seem like it, I was very anxious and irritable. I just needed something to keep me busy and my mind preoccupied for some time to sort everything out; I had to thank my traits once more, as without it, I felt like I''d be having a mental breakdown. "Anyways, about your, [Heroes Ichor]; Ichor is the term used to describe Godly or Draconic blood. The only people possessing Ichor are Gods, Dragons, Demi-Gods, and Half Dragons. Yet, seeing how you''re a human, that already eliminates 2/4, and while you could be a Demi-God or God in disguise, from the way you fought, excluding the fact that you could be hiding your true power, the way you fought was rather mediocre." Stated Marlin calmly while observing Alexander cooking, his words causing him to nearly make a mistake. "Eh, well, to be fair, the only humanoid I''ve fought against is Master, and unlike you two, It was never in close-quarters combat, which I lean more towards." Remarked Alexander as he glanced at Marlin and Simba before focusing on his task. "Haa, that''s not what Marlin was getting at; he''s merely stating how exceedingly rare and valuable your blood is and how dangerous it is for you to speak about it, especially to people you''ve only met an hour ago, not even taking into account the fact that we enemies for half that." Lily said with a sigh as she looked at Alexander while frowning, feeling he wasn''t all that different from Simba. "I appreciate the concern, guys, but there is no need to worry; I may be young, but I''m not stupid. I know where, when, and most importantly, who to speak to about things like this, and you three are definitely trustworthy; after all, you were a part of Master''s party." Replied Alexander with a slight smile as he glanced at the three, only to be taken aback when he saw them as their hearts were suddenly filled with unbridled rage. "Tch, well, that should''ve been the case." Muttered Simba quietly in anger as he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, a calming exercise Lavender taught him. "Are you guys fine? What''s the deal for the sudden anger?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow and a frown as he used [Heroes Gaze] to glean deeper information about their emotions, though before he could, their hearts returned to normal. ''Hmm, weird.'' Mused Alexander as he suspiciously eyed the three before shaking his head and continuing to cook, though he made sure not to forget. "Just a heads up, but before any of you lie to me, I can see through lies, so they aren''t effective against me; it''s also why I can tell you three are trustworthy." Stated Alexander with a frown while cooking as his movements became slightly more aggressive. My words had caused us to descend into silence for some time, as I''m sure they understood what I was referring to when I brought it up; after all, having lived with Master for sixteen, nearly seventeen years, I''d be stupid to have not pieced together the subtle hints Master would show whenever I ask her about her past, specifically in regards to her adventuring days. She''d always refrain from speaking about her party members, but from what I could tell, they seemed to be friendly with each other, not to mention I could tell they all deeply cared and respected Master; none of those things were hidden from my eyes. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Still, I could tell something was abnormally wrong with Master; lately, I''ve noticed her skin had been losing its vibrance while she, herself, has become much less energetic. She usually spends her time in her office, so Master was never active, to begin with, but for the last month or so, she''s turned into a sloth with how little she moves; in fact, I''ve been carrying her around a lot of places, such as to the toilet, her office, the pond outside, and finally her or my bedroom. I never bothered to ask why Master wanted me to carry her around as I simply enjoyed assisting her, and I''d gladly do it without question, though the main reason was that I had a strong feeling she''d ignore my question. Master can''t lie to me, and if she wanted me to know, she''d have told me on her own accord, and since she didn''t, that could only mean one thing: she didn''t want me to know. Which was worrying and out-of-character for Master; sure, she has things she''d like to keep secret from me, but if that''s the case, she''d just tell me I shouldn''t know while making a funny quip. Nevertheless, I think the most out-of-character thing for Master is that she''s been spending far more time with me, again, something I''m glad about; however, she hasn''t been inside her office for long periods of time in the last few weeks, and I know how passionate she is about alchemy. Add all those problems together, and you get a terrible foreboding feeling, just like the one I''ve been having for several days. "Master." Muttered Alexander quietly while tightly gripping the pan, causing the handle to deform underneath his powerful strength, and just before he could lash out in anger, a somewhat high-pitched chirp sounded throughout the house. "Alex, Alex! I-I need to tell you something!" Yelled Talis in worry as she flew through the kitchen window, landing on the counter while shaking his arm with her talons, unknowingly succeeding in calming Alexander. "Heh, just the bird I''ve been wanting to see; where''ve you been? You''ve missed a lot of important stuff." Said Alexander with a soft smile as he stroked Talis''s smooth feathers, though she wasn''t in the mood for such things. "Now isn''t the time, Alex! I just saw three very dangerous people who looked similar to you and Miss Lavender!" Declared Talis anxiously, her body shivering in slight fear when she remembered the Marlin''s eyes. "Aww, It''s the cute little bird from before." Said Lily as she stood up and swiftly approached Talis, who suddenly looked in her direction, noticing Simba, Lily, and finally Marlin. "Eh, that would''ve been helpful several minutes ago, Talis, but you''re kind of late now. Let''s get you caught up." Remarked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he shook his head and recounted the last hour''s events while Talis, much to her annoyance, was within Lily''s embrace listening to him. ___ ___ "So that''s why they are here; they are Miss Lavender''s friends." Muttered Talis as she looked at Lily, who was still hugging her, Simba, and Marlin, though they could only hear cute little chirps. "Yes, though, what I want to know is, why did you arrive so late? With your speed, you should''ve returned home within 30 seconds after your first encounter with them, yet it''s been nearly an hour." Questioned Alexander as he separated the food into five plates while suspiciously eyeing Talis, who looked away in embarrassment. "I flew far away and ended up getting lost." Replied Talis in embarrassment, refusing to elaborate further on her story. Talis was obviously not telling the whole story, but since she was present, I didn''t bother to force her to tell me, not like she would, so given her stubborn nature, I''d have a better chance of winning against Lily, Simba or Marlin before I manage to bypass her stubbornness. ''Well, maybe I''m exaggerating a little.'' Mused Alexander with a shake of his head as he carried two plates and floated the remaining three with his wind mana while walking toward the table. "I didn''t have anything prepared, so I just made plain old rice with Runebear steak; hopefully, you all enjoy it." Said Alexander with a smile as he set the plates down before sitting in the last open chair while Talis was finally allowed freedom from Lily. "Well, I expect it to be delicious as Lavy had spoken well of your food." Remarked Lily with a slight smirk as she grabbed a fork and knife, cut up a piece of steak, and consumed it, only for her eyes to widen. "This is amazing!" Stated Simba loudly with a smile as he forwent any utensils and started eating with his hands, which was much quicker. "Delicious." Said Marlin with a nod, and unlike Simba, he had proper etiquette. "It''s not the best food we''ve ever had, but for you to have only been cooking for almost seven years, this is incredible! I''m starting to get really jealous of Lavy; why does she get such an amazing disciple? Not only is he strong for his age and handsome, he''s a great cook too." Declared Lily with a smile before frowning in envy as she looked at Alexander, who wryly smiled in response. Chapter 76: Alexander & Lily After we finished eating lunch, for the remainder of the day we conversed, mainly getting to know each other a little better, though, to my surprise, Lily knew quite a lot about me despite this being the first time meeting; actually, she seemed to know a little too much about me if I''m being honest. I also don''t know if it''s because she''s a Succubus, but she kept giving me suggestive looks, and while I found her to be very sexy, I couldn''t think about stuff like that, given Master''s condition; besides, I was already married; well, in name only but that''s all that matters. Anyways, time moved by faster than I thought, and speaking with Master''s old party members helped ease my mind if just a little, but night eventually arrived, and although they were hiding it rather well, I could tell they were just as worried for Master as I was, and it was weighing heavy on their hearts; especially Lily''s. "It''s getting late; I don''t know about you two, but I''ll be heading to sleep; all that walking was exhausting." Said Lily with a yawn as she stood up and stretched, her words prompting everyone else to stand up as well. "Yeah, I just remembered Master had said this forest was more than 200 kilometers away from the nearest source of civilization; it must''ve been a long walk. I would offer you all some beds, but the only one that''s vacant is Master''s, so unless you three wish to sleep together." Stated Alexander with a nod as he looked at Lily, Simba, and Marlin with an awkward smile, though they quickly shut down his offer. "No need, I''m used to sleeping outside; besides, Lily is wild in her sleep." Remarked Marlin as he glanced at Lily before nodding at Alexander and heading towards the house''s entrance. "I appreciate the offer, Leader''s disciple, but Lily can have it; I''m the same as Marlin; I''m also used to sleeping outside." Said Simba with a smile as he patted Alexander on the shoulder, dislocating it in the process before he followed behind Marlin while making sure to be quiet as he passed Alexander''s room. "Goodnight, Marlin and Simba." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he did a reduction on his shoulder, popping it back into place. With Marlin and Simba having left, it was just Lily and I; Talis had left a little earlier, probably because of Lily''s consistent touching, which was understandable. "So then, Alexander, now that it''s just the two of us, mind showing me Lavy''s room?" Asked Lily in a slightly sultry voice as she neared Alexander, staring right into his purple, crystal-like eyes, with her bright pink eyes capable of bewitching both men and women alike. "Yes, just follow me." Replied Alexander with a nod as he turned around and walked away, completely ignoring Lily''s seduction attempts. Approaching Master''s room, I opened it, only to immediately close it behind me while blocking access to it with my body, causing Lily to give me a weird look. ''I forgot, Master''s room still hasn''t been cleaned!'' Thought Alexander with a troubled expression while looking at Lily, who glanced at the door behind him before smirking. "Is something the matter, Alexander? Why did you shut the door? Is there possibly something inside Lavy''s room that you don''t want me to see?" Questioned Lily with a smirk as she approached Alexander, pressing her voluptuous breasts against his body, though just like before, it hardly aroused him. "N-No, it''s just dirty; I''m sure you know better than me how messy Master can be; you''ve lived with her far longer than I have." Replied Alexander awkwardly as he glanced at Lily''s breasts before looking back into her eyes, his complete indifference starting to irk Lily. "You''re not wrong; Lavy is known to be quite unorganized when it comes to alchemy, though other than that, she is usually quite clean, so I''m sure it''s not as bad as you make it out to be. Besides, Lavy is my best friend; I''ve dealt with her worst and best sides, so her dirty room won''t be enough to disgust me." Stated Lily with a nod before smirking as she grabbed Alexander''s hand, which was resting on the door handle, and forcefully opened it with her superior strength. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "S-Still, Lily, a-at least let me tidy it up a little; you''re my guest right now. Y-You don''t need to open it, I-I''ve got it, Lily!" Declared Alexander anxiously as he tried his damnedest to stop Lily, though his efforts were all in vain, and in a matter of a few seconds, the door was fully opened. ''Ugh, great, now she''s going to know Master, and I''ve done it; I just hope she doesn''t think badly of her now.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh while lying on the ground and rubbing his face, knowing his relationship with Lavender was taboo, at least from his knowledge. "Oh my, is this what you were trying to hide from me? Such a sweet smell; it''s amazing." Remarked Lily with a smile as she inhaled the marinating scent before approaching the bed, only to grab the blankets and stuff it into her face. To say I didn''t find Lily''s actions weird would be me lying; she looked like a complete pervert as she deeply inhaled the blankets that had soaked up who knows what juices. However, I just attributed it to her being a succubus, so it probably wasn''t that weird. Maybe. Sighing, I stood up and closed the door, I didn''t need anyone else finding out about my and Master''s relationship. "Haa, listen, Lily, could you please keep this a secret? I know our relationship is taboo; I don''t want you or anyone else to think less of Master, so could you not tell anyone?" Asked Alexander as he hung his head in defeat while approaching Lily, who was still busy stuffing her face with blankets. "Hmm, who said your relationship with Lavy was taboo?" Remarked Lily with a raised eyebrow as she turned and looked at Alexander, her words seemingly rejuvenating him. "R-Really!?" Exclaimed Alexander joyfully, not even bothering to check if she was lying. "Hehe, no, it''s definitely taboo; most people won''t blame you, but they''ll shun Lavy. After all, she''s supposed to be the Master who guides and disciplines her students, yet here she is lusting after her own disciple." Remarked Lily with a slight smirk as she watched the happy Alexander turn back into his depressed self. "However, since Lavy is my best friend, I''ll keep it a secret, but under one condition." Added Lily with a mischievous smirk as she dropped the blanket and neared Alexander, pressing her body against him while grabbing his manhood through his pants. Without even explicitly saying anything, I knew what she was referring to; she''s a succubus, after all, and while I wasn''t keen on the idea of having sex with someone other than Master, especially given her current state. Not even taking into account how disrespectful it would be to do it, not only in her house but on her bed, to boot; still, I didn''t want Master to be shunned by her friends she''d adventured with for hundreds of years. "Haa, f-fine, but are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you''d be sleeping with your best friend''s lover; wouldn''t this ruin your relationship with Master?" Replied Alexander with a sigh of defeat as he nodded, though he still tried to weasel his way out. "She''ll definitely be angry with me, but it won''t be the first time she''s been angry; she''ll get over it. Besides, after seeing your cock, It has been hard to contain myself." Said Lily with a lustful smirk as she led Alexander to the side of the bed and pushed him onto it before getting on her knees right in the middle of his legs. It seemed Lily wasn''t wasting any time as she pulled down, or more accurately ripped my pants off my body, revealing my manhood for her to see; granted, it wasn''t the first time, but the circumstances were much different than before. "You''re definitely special; even before a Succubus, you''re still flaccid; I can already tell you''re a monster in the sheets. You probably make Lavy orgasm like crazy." Remarked Lily with an excited expression as she closely observed Alexander''s manhood, even going so far as to sniff it, though her actions only served to arouse him as he finally stopped suppressing his lust. "T-Thanks for the compliment. It means quite a lot coming from a Succubus, but could you please not mention Master? It makes me uncomfortable ~Urgh~." Said Alexander awkwardly while looking down at Lily, who suddenly grabbed his semi-erect member with her soft, dainty hands, causing him to grunt in pleasure. "My goodness, you''re an absolute unit; such an impressive cock; it''s so long and girthy for a human." Muttered Lily as she gazed upon Alexander''s erect manhood with eagerness while gently stroking it. ''~Urgh~ her hands feel so good; I-I''m not going to last long at all.'' Thought Alexander with uneven breathing as he felt Lily increase in intensity, causing him to grunt even more. "F-Fuck ~Urgh~ I-I''m going to ~Urgh~ Cum!" Yelled Alexander, causing Lily to grin, though before he could ejaculate, Lily tapped the head of his manhood, injecting mana into it and taking away his ability to ejaculate. "Hehe, not so fast, Alexander; I''ve got to enjoy myself a little." Said Lily with a mischievous grin as she continued stroking Alexander''s member while also sucking it, causing him to reach an all-new level of pleasure he had never felt with Lavender. Chapter 77: Alexander & Lily Caught!?(R18) The feeling of being unable to ejaculate was painful, not to add the fact that Lily kept sucking on my manhood while stroking it, which only served to increase the pain; yet, as masochist as it sounded, the pleasure far outweighed the pain. Every minute or so, I could feel myself wanting to ejaculate, yet I obviously couldn''t, thanks to Lily doing something to my member, which blocked the flow of my semen. "F-Fuck ~Urgh~, l-let me c-cum Lily ~Urgh~; otherwise, my penis m-might ~Urgh~ actually explode!" Stated Alexander through his grunts of pleasure as he laid back on the bed while vividly feeling Lily''s soft, warm, and wet mouth devour his manhood while licking it with her tongue. "~Urgh~ I-I''m c-cuming again!" Said Alexander as he reached forward and grabbed Lily''s head, pushing her face to the base of his member, forcefully shoving all ten inches into her mouth and throat; yet, despite that, like several other times, nothing emerged from his penis. The sensation of cumming, yet not being able to, was torturous since it gave the same feeling of ejaculating without actually doing it; having experienced this, I don''t doubt she''s broken numerous men with this technique. "What a beast, Alexander; that would''ve been your 37th ejaculation within an hour. I''m truly jealous of Lavy. Not only are you an amazing disciple, but your sex drive is immaculate; even an Incubus would have trouble staying hard after cumming that many times in such a short time frame." Said Lily with an envious smile while removing Alexander''s cock from her mouth and resting it atop her face as she glanced at the door, smirking in response. Despite my state, I still liked her compliments since I could tell she wasn''t lying. As a man, being praised by women for your sex drive, in my opinion, was worthy of being happy about, not to mention when said woman was a succubus, which is possibly the hardest woman to impress sexually. "T-Thanks; s-so can I c-cum now, please?" Replied Alexander while panting for breath as he lifted his head and looked at Lily, who suddenly grabbed the collar of her shirt. Watching Lily remove her shirt, I saw her large blue breasts spill out, and to say they weren''t possibly the sexiest breasts I''d ever seen would be me lying; as much as I don''t like to admit, Master can''t beat Lily in terms of sex appeal. Unlike Master''s body, where I just wanted to care for and treat her with affection while making passionate love, I wanted to ravage Lily''s body like a beast whose sole purpose was to have sex, though I held myself back, which wasn''t too difficult, just a little challenging. "I must give you props, Alexander; despite seeing having been given a blowjob by a Succubus and seeing her breasts, you''re still able to think clearly; most men would''ve fallen to my temptation before any of this even started. I''ve encountered very few men throughout my life that can keep a level head while I pleasure them." Remarked Lily with a lustful smirk as she raised her breasts and plopped them onto Alexander''s thighs, submerging his cock in between her two large melons. "However, yes, I''ll allow you to cum; all you must do is say something." Added Lily with a grin as she squished her breasts together and moved them up and down while licking the tip of Alexander''s member that poked through the top. "W-What is it?" Replied Alexander as he recoiled in pleasure, feeling a titjob for the first in his life. "Between Lavy and me, who would you rather have sex with?" Asked Lily with a mischievous smirk while intently looking at Alexander as she increased the intensity of her titjob. "~Urgh~ y-you; I-I''d rather have sex with you ~Urgh~" Replied Alexander without any hesitation, though his response caused Lily to frown. "Me? I thought you loved Lavy; wouldn''t you rather have sex with her then?" Remarked Lily with a frown, though she never stopped pleasuring Alexander. "I-I do love ~Urgh~ Master, I-I love her more than anyone in the ~Urgh~ world. However, you asked who I would ~Urgh~ rather have sex with, not who I would ~Urgh~ rather make love with; there is a ~Urgh~ distinct difference between the two." Stated Alexander, his words causing Lily to widen her eyes while momentarily freezing before she shook her head and continued pleasuring him. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Hmm, I see; mind telling me the difference, seeing as you''ve experienced both?" Asked Lily curiously as she glanced at the wall behind Alexander before focusing back on him. "Sex is just the act between two consenting adults to satisfy their sexual ~Urgh~ drive, nothing more, nothing less. Lovemaking, on the other hand, is an act done between lovers ~Urgh~, who wish to display their deep love and affection for one another." Said Alexander as he suddenly reached forward again and grabbed Lily''s breasts, squeezing them tightly around his member as he pistoned his hips up and down. "~URGHH~" ''Ugh, this is such a tease!'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he looked at his manhood, which had once again let nothing out despite having climaxed. "Anyways, Lily, I can see what you''re trying to do; yes, I''d rather have sex with you. You''ve already proven you''re able to satisfy me better than Master, but that''s merely only on the physical level; I could have sex with you every day, but I won''t ever feel truly delighted. However, making love with Master just once would be enough to last me a lifetime, and no matter how much you improve your sexual skills, that''s something you''ll never be able to replicate." Declared Alexander earnestly as he backed away from Lily and stared at her, his words causing her to display a smile. "As a Succubus, that''s quite irritating to hear, but as Lavy''s best friend, there aren''t many things that could top what you just said. Isn''t that right, Lavy?" Remarked Lily with a joyful smile as she looked at Alexander before shifting her attention to behind him while smirking, causing Alexander to do the same. ''Seems like you''re in trouble, Master.'' Said Trina while she sat back and watched everything. "Eh, M-M-Master!?" Exclaimed Alexander loudly as he looked at Lavender, who was calmly standing in the corner with folded arms while looking at the two, her eyes seemingly spewing forth fire. "You know, I don''t even know who to be more angry at. My best friend, or my lover and disciple." Said Lavender calmly as she rhythmically tapped her foot while glancing between the two; both could tell she was beyond infuriated. "M-Master, I-I can explain." Said Alexander nervously as he stood up and slowly approached Lavender, with no pants on, allowing his erect member to be seen. "Oh, please go ahead, Alexander; I''m curious what a cheater has to say about this." Replied Lavender with a raised eyebrow as she looked at Alexander''s exposed manhood, causing him to wince. ___ ___ "¡­That''s what happened, Master. I don''t want to take the blame away from me. I''m still very much at fault, but I also don''t want you to think I voluntarily cheated on you. You should know better than anyone. I''d never do such a thing." Stated Alexander awkwardly, sitting on the bed while looking intensely at Lavender, who just calmly sat down next to him, occasionally glancing at his erect member. "Haa, you''re still very much at fault, and I''m greatly annoyed with you, Alexander, but I''m not mad; in fact, I was never mad with you from the beginning. Even without knowing the situation, I knew you weren''t to be blamed, not when Lily was in the picture." Said Lavender with a sigh as she shook her head and looked at Alexander, who nodded before glaring at Lily, sitting in a chair in front of them. "As for you, on the other hand, I''m not even surprised; I had a feeling this was going to happen. Just to make things clear, Alexander is MY man, and that also includes his cock, Lily." Added Lavender while angrily glaring at Lily as she reached down and grasped Alexander''s exposed manhood, causing him to grunt in pleasure at her soft hand. "Hehe, I know; I just wanted to make sure my dear Lavy had found the right man and that he was able to satisfy you sexually. However, I don''t need to worry anymore; you''ve found one hell of a man, Lavy. I had no intention of having sex with him from the beginning, but after seeing how splendid his cock was, if you didn''t intervene, I definitely would''ve slept with him." Remarked Lily with a slight chuckle while glancing at Lavender before looking at Alexander, specifically his cock as she lustfully licked her lips. "I-I know this isn''t exactly the best to ask this, but could you please relieve the pain, Lily? I''d like to be able to cum again." Asked Alexander as he glanced at Lily, who smirked in response, though before she touched his member again, she looked at Lavender. "Lavy, when I remove my mana from his cock, he will shoot out 38 orgasms worth of semen, I don''t know about you, but as a Succubus, I can''t allow so much delicious food to go to waste. So either I''ll drink it up, or you-" Stated Lily with a mischievous smirk while looking at Lavender, who didn''t allow her to finish speaking. "Hmph, did I not say Alexander''s cock was mine?" Said Lavender as she glared at Lily before she stood up from her bed and got on her knees right in between Alexander''s legs, grabbing his cock and lightly sucking it. "Hehe, alright then." Muttered Lily with slight disappointment, though she shook her head and reached forward, tapping Alexander''s manhood and removing her mana. The instant Lily removed her mana, it felt like a dam had burst; all the pleasure that had been building up for nearly an hour was released all at once, causing me to do the same thing I did with Lily. Out of reflex, I grabbed Lavender''s face and shoved my manhood all the way into her mouth, even reaching the back of her throat as I spewed out what might''ve truly been a gallon of semen for the next two minutes. The pleasure was so intense I wasn''t even able to think right, and when I finally ejaculated all of the semen, I just collapsed onto the bed, too mentally exhausted to do anything. Chapter 78: Truth Revealed Despite Alexander forcefully shoving his cock deeply inside my throat as he expelled copious amounts of semen that I wouldn''t normally be able to handle, I greedily devoured it; I needed to, after all, I had to put my foot down and show Lily that I was more than capable of satisfying him. Once Alexander finally stopped cumming directly down my throat and into my stomach, which was bloated from the abundant amount of cum, he removed his cock from my mouth and fell onto the bed behind him. Quickly closing my mouth, I struggled to drink the remaining cum within my mouth as I was simply too full, but when I saw Lily looking at me with a mischievous smirk, it angered me, and against my better judgment, I slowly consumed everything within my mouth. ''Under no circumstance can I allow Lily to drink Alexander''s cum until after I''ve died, if she gets a taste of it; she''d even have sex with him while I''m watching.'' Thought Lavender with a frown as she stood up with her bloated belly and glared at Lily; it looked like she was a few months into pregnancy. "Aww, I was surely hoping you''d spill some; it smells so good, I can''t imagine just how good it tastes. Are you sure I can''t just have a little Lavy? We''re best friends, right?" Questioned Lily with a sad moan as she leaned closer to Lavender while deeply inhaling her, smelling the irresistible scent of Alexander''s semen, causing her body to subconsciously prepare for sex. "Best friends wouldn''t go behind each other''s back and sleep with their lover after I explicitly told you not to! Now, would they, Lily?" Remarked Lavender as she folded her arms and glared at Lily, who merely gave a cheeky smile while backing away before glancing at Alexander''s still erect cock with a hungry gaze. "I''ll have you soon enough; patience, Lily, patience." Muttered Lily as she lustfully licked her lips while looking at Alexander. Groaning in annoyance since I had a feeling after I left the mortal plane, Lily and Alexander would end up having lots of sex, I just shook my head and tried not to think about it since it made me angrier with her; besides, I did ask her to do it, so I didn''t really have the right to be mad with her. Looking down at my stomach, which was bloated beyond belief from just semen, I used one of my skills, [Superior Digestion], which was something I''ve rarely used, but it is pretty handy; the instance I used it, although it was slow, one was able to noticeably see my belly shrink as I rapidly digested Alexander cum and spread its nutrients throughout my body. This gave me a pleasant feeling as I felt the poison get pushed back a little; unfortunately, it was just temporary, and within less than an hour, the poison would creep back. Now that everything was out of the way, I had a feeling what the following conversation would be, and when I saw Alexander sit up and look at me with his beautiful purple crystal-like eyes, I knew it would be a rough talk. I couldn''t hide my condition from him, not anymore; even if I didn''t tell him, he would just look at my status panel; it was inevitable. ''Haa, I knew this day would come the moment we first made love; we haven''t even started talking, yet it''s far more painful than I Imagined.'' Thought Lavender in heartache while looking at Alexander as she kept a strong facade. "Master, are you feeling better? You just collapsed on the ground while we were training. Did you overuse your mana or something?" Questioned Alexander worriedly as he stood up despite still being half-nude and approached Lavender, placing his hand atop her forehead; his words, however, caused Lily to quiet down and frown while the atmosphere slowly became solemn. "Yes, Alexander, I''m fine, and no, I didn''t overuse my mana, not to mention the fact that I''ve got more mana than you still, but we had just started the spar." Replied Lavender with a sweet smile as she grabbed Alexander''s hand and firmly held it, slightly calming him. "Haa, that''s good; I was very worried." Muttered Alexander with a sigh of relief as he reached down and kissed her lips, completely forgetting that she had just swallowed his semen. "Fufu, well, you should be worried; you''re my disciple and lover; I''d feel sad if you-" Said Lavender with a lovely smile as she looked up at Alexander, who had forcefully interrupted her. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "What''s wrong with you, Master?" Asked Alexander seriously as he took on a firm expression and intently observed Lavender, her smile stiffening from his words. Internally sighing, I still tried to weasel my way out of this conversation despite knowing it was inevitable. What I wanted was for Alexander to learn of my condition until it was too late, but my efforts were in vain; just one look at his eyes, and I could tell he wouldn''t be satisfied until he learned the truth, and it didn''t help that I couldn''t lie to him, though I tried anyways. "Haa, It''s nothing you need to concern yourself with, Alexander; it''s just an old wound flaring up. After all, throughout my time, I''ve received many injuries of varying degrees. As you''ve seen, with the occasional scars on my body, I haven''t been able to heal them all." Replied Lavender calmly with a sigh as she just shook her head while dismissively waving her hand, though her very believable lie was seen right through by Alexander. "Lavender, don''t lie to me again; tell me what''s wrong with you." Said Alexander solemnly as he glared at Lavender in slight anger and firmly grabbed her by the shoulders, transmitting his concern and worry for her via the language of the trees. Hearing and feeling Alexander, I opened my mouth to say something, yet I didn''t; I couldn''t bring myself to tell him I was dying and that I had a little over a week at most to live. So I closed my mouth, and while biting my lip, I looked away, which only served to further anger him, but I''d much rather prefer his anger than what was to come. "Tch, fine, since that''s how you wish to be Master, don''t blame me." Remarked Alexander with visible signs of anger as he glared at Lavender, his purple eyes emitting a soft glow as he used [Heroes Gaze] to view her status panel. Feeling that familiar yet uncomfortable feeling of having someone forcefully pry open your status panel, I slightly tilted my head and looked at Alexander; slowly, I saw his angry expression vanish while his eyes widened, displaying numerous emotions: concern, pain, disbelief, shock, anger. Alexander''s eyes were like a kaleidoscope of emotions that changed every passing second as he viewed my status panel, and along with those ever-changing emotions, I felt his grip on my shoulder tighten to the point where it started to hurt, yet I didn''t utter so much as a sound. Knowing how much pain and heartache Alexander was experiencing and will in the near future, it would''ve been pathetic for me to complain about my measly little shoulders hurting. "T-Tell me, why, why didn''t my blood cure you?" Asked Alexander in wrath and heartache as he lifted his head and looked into Lavender''s bright orange eyes, already knowing the reason why his blood did nothing, but he couldn''t; he didn''t want to believe it. "M-Mythical poison; the poison within her system is of the Mythical rank, Alexander." Said Lily silently as she sat down and watched everything unfold, her eyes threatening to cry, though she held them back. Lily''s words caused Alexander to freeze; seeing him like that, I wanted to soothe his pain somehow, but I could tell he was furious at me; no, he was far more than furious at me. After all, I''ve been lying to him for the past sixteen years. "A-Alexander, calm down, alright, everything''s going to be fine, Lily, Simba-" Said Lavender as she grabbed his arms and transferred her emotions into Alexander while attempting to calm him, though it obviously failed. "How long, Master." Asked Alexander through gritted teeth as he looked at the ground, occasional tears falling from his face. Once again, I didn''t answer him; I had no idea what to do. I felt like every time I opened my mouth, I just caused Alexander more heartache, though he didn''t seem keen on the idea of my silence. "HOW LONG, MASTER!?" Exclaimed Alexander loudly as he looked up at Lavender with an expression of different emotions while tears streamed down his face. "4-42 years." Replied Lavender quietly, her words once again filling Alexander with an abnormal amount of pain, knowing that she was poisoned before he was even born, and that''s taking into account both of his lives. After I told him how long, he finally released my shoulders and turned around before grabbing my bed, powerfully hurling it towards the wall, causing it to break on impact. Once he started, he continued destroying everything until there was nothing left in my room to break; it was a sight that filled my heart with anguish. I didn''t care about anything in my room, so I didn''t care that Alexander destroyed everything within sight; besides, I knew he was just venting his emotions, though this wasn''t like him at all. Alexander wasn''t the aggressive type; sure, he could be aggressive at times, but he isn''t one to resort to violence, though I suppose learning someone close to you was dying and there was nothing you could do would cause anyone to act the same. I know I''d be the same, probably worse if our roles were reversed. Once he broke everything, he just stood in the middle of the room; seeing that, I approached him from behind, and while doing so, he swung his fist at me, though while I knew he was unbelievably angry with me, I knew him better than anyone so despite seeing that fist speedily heading for my face, I didn''t bother reacting. "Alexander." Said Lavender softly as she placed her hand on Alexander''s back while glancing at the fist that had stopped inches away from her head. Chapter 79: Twelve Days(R18) "Why, Master, why didn''t you tell me before?" Asked Alexander softly as he dropped his arm while Lavender hugged him from behind. "What was I supposed to say, Alexander? That my death was inevitable, and there''s nothing you could do to prevent it? If I had told you that, would you''ve just accepted it?" Questioned Lavender as she rested her head on Alexander''s back while he stood there, unsure what to do next. "No, you wouldn''t have; you would''ve left the forest, ventured out into the world, and done your damnedest in searching for a way to cure the poison; although you''ve got a life-saving skill, I couldn''t put you, my disciple, in such danger at the cost of my life. If I had done that, what kind of Master would I have been?" Added Lavender as she slowly maneuvered around his body until she was standing in front of him, looking up at his tear-stricken face. "So, you just accepted your death without any resistance?" Asked Alexander as he clenched his fists and looked down at Lavender, who was still hugging him. "Yes; the instant I drank your blood, and it didn''t cure the poison in my system, I had accepted my inevitable death. It was a Mythical poison, Alexander, and unless you or I knew some Gods or Dragons, my fate was sealed; acquiring the ingredients to make a cure for a Legendary poison is already incredibly difficult enough; there was no way Simba, Lily, and Marlin would be able to acquire the ingredients for a Mythical poison. The best I could do was use my mana to delay the poison as it slowly eroded my life away." Stated Lavender with a wry smile as she looked up at Alexander, finding solace as she embraced him. Hearing Master, I just stood there and closed my eyes; I didn''t know what I was supposed to do after learning all this; despite my intense anger for her, I wanted nothing more than to do as she just said. I wanted to venture out into the world in search of a cure for her; I may be furious with her, but my love for her didn''t change at all. Still, I also knew she was correct; from her words, it seemed like Lily, Simba, and Marlin had been searching for a cure over the past forty-two years, yet they still hadn''t accomplished it, and this was all under the assumption that the poison was Legendary. Even if one could find the cure to Master''s poison, how many years would it take? I wouldn''t care if it even took one billion years; I would never cease my search, but the problem is, would Master last that long? From what I can assume, no, in fact, I didn''t want to believe it, but when I used my [Heroes Gaze] on Master, I saw her vitality, and it was minuscule, even weaker than most of the beasts I saw in the forest, and to top it all off, it was shrinking; at the rate it was diminishing, she didn''t have long at all too live, a month at most. "H-How long do you have, Master?" Asked Alexander, opening his mouth after a few minutes of silence, having finished processing everything. "A little less than two weeks, probably about 12 days." Replied Lavender softly as she rested her head on his chest, finding his warmth comforting despite her approaching death. ''Shorter than I thought, let alone a Mythical poison; if I didn''t have my blood, I don''t even know if I''d be able to find the cure to an Uncommon poison.'' Thought Alexander, wanting to laugh, yet he couldn''t bring himself to do it. "Lily, you''re a doctor; could my blood be used to maybe make a cure? Or to be used to enhance a cure?" Asked Alexander in despair as he looked over at Lily, who had been silently standing in the corner, allowing Lavender and Alexander to have their moment. "I don''t know; none of us have ever come into contact with Mythical blood before. Besides, I wouldn''t be able to brew a cure for Lavy with a Mythical ingredient; even though it''s taken me hundreds of years to get to the level where I''m at, using Legendary ingredients is the best I can do. I wouldn''t be able to successfully brew a cure using an unknown ingredient within such a short time span; I''d need several months at the very least so I could learn its properties and how it reacts to certain items. Not to mention, we haven''t even acquired the ingredients to brew a cure for a Legendary poison; we are still missing the heart of a Hydra." Replied Lily sadly with a shake of her head while looking at Lavender''s figure, her eyes holding an untold amount of wrath. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Lily''s words didn''t affect me much; just like Master, I, too, was beginning to accept her inevitable death, so I just nodded. However, I didn''t want to; I didn''t want to accept her death, nor was I the type of person to give up when it involved a family member, not to mention my wife, Master, and mother figure. Yet, what could I realistically do? Twelve days isn''t enough for me to do anything; I know little about this world, so I''d probably end up doing something stupid and get killed. Besides, while the chances weren''t zero, how likely would I be to find a cure in time? I''ve got a better chance of getting struck by lightning ten times in a row during a sunny afternoon; at this point, it was smarter to spend the remaining twelve days by Master''s side. So, knowing that I must strive to make these next twelve days the best days of Master''s life, I wiped the tears off my face and took a deep breath before grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her away from me. "Master, I hate you so much and am utterly furious with you right now." Said Alexander with an angry expression as he looked at Lavender while transmitting the potent emotions to her, causing her to smile awkwardly. "However, I love you far more than I could ever hate or be angry with you." Added Alexander, still with an angry expression, though this time he transferred his love to Lavender, which, like always, was endless as it effortlessly swept away his previous emotions, causing her to smile softly. "Fufu, I love you too, Alexander." Said Lavender with a lovely smile as she stood on her toes and tried to kiss Alexander, though even so, she was still nearly a foot too short. Leaning down, I deeply kissed Lavender, and unsurprisingly it turned passionate and quick as we began biting our lips and sucking each other''s tongues; before I knew it, I was taking off Lavender''s clothes while she took off my shirt. "L-Lavender, are you sure? ~Urgh~ w-what about your condition?" Asked Alexander as he suddenly grunted in pleasure when he felt Lavender''s soft, dainty hands grab his manhood, which had been erect this entire time; the presence of a succubus would do that. "I-I''ve only got 1-12 ~Ahh~ days left at most; I-I want to make ~Ahh~ the m-most of it!" Replied Lavender between her moans as Alexander gently pinched her nipples while his other hand grasped her butt, forcefully molding it to his liking. As Lavender and I started to get sexually intimate, I created a strong gust of wind, which I used to clear the debris on the ground from my little rampage before pinning her onto the ground. With her on the ground, I continued kissing her while teasing her nipples, but I was also fingering her vagina, which I will say got wet real quick; all of my attacks made it hard for her to do anything except lay there and take it. "Heh, you''re so wet, Lavender; you must''ve really wanted it." Said Alexander with a smirk as he removed himself from Lavender''s lips and started kissing her neck while occasionally sucking it, leaving numerous hickeys. "~Ahh~ y-yes, I-I wanted it, Alexander, I-I''ve wanted it ~Ahh~ since I saw L-Lily sucking your large cock." Replied Lavender while moaning loudly and using vulgar words, causing Lily, who was silently watching, to be shocked by her submissiveness. ''My goodness, Lavy, you sound like such a slut! I''m so proud of you!'' Thought Lily happily with a prideful smile as she quietly clapped her hands while enjoying the sight of Alexander dominating Lavender. "Heh, well then, since my dear wife has been longing for it, I shall give it to you." Said Alexander as he retracted his face from his neck before sucking on his fingers which were just inside Lavender''s vagina, causing her to be even more aroused. "H-Hurry, Alexander; I-I want it!" Stated Lavender lustfully as she lifted her legs into the air and used her hands to spread her vagina, though all of a sudden, two pairs of hands started fondling her breasts. "L-Lilly!?" Remarked Lavender with a blush as she looked up at Lily, though she only saw a pair of large breasts swaying above her face. "Don''t give me that; there is no way you could expect me not to join you two when you look so sexy, Lavy." Said Lily with a grin, and before Lavender could open her mouth to speak, Lily suddenly kissed her, a sight that caused Alexander to just watch wordlessly in amazement. ''Lily should''ve visited much sooner.'' Thought Alexander as he watched Lily and Lavender engage in a passionate kiss. "Heh, what are you waiting for, Alexander? Pound Lavy''s hungry pussy with your massive cock!" Stated Lily with a smirk as she looked up at Alexander, sounding like a professional slut, before kissing Lavender again. Chapter 80: Alexanders Heaven 1/3(R18) Nodding at Lily''s vulgar but incredibly arousing words, without much hesitation, I plunged my shaft into Lavender, making sure to go relatively slow as even despite making love so many times, her body is only capable of stretching so much so if I take it too fast, I could hurt her; however, even so, Lavender still emitted sexy moans that reverberated through the room. I was still sensitive from Lily''s teasing, or torture as I''d like to call it, so once I felt my tip prod Lavender''s cervix, I ejaculated a few ropes of semen right into her womb, causing her to moan again, even louder than before, followed by her moans the soft, wet, squishy walls of her vagina convulsed as she squirted onto my stomach. ''Aw, what a waste.'' Thought Alexander as he started gently pumping his shaft inside Lavender while watching her love juices squirt seemingly endlessly. "~Ahh~ i-it''s too much, I-I ~Ahh~ w-won''t be able to ~ Ahh~ last!" Said Lavender between her sexy moans as she felt Alexander''s manhood pound her pussy while Lily fondled her breasts, using her succubus abilities to increase Lavy''s sensitivity greatly. "~Urgh~ y-your telling me, Lavender? We''ve ~Urgh~ only just started, yet you''ve been orgasming nonstop; it''s ~Urgh~ causing your vagina to squeeze and convulse around my shaft like crazy!" Stated Alexander through his grunts of pleasure as he lifted Lavender''s legs into the air and grabbed her ankles before licking her dainty green feet. Lavender''s vagina felt even better than usual, I don''t know if it was because of Lily''s presence or not, but I didn''t bother thinking about it; I just continued to pump Lavender''s vagina at a moderate speed while I licked her feet, which wasn''t something I had foreseen myself ever doing, but I''ve drank her pee, so this is much less weird. I don''t know if it''s because I love everything about Lavender, but her feet tasted so good; I''d lick the bottom of her soles and suck on her toes, causing her legs to shiver, but I kept a firm grip on her ankles. Grunting, I felt myself about to release again, so I upped the intensity, pumping Lavender''s wet hole even faster and harder than before; unfortunately, since Lily was fondling Lavender''s breasts, I didn''t get to see the hypnotic sight of her breasts swaying around, but I suppose Lily''s massive breasts made of up for that. Amidst Lavender''s nonstop moans, I shoved my shaft as deep as possible, once again hitting her cervix, which I''m very familiar with, before filling her womb with several more ropes of my semen while my body quickly refilled my reserves. ''With enough pleasure, I''d probably be able to ejaculate forever; Lavender isn''t capable of doing something like that, but I bet Lily is.'' Mused Alexander as he started pumping Lavender''s vagina while glancing at Lily. "Urgh! I tried to contain myself, Lavy, but I can''t wait anymore; the sound of flesh clapping together, your guy''s sexy moans and grunts, and the smell of semen is too much." Said Lily with a painful expression as she removed her hands from Lavender''s breasts and stripped naked, revealing her voluptuous blue-skinned body that was made with the sole purpose of squeezing men of their semen. "I know you''re not interested in woman Lavy, but there is no time like the present!" Added Lily lustfully as she squatted just above Lavender''s face, giving her a perfect view of her drenched pussy, and before she could say anything, Lily sat on her face. I''ve seen this happen before in porno''s back on Earth, but not once did I ever think that not only would I be lucky enough to have the opportunity to observe it in real life, but I''d also be a part of it. However, that wasn''t the most shocking thing; what shocked me was the fact that shortly after Lily sat on Lavender''s face, she wrapped her arms around Lily''s legs before eating her out, causing her to moan. "~Ahh~ right there, ~Ahh~ t-that''s the spot, that''s my sweet spot ~Ahh~ Lavy ~Ahh~ your mouth, ~Ahh~ your tongue feels soo good!" Said Lily between her incredibly erotic moans as she slightly shifted back and forth atop Lavender''s face, which was probably drenched from Lily''s pussy. Watching Lavender give Lily cunnilingus was so arousing that I couldn''t even put it into words; the only thing I could do was pump Lavender''s vagina faster than before. However, even though I knew I should be focusing on Lavender, I couldn''t keep my eyes away from Lily as I watched her sexy breasts jiggle while her vacuum of a mouth constantly released sensual moans one after another. With my eyes, I could see the pheromones excreting from her body, and I knew I was most likely being affected by them, which shouldn''t affect me, at least not to such a degree given my traits, but I guess it didn''t help much when I was already incredibly horny and aroused from making love with Lavender. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ''I don''t have any feelings of love for her, but I can''t resist the urge to have sex with her.'' Thought Alexander as he moved Lavender''s feet out of the way before leaning in towards Lily, closing her mouth with his own, surprising her. "~Ahh~ A-Alexander, w-why are you ~Ahh~ kissing me?" Asked Lily with widened eyes as she looked at Alexander''s face, though she didn''t stop and reciprocated the kiss. "~Urgh~ you pheromones." Replied Alexander, and thanks to the pheromones, he started to get more aggressive, pounding Lavender even harder than before, causing her legs to tremble from the nonstop orgasm while seemingly trying to suck the life out of Lily with his intense kisses. "~Ahh~ my pheromones? ~Ahh~ I got so caught up in Lavy that I ~Ahh~ didn''t even realize, oh well, ~Ahh~ no point in stopping now." Said Lily with a mischievous smirk as she reached forward and grabbed Alexander''s face, the two ferociously kissing and sucking on each other''s face. Thanks to Lily''s pheromones, I became much more aggressive with my sexual acts, continuously pounding Lavender''s vagina even while I was orgasming and sucking on Lily''s neck, leaving behind various hickeys while she did the same to me. This continued for quite some time, and I don''t know how long, but just because I was having sex and making love didn''t mean I couldn''t think, and with my eyes, I would occasionally check upon Master, as I knew she wouldn''t be able to last long. Pumping Lavender''s womb, full of semen, which had bloated to an impressive degree, with much willpower, I removed my shaft from her vagina before standing up and lifting Lily off of Lavender''s face; looking at her, I could tell she was utterly exhausted, and while I would put her in her bed, she didn''t have one anymore because of me. "Haa, haa, w-wait, right here, t-this is f-far from over!" Said Lavender slowly, breathing heavily as she stood up with Alexander''s help before heading toward her closet. Watching Lavender enter her closet, I knew what she was going to get, and to stop myself from thinking about it, I grabbed Lily by the waist and again started kissing her; I was far too horny to wait for Lavender to return. "~Urgh~ your hands feel wonderful, ~Urgh~ Lily." Said Alexander with grunts of pleasure as he felt Lily grab his shaft with her hands and stroke it. "Forget what Lavy said; I don''t care how angry she''ll be; I''m having a taste of your cock today!" Whispered Lily sensually as she slowly squatted down, stopping once Alexander''s cock was just before her face. "Though, I''ll wait for Lavy to return, so until then, fuck my face; I know you want to." Added Lily with a grin as she opened her mouth and outstretched her unnaturally long tongue, twisting it around in an erotic manner. Seeing Lily offer her sexy mouth, I didn''t hesitate for a second before I grabbed the back of her head and plunged my shaft into her mouth; despite it just being the mouth, it felt so amazing, probably on par with Lavender''s vagina, which only got me wondering how fantastic sex with her would feel. Slamming the back of her throat without any mercy, I could feel her tongue wrap around my shaft as she tried to wring my semen out of me and befitting of her lineage; she did just that; I couldn''t even last a full minute inside her mouth. "~URGH~ f-fuck, y-you''re too good at this, Lily." Said Alexander as he released all his thick ropes of semen directly down her throat. "But of course, I''m a Succubus after all; if I couldn''t even make someone young like you cum in under a minute with just my mouth, I''d bring shame to my entire race." Remarked Lily with a grin while Alexander''s cock was still shoved in her mouth. I was about to start again, but I heard the door behind us open, causing me to turn around. I spotted Lavender walking out while drinking a red vial, though I saw three other empty vials on the ground in her closet. "Lavender, how many vials did you drink?" Asked Alexander solemnly with a frown as he looked at Lavender, though it was hard to be serious with a Succubus attached to his manhood. "Enough; now then, Lily, let''s continue where we left off." Replied Lavender with a lustful smile, Lily''s pheromones seemingly clouding her judgment as she reached forward and pulled Lily off of Alexander''s cock before passionately kissing her. "You''re really getting into this, Lavy; we should''ve done this much sooner." Muttered Lily with a grin as she retracted her lips from Lavender before gently pushing her to the ground. With Lavender on the ground, Lily sat on top of her while Lavender''s legs wrapped around Lily''s waist; the two of them were in an incredibly erotic position as their vaginas touched each other, a sight that caused me to drool. "Come, Alexander." Said Lily and Lavender simultaneously with lustful smiles as they grabbed their butts and spread them apart, showing the heavenly scene of two pussies and two anuses. Chapter 81: Alexanders Heaven 2/3(R18) With bated breaths and full of lust, I quickly approached Lavender and Lily; getting onto my knees, I positioned my shaft right on Lavender''s vagina and slightly teased her by rubbing her wet lips, causing her release to muffled moans of pleasure. "~Ahh~ s-stop teasing me Alexander, hurry, ~Ahh~ I can''t wait any longer, ~Ahh~ I want your large cock to pound my pussy to oblivion!" Yelled Lavender as she looked at Alexander with slightly clouded eyes while displaying an expression of pure obscenity, begging for Alexander''s cock. Nodding my head, I pressed my tip against the entrance of her vagina before spreading her apart as I slowly sheathed myself inside her, only stopping once I had hit a wall, causing Lavender to release a squeal of pure pleasure as her legs shook, followed by her insides squeezing around my shaft before she squirted onto my body. ''Is it just me, or does Lavender seem overly sensitive?'' Mused Alexander as he glanced at Lavender''s vulgar and ahegao face, though he didn''t think about it for long since he started slowly pounding Lavender''s vagina like a piston. "~Ahhh~ ~Ahhh~ H-Harder Alexander, ~Ahhh~ harder! U-Use that thick ~Ahh~ cock to t-turn me into your ~Ahhh~ Bitch!" Said Lavender, too clouded by lust to think straight as she squealed in pleasure every time Alexander''s cock hit her cervix, causing her to constantly orgasm. Hearing Lavender''s words did cause me to raise my brows in surprise, I mean, she''s used vulgar words before during our sexy time, but she''s never been as vulgar as this; it was almost like I was genuinely having sex with a whore, and I didn''t know how to exactly feel about it. On the one hand, I will not deny that her choice of words further aroused me, causing me to pound her faster and harder than before, but on the other hand, I wished to make love with her, and it didn''t really feel like I was when she spoke like a professional prostitute. Of course, despite my feelings, I never once stopped as I continued pounding Lavender, but I used the chance to look at her with my [Heroes Gaze] as I felt something was wrong with her; lo and behold, my assumption was correct. Looking at her, I saw what looked like a pinkish mist covering her body, same with Lily and even me, as a matter of fact, but unlike Lavender and I, where the mist seemed to be just sticking to us, Lily''s body was seemingly creating it. ''Must be Lily''s pheromones or something along those lines.'' Mused Alexander as his glowing purple eyes died down, his vision returning to normal while he shifted his attention toward Lily, lightly slapping her large butt that was moving erotically before him. "~Ahh~, do it harder, Alexander; I''m not Lavy; you can be more aggressive; I can take it." Said Lily lustfully as he turned and glanced at Alexander, who gave her a deadpan look. "Can you call back your pheromones or something, Lily? They''re affecting Lavender too much, and I''m not fond of it." Asked Alexander as he slowed down his movements, though not once did he stop, his words causing Lily to look at Lavy''s debauched expression. "Heh, no problem; I forgot with Lavy''s current condition, she wouldn''t be able to resist my pheromones. No wonder she so easily accepted me joining the fun." Replied Lily as she looked back at Alexander with a sweet, charming smile unbefitting of their current actions before suddenly opening her mouth and inhaling, sucking in most of her pheromones. With my eyes, I saw how the pink mist that enveloped Lavender was getting quickly absorbed into Lily''s mouth, causing the clouded look in her eyes to recede as she stopped squealing in pleasure and returned to her usual sexy and more modest moans. However, it seemed she was also aware of what transpired as she looked up at Lily with anger I''d only ever seen once before, and that was when I had accidentally destroyed all of her treasures, which she would still get angry at me with whenever I brought the topic up. "Lily!" Said Lavender as she glared at Lily, who was awkwardly smiling, though before anything could happen, she was suddenly hoisted into the air by Alexander. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Grabbing Lily''s plump and meaty thighs, I firmly held her before lifting her off Lavender and into the air before I reached down and kissed her while still gently thrusting inside her; thankfully, it seemed my actions had dispersed a good chunk of her anger. "You''re not allowed to be angry, Lavender, alright." Declared Alexander with a somewhat commanding tone while softly smiling, causing Lavender to pout lightly, but nonetheless, she conceded to his dominant side, something she always did. "~Ahh~, fine, my dear husband, but only cause you said so." Said Lavender with a lovely smile and a slight moan as she lifted her hand and placed it gently atop Alexander''s cheek. "Good, now then; let us continue where he left off with." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he suddenly increased his thrusting pace, causing Lavender to release several sexy moans while he sat upright and lowered Lily back onto her, much to her annoyance and anger, though she didn''t display them and merely continued to relish in the love she felt from Alexander''s manhood endlessly transmitting into her. With Lavender having returned to acting like the woman I love now that she was no longer affected by Lily''s pheromones, I made sweet love with her as I did deep, long, yet slow thrusts, wanting to convey my love for her rather than just to please our sexual desires. However, that proved rather challenging to do when, unlike Lavender, I was still being affected by Lily''s pheromones, even though I could ward them off much better than Lavender. ''Still, Lily is present, no?'' Thought Alexander with a smirk as he glanced at the quiet Lily, who looked at Lavender with envy, though she stayed quiet lest she provoke Lavender''s ire. While I was making love with Lavender, I reached forward and grabbed Lily by her hips before lifting her up once more, though unlike previously, I placed her legs on my shoulder, bringing her womanhood directly before my face, which I must say, was incredibly beautiful and clean shaven. However, I didn''t dwell on her beautiful vagina for long as I leaned slightly forward and started giving her cunnilingus, slurping up all of her juices, reaching inside with my tongue and licking around, and gently biting her clitoris, causing me to get quite the reaction out of her. "~Ahh~ y-your mouth f-feels amazing A-Alexander ~Ahh~; L-Lavy you''re one lucky ~Ahh~ woman to have a man do this to you every ~Ahh~ day." Stated Lily with several moans as she felt Alexander pleasuring her with his mouth and doing quite a splendid job at it, to boot. "Hmph, I ~Ahh~ know, now be quiet and enjoy ~Ahh~ my man, pleasing you with his mouth despite what I said ~Ahh~ earlier, Lily." Replied Lavy with moans as she watched Alexander eat Lily out, much to her annoyance, but she didn''t stop them, knowing all three were far too deep to stop now. While pleasing two women at the same time, I felt myself close to cumming, which caused me to subconsciously speed up before piercing as deep as I could within Lavender as I released ropes of thick semen inside of her; she, herself, also orgasmed, and same for Lily, who squirted all of my face, though I drank most of it. "~AHHHH~ f-fuck, despite living for so many years, not many people have been willing on their own accord to eat me out, let alone greedily slurp up my juices." Muttered Lily with red cheeks as she looked at Lavender''s orgasming face while feeling Alexander sucking out all of the juices stored within her pussy. "~URGHH~ y-you know, if you want, I''d be willing to drink more than just your juices." Said Alexander, groaning in pleasure from ejaculating inside Lavender as he overheard Lily speaking to her in a suggestive tone that caused her to raise her eyebrows. With my little words of encouragement, as you can call them, Lily once again squirted in my face, though this time it wasn''t her juices; still, I gave it a taste, and to my surprise, instead of tasting like lightly sugared water, it tasted just as sweet as Lavender''s love juices if not just a little bit less, prompting me to drink everything. ''There is no way; piss has always tasted this good. I refuse to believe it.'' Thought Alexander as he continued to drink while Lily released everything she had in her bladder, moaning as per usual. "Lavy told me many things about you, but she never said you were a freak!" Remarked Lily as she looked down at Alexander, only to see practically nothing had spilled, meaning it had only gone one place. I merely smirked at what I assumed was a compliment as I removed my shaft from Lavender''s inside and plopped it on her stomach, causing her vagina to spill all of the semen I had just pumped inside her. Setting Lily down to the side, I leaned down and went to kiss Lavender, but before I could, she placed her hand on my chest, stopping me, and gave me a look of disgust. "I''m not kissing you, not when you''ve just been used as a toilet by Lily." Said Lavender seriously, to which Alexander awkwardly rubbed his head, knowing he indeed did something disgusting and very much out of his comfort zone, though he had Lily''s pheromones to blame for that. "Heh, that''s fine by me; I''ll gladly kiss him." Said Lily lustfully with a smirk as she grabbed the back of Alexander''s head and kissed him, the two engaging in intense kissing while Lavender watched in annoyance. Chapter 82: Alexanders Heaven 3/3(R18) While Lily and I were making out, and quite intensely at that, I saw Lavender, who was sporting an annoyed expression, huff before flipping herself over and pushing her butt against my shaft; she then started moving back and forth slightly, stroking my member between her butt cheeks. It was a wonderful feeling to have my manhood squeezed between Lavender''s dainty butt, though while she was attacking me, so was Lily; using her masterful skills, she turned my mouth into her little plaything. I couldn''t resist her tongue or the taste of her sweet lips; I was completely at her mercy. Lily was dominating me, though I wasn''t complaining; sometimes being dominated is fun. "~Urgh~ I-I''m c-cumming, ~URGHH~." Said Alexander as he could barely utter those words because of Lily''s relentless assault on his mouth. "~Ahh~ cum for me, Alexander, paint my back in your semen!" Yelled Lavender with a smirk as she increased the pace, causing Alexander''s shaft to twitch before releasing a copious amount of thick cum, staining her beautiful green back in white. "F-Fuck, Lavender, your butt felt too good." Muttered Alexander, and despite having just ejaculated, he started rocking his hips once more. "Hmph, Lavy, what did I tell you? Don''t waste food; his semen is far too delicious to waste." Said Lily with a slight pout as she stopped kissing Alexander and started licking Lavender''s back clean, slurping up all of his cum. "Tch, that''s my cum." Muttered Lavender while grumbling, still annoyed at her presence amidst her and Alexander''s lovemaking, though when she felt him lightly slap her butt, she completely forgot about her. "C''mon, Lavender, don''t be so greedy; I''ve got more than enough to give, so you can share a little." Said Alexander with a smirk as he once again slightly slapped Lavender''s butt, causing her to release a moan at the feeling of being completely dominated by the man she loves. Reaching down, I grabbed both of Lavender''s butt cheeks and spread them apart, getting to look right at her meaty anus, positioning my shaft until the tip was poking right at the entrance, I was about to enter, but Lavender suddenly stopped me. "W-Wait, Alexander." Stated Lavender, her words confusing him, though nonetheless, he halted his actions and waited for her. What happened next was not something I was expecting; exiting from her anus, I at first thought she was taking a shit, which despite my endless love for her, was going to really disgust me; however, thankfully, it wasn''t, it was actually a black sphere. With a soft moan, she finally pushed the black sphere out, though just when I thought it was over, I saw a small string attached to it that entered her anus, which prompted me to grab the black sphere and slowly pull, causing four more black spheres to emerge from her anus. Now, I wasn''t shocked that Lavender had something in her butt; I had told her to prepare her butt so she could handle my manhood, so this wasn''t too surprising; no, what was surprising, is I don''t think she put them before visiting my room, which means. "Oh my, Lavy; I didn''t know you were so perverted, stuffing anal beads up your ass, even I haven''t done that." Remarked Lily with a smile as she looked at Alexander holding the anal beads in his hand, which were a little over a foot long, though her words did cause Lavender to blush. "Um, Lavender, having these been inside you all day?" Asked Alexander as he looked at the anal beads before setting them down and looking back at her butt, which was now gaping open. "Y-You''re the one who told me to prepare my ass." Replied Lavender in a hushed voice while blushing in shame as she covered her face with her hands, though despite that, she still invitingly shook her butt. "You''re not wrong, and I''m not complaining, just a little surprising, that''s all." Said Alexander as he grabbed Lavender by the waist and lifted her butt to his face before eating her anus, making sure to avoid her vagina, which was still leaking his semen. ''Ugh, why does every part of Lavender taste so good!?'' Thought Alexander as he practically stuffed his face into her butt, causing Lavender to release several moans while Lily continued to lick the semen off her back. Once I had gotten a fill of Lavender''s meaty butt, I set her back on the ground and stuck the head of my shaft into her butt, surprising me with how easy it was compared to the last time; going slowly, I continued to plunge my member into her butt, and before I knew it, for the first time my entire shaft had disappeared inside her. "~Ahh~, e-even when in my butt, your ~Ahh~ cock is so big." Muttered Lavender with moans of pleasure as she slightly wiggled her butt, causing Alexander''s cock to touch the walls of her insides. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "~Urgh~, y-you''re telling me? Despite having prepared your butt, it''s ~Urgh~ still so tight." Said Alexander as he looked at his manhood fully sheathed inside Lavender''s butt while loving the feeling of her anus coiling around his shaft, its tightness surpassing even her vagina. Despite Lavender''s mind-numbing tight butt, I started to move, removing my shaft until just the tip was left inside before thrusting, nearly slamming my hips into her butt cheeks; after that one thrust, I started pounding Lavender''s butt, I was far more aggressive than when I use her vagina since she could now accept my full length. Within a few minutes, I felt myself reaching my limit; speeding up, I suddenly slammed my shaft as deep as I could reach before filling her butt with my semen; while I did that, I felt Lavender''s anus tighten even further around my shaft, nearly blocking off the flow of semen. "I-I''m ~Ahh~ cumming, f-fill my insides with your cum, Alexander! I-I''m cumming!! ~AHHHH~" Said Lavender, releasing an intense moan as she orgasmed from having Alexander cum inside her. "Haa, haa, that felt great; I didn''t know I''d still feel such pleasure despite using my butt." Added Lavender softly while breathing unevenly as she slowly pumped her hips back and forth. "Heh, don''t tire out just yet, Lavender; I''m just getting started." Remarked Alexander with a smirk, and without any warning, he started pounding Lavender''s butt, causing her to release a seemingly endless amount of loud moans that reverberated throughout not only the house but also the entire clearing they lived in. ___ ___ I don''t know how long it''s been since we first started; I''ve seen the night disappear as sunlight emerged through the window before night once again took over, but besides that, I haven''t bothered to actually keep track of how long we''ve been doing it; as all my focus has been on the two sexy women in front of me, well, mainly Lavender, but I did pay Lily heed as well. Pounding Lavender''s vagina, which could very well have been the hundredth time, I, once again, stabbed my shaft as deep as possible, hitting her cervix and pumping her body full of my semen, though her already bloated belly could hold no more, so my semen merely spurted out the sides; however, it didn''t matter, Lily was there to clean up everything. "Haa, haa, haa, I-I can''t a-anymore, I-I''m t-too exhausted." Muttered Lavender in complete exhaustion, not even enough to moan when she felt Alexander remove his erect shaft from her insides. Hearing Lavender, I looked up at her and examined her body, though even without [Heroes Gaze], what I saw greatly saddened me; there were wrinkles on her body and face, which hadn''t previously been there, and her usual vibrant green skin, was darker, I could even see slight shades of brown appearing on this tips of her fingers and feet. Shaking my head, I took a breath and calmed down before leaning down and kissing Lavender, which she barely responded to. "That''s fine; no need to push yourself, Lavender." Said Alexander with a soft smile as he moved her hair out of the way, allowing the two to stare deep into each other''s eyes, expressing their love; well, at least until someone interfered. "Wait a second, don''t think this is over, you two; I haven''t had my fun yet." Said Lily with a lustful grin as she approached Alexander from behind and leaned on him, pressing her large and soft breasts against his back. "Tch, f-fine, d-do with Alexander, w-what you will; I-I''m far too exhausted t-to argue with you; besides, I-I''m feeling a little sleepy." Said Lavender, and although you could tell she wasn''t happy about this development, you could also tell her exhaustion far outweighed anything else. "Hehe, thanks, Lavy; don''t worry, I''ll make sure not to steal your man." Replied Lily with a victorious laugh as she used her superior strength and pushed the surprised Alexander onto his back. "Eh, well, I-I wasn''t expecting this development; though, will Master be fine? She had taken so many of those vials, yet she didn''t last that long." Questioned Alexander seriously, ignoring the blue beauty in front of him as he glanced at Lavender, who was soundly sleeping on the ground. "Haa, yes, you don''t have to worry about her for now; now, stop changing the subject; I''m finally going to have a taste of you." Said Lily with a soft sigh as she also glanced at Lavender before shaking her head and looking at Alexander with a lustful face as she mounted him. Honestly, I was a little nervous about having sex with Lily; just her mouth felt incredible, so her vagina might really mess me up in the head, though she must''ve noticed my nervousness as she placed her finger on my lips before kissing my neck, slowly trailing down to my manhood. "Hehe, don''t be so nervous, Alexander; while it''s true, I''m confident of turning you into a man who''s solely dependent on my pussy; I will be going easy on you." Said Lily softly as she finally reached Alexander''s manhood, marveling at it for a few seconds before licking her lips. Her words did damage my pride a little, but I wasn''t someone who held their pride in super high regard so I wasn''t offended; besides, she hadn''t lied, so I would prefer to not turn into a slave for her pussy. Shaking my head to dispel such scary thoughts, I looked down at Lily, only to see fangs emerge from her mouth as she suddenly bit my penis, causing me to yell in pain, or at least I thought I was going to. ''Weird, it doesn''t hurt.'' Mused Alexander as he watched Lily, though he felt something enter his penis along with it heating up. Before my very eyes, I saw my penis, which was already a little too big for my liking, grow even more in size; it wasn''t a massive growth, but enough to where it was noticeable. "W-What the, what did you just do, Lily?" Asked Alexander worriedly as he inspected his penis, though, besides its increased size, nothing looked different. "Nothing just gave you the blessing of a Succubus; you should really be thanking me. I''ve only used this on three other men; you''re the fourth." Said Lily with a lustful grin as she glanced at Alexander''s improved cock. "Haa, thanks, Lily." Replied Alexander with a sigh as he looked up at the ceiling, wanting to cry, though he had no tears to give Chapter 83: 48-Hour Session! Feeling warmth on my body, I slowly opened my eyes, only to be hit with the bright rays of what seemed to be the morning sun; covering my eyes with my hands, I sat up and looked at my surroundings, expecting to be within Master''s destroyed room, yet that wasn''t the case. ''Huh, weird, this is my room.'' Mused Alexander as he looked around his room before glancing at the woman sleeping on the bed beside him. Seeing Master peacefully sleeping, I smiled softly, though the happiness I felt didn''t last for long; I could tell she was aging rapidly, the wrinkles and small brown spots on her body were dead giveaways. Shaking my head to try and dismiss such thoughts, I laid back down and wrapped my arm around her, pulling her deeper into my embrace, though funnily, my actions caused her to stir awake. "Ah, hmm, this isn''t my room." Muttered Lavender with a yawn as she opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. "It''s mine, Master. Good morning." Said Alexander with a small smile as he leaned over and kissed Lavender on the cheek, causing her to smile as well. "Fufu, good morning to you as well, Alexander; would you like the usual morning routine." Remarked Lavender with a smirk as she turned and kissed Alexander before grabbing his crotch underneath the blankets. "Hmm, I don''t know; let me think about it." Muttered Alexander mischievously as he watched Lavender disappear under the sheets until she was right above his erect member. "Oh my, is it just me, or have you gotten bigger, Alexander?" Asked Lavender as she started pleasuring Alexander''s cock with her mouth, finding it hard to put the whole thing in her mouth now. "~Urgh~, yeah, t-thank Lily for that." Replied Alexander with a groan of pleasure as he relished the feeling of Lavender''s warm yet wet mouth coiled around his member. ''Tch, that whore Lily, sleeping with my man, I''m going to have a word with her.'' Thought Lavender in anger as she increased the intensity of her blowjob while remembering what happened before she fell asleep. ___ ___ Once Master finally finished drinking my semen, I picked her up in a princess carry and walked out of my room, heading toward the pond since both of us still smelled like sex; however, the instant I walked out of the room, we saw Marlin, Simba, and Lily leaning against the door, seemingly eavesdropping on us. "Haha, Leader, Leader''s disciple, you''re awake!" Stated Simba loudly, hoping to conceal the awkwardness of being caught eavesdropping, though the look Lavender and Alexander gave said otherwise. "Lavender." Said Marlin with a cough as he backed away and leaned on the wall opposite the door while looking away, his face still covered by the cloak. "Hehe, so how do you like his new and improved tool, Lavy?" Asked Lily with a knowing grin as she glanced at Lavender before looking at Alexander''s exposed cock. "Y-You three; how long have you been eavesdropping?" Asked Lavender with suppressed anger while glaring at the three as she used her hands to cover herself since she was stark naked, same with Alexander. "From the moment both of you awakened." Replied Simba with a smile, not even bothering to lie, probably because he knew doing so wouldn''t work against Lavender. "Privacy would be much appreciated, if not for Master, at least for me." Remarked Alexander with a slight frown while glancing between the three. "We''ve already given you privacy for the past two days." Said Marlin as blandly as he glanced at Alexander, Lily, and Lavender, causing two to blush in shame while the other chuckled. "Eh, we made love and had sex for two days!?" Muttered Alexander in surprise as he looked at Lavender, who seemed just as surprised as him. "Well, if we''re being technical, you made love with Lavy for about a day and a half while you had sex with me for the remaining time, though I will say it was a splendid session, even if I was forced to cut it short." Said Lily with a thoughtful expression and a nod, her words causing Alexander to give Simba and Marlin worried looks while Lavender glared at Lily in anger. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Haha, no need to give us such looks, Leader''s disciple; Lily has already told us everything about you and Leader''s relationship. Even though it''s late, you have my blessing!" Declared Simba with a large smile as he patted Alexander''s shoulder, dislocating it for a second time. "Yes, and while I may not look like it, I''m glad Lavender has finally found someone who she could love and vice versa." Said Marlin calmly with minimal emotion as he glanced between Alexander and Lavender, though both could sense the joy; Alexander with his eyes, and Lavender having known him for so long. "Eh, so our relationship isn''t taboo?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he looked between the three, his words confusing everyone but Lily, who chuckled in response. "Hehehe, no, you and Lavy''s relationship is definitely taboo, especially for Lavy since she''s a part of the Mage guild; however, it doesn''t matter if it''s taboo if the only ones who know about it don''t mind." Remarked Lily with a chuckle as she approached the two and wrapped her arm around Alexander''s shoulder; well, at least tried to; she may be taller than Lavender, but she was still a foot shorter than Alexander. "Mage guild?" Muttered Alexander, tilting his head even more confused, while Lavender grabbed her forehead and sighed. "You don''t know about the Mage guild? Lavender, don''t tell me you haven''t taught your own disciple anything about the world." Asked Marlin with a raised eyebrow before skeptically looking at Lavender, who blushed and looked away, causing him to sigh. "I-I was going to do it, eventually." Said Lavender in a whisper, though no one present believed her words. "Haa, yeah, sure; you can tell us about it later. First, you two need to get dressed." Said Lily with a shake of her head before backing away. Hearing Lily''s words, Master and I looked down, and only now did we finally notice we were both stark naked; other than slight embarrassment, Master didn''t seem that bothered by it, probably because they''d seen her naked multiple times before, I mean when you adventure together for over two-thousand years, things like that are bound to happen. I, on the other hand, wasn''t that bothered by it; Marlin and Simba were both men, and Lily had already seen everything, speaking of Lily. ''Urgh, I can''t believe I actually drank her pee; I know I did it with Master, but that''s different. She''s my wife, and Lily is a friend I''ve known for less than a day at best. It was probably because of her pheromones; they were affecting me too, just to a lesser degree than when compared to Master.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at Lily''s crotch before subconsciously shivering in disgust while she just gave him a playful wink. "We''re going to take a bath first." Remarked Alexander as he turned and walked towards the exit, only for Lily to slap his butt, though he hardly reacted. "I want to eat his butt." Muttered Lily as she eyed Alexander''s butt with unconcealed lust while licking her lips. ___ ___ Carrying Master to the pond, I gently set her in the water once we arrived as she calmly floated on top while I followed behind her after grabbing the soap. "Hmm, so Master, would you like the usual bath routine?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he floated right beside Lavender, who gave him a slight smile. "Yes, and if you don''t mind, I''d like a double; I feel slightly more energetic than usual." Replied Lavender with a naughty grin as she watched Alexander position himself right in front of her pussy. "It''ll be my pleasure, Lavender." Said Alexander, and without any hesitation, he plunged his mouth onto Lavender''s womanhood, giving her cunnilingus. "~Ahh~ yes, you mouth ~Ahh~ always feels soo good!" Stated Lavender as she tried her best to suppress her moans, though she was at the mercy of Alexander''s tongue. ___ ___ "Alright, stop lazing about, Master; I''ve already cleaned you." Remarked Alexander softly with a shake of his head as he picked up Lavender and exited the pond while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, I think I''ll stay lazy; I prefer it when a young, handsome, and well-endowed man takes care of my EVERY need." Remarked Lavender with a satisfied smile, while Alexander just sighed in response while smiling. "You''re one selfish Master, you know that, making your disciple do everything for you. Also, just so you know, if you need to take a shit, you''re doing that on your own; I''m only helping you when you need to pee." Replied Alexander as he manifested a soft gust of warm wind with his fire and win mana, quickly drying the two of them. "Language, Alexander, and If that''s what you call helping, I think I might need to reeducate you." Said Lavender as she rested her head against his shoulder while watching his shoulder-length, white hair sway about in the wind. "Hehe, don''t lie to yourself, Master; the first time, you were embarrassed and full of shame, but now, you seem to get some sadistic kick out of it whenever I help you relieve yourself." Remarked Alexander with a grin as he looked down at Lavender, enjoying her beauty despite her withering appearance. "I''m not denying it, though, don''t think I don''t notice; you also seem to get very aroused whenever I show you my cum filled mouth." Replied Lavender with a smirk as she opened her mouth, while Alexander chuckled. "Hehe, you''re not wrong. I love you, Lavender." Said Alexander with a smile before suddenly reaching down and kissing Lavender. "I love you too, Alexander." Said Lavender as she eagerly reciprocated the kiss, which, like usual, turned into them making out. Chapter 84: Relaxing Jumping from branch to branch while carrying Master, I entered the house and headed straight for my room; opening the door, I set Master down on the bed and quickly put on some clothes before exiting the room and heading toward Master''s room to get her some clothes as well. While doing so, I saw Lily, Simba, and Marlin all sitting at the table; I didn''t see Talis, but she was probably just keeping her distance because Lily was getting all touchy with her. "Hurry, Leader''s disciple; I want to eat your delicious food!" Yelled Simba eagerly with a smile as he slammed his fists on the table, earning him a slap from Lily while Marlin just glared at him. "Show some level of respect, Simba; what chef would want to cook for us when you act like that!?" Said Lily with a frown as she hit the back of Simba''s head, reprimanding him and causing Alexander to chuckle. Leaving them to argue, I passed the bathroom and entered Master''s room, which was still destroyed, thanks to me, before walking past all the broken glass, taking each step carefully as I wasn''t wearing any shoes or protection for my feet. Well, even if I were to step on the glass, I''m pretty sure my endurance is high enough that the glass wouldn''t be able to puncture deeper than my skin, and besides, I could just instantly heal from it anyway. ''Hmm, speaking of healing, I didn''t have time to think about it while fighting Simba and Marlin, but my healing capabilities seemed to have improved; I had received pretty severe wounds from them that usually would''ve taken multiple minutes to heal from, but they were all healed within a minute.'' Thought Alexander with furrowed brows as he summoned his status panel and checked upon his skills, though after looking at it, he noticed only two changes. //////////////////// Rebirth(Mythical)¨Clvl3¡ü Lightning Cloak(Epic)¨Clvl2¡ü //////////////////// Seeing that two of my skills had leveled up from that little fiasco with Marlin and Simba, I wasn''t too surprised about [Rebirth] having leveled up after all, I had really died, and it did bring me back to life, though I was a little surprised about my [Lightning Cloak] leveling up; even though it''s an epic, and should be easier to level up compared to my Mythical skills, I didn''t expect it would level up that quickly. "Maybe it was because I was in a stressful environment? I remember hearing back on Earth that experiencing stressful situations is critical for mental growth. Or maybe it was something else? Haa, I don''t know, it''s been nearly 17 years; I''m probably wrong." Muttered Alexander with a shake of his head as he exited Lavender''s closet with a set of clothes for her. Leaving Master''s room, I passed by the kitchen as I headed back to my room, and surprisingly, no one was arguing. "Heh, it''s fine, Lily. To know someone is eager to eat the food you''ve prepared is the best compliment a chef can ever get." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he looked at Simba, who once again started slamming the table, while Lily just sighed and left him be. Entering my room, I saw Master peacefully lying on the bed with her eyes closed, which at first glance caused me to think the worst had happened, though when I saw her eyelids flutter, I sighed in relief as I approached her. "Hmm, is something the matter, Alexander?" Asked Lavender curiously as she opened her eyes and glanced at Alexander''s troubled expression. "Haa, no, you just scared me for a second there, that''s all. Anyways, here are some clothes; you''re not going to make me put them on you as well, are you?" Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he handed the clothes to Lavender before folding his arms and giving her a look. "I scared you? All I was doing was re- ohh, now I see." Remarked Lavender in confusion as she stood up and put on her clothes before suddenly nodding, followed by her mischievously smiling. "Master, I''m not someone who is into religion, but I swear upon Goddess Eywa''s name; if you purposely play a prank like that, I will disown you as my Master." Declared Alexander seriously while glaring at Lavender, who merely smirked before grabbing his arm and leaning into his embrace. "Fufu, even so, you''d still be my Husband, no?" Asked Lavender with a small smile as she looked at Alexander, who didn''t bother responding, only the look in his eyes hardening. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Hehe, to think the day my own disciple would give me such a reprimanding look like one a father gives to their daughter. Stop worrying, Alexander; I''m not sadistic; I wouldn''t ever do a prank like that, not with my current condition." Added Lavender with a slight chuckle as she shook her head before closing her eyes, causing Alexander''s expression to lighten. "You know, I can tell when you''re being truthful, but for some reason, I''m not fully convinced." Remarked Alexander lightly as he and Lavender exited the room, approaching the kitchen while loud banging was heard. Master didn''t respond and merely chuckled, causing me to sigh and forget about it; so long as she doesn''t play that prank and make my heart explode, I''m satisfied. "Well, well, well, look who''s finally decided to show themselves; you know, we can see the pond from the kitchen window, right?" Said Lily with a grin as she glanced at Alexander before focusing on Lavender, who blushed at her words, remembering all the things Alexander had done to her. "We can, yet you were the only one peeking like a pervert." Said Marlin blandly as he eyed Lily, who clicked her tongue in response. "Hehe, you haven''t changed one bit, Marlin; still the same boring Dark Elf as I remember. Also, what did I tell you about wearing a cloak indoors?" Said Lavender with a slight chuckle as she approached Marlin before yanking his cloak on his body, revealing his appearance. "Tch, and unfortunately, you haven''t changed either." Replied Marlin as he looked at Lavender, though there was a smile on his face. "Eh, I didn''t realize you were so handsome, Marlin. Are all Elves as good-looking as you?" Asked Alexander in surprise as he got a good look at Marlin''s straight eyebrows, strong jawline, prominent cheekbones, grey eyes, and thin lips. "Oh my, Alexander, don''t tell me you swing both ways?" Asked Lily with a smirk as she covered her mouth and constantly glanced between Marlin and Alexander with a subtle glint. "No, why would you think that?" Replied Alexander in pure confusion as he glanced at Lily. "Yes, Lily, why would you think that when Simba and I could hear the outrageously loud sounds he caused you and Lavender to make?" Said Marlin with a slight smirk, his words causing Lily to smile pridefully while Lavender blushed in shame as she hit the back of his head, which he could''ve dodged but didn''t. "I''m gone for a few decades, and you think you can speak to your formal leader however you want to, Marlin?" Remarked Lavender with a raised eyebrow while eyeing Marlin, who internally groaned, though he was thankful Lavender wasn''t in her prime; otherwise, he''d be lying soaking wet on the ground. "Oh please, Lav- Leader, this is how I speak to everyone, Kings, Queens, Nobles, and you; you know that." Stated Marlin calmly, causing Lavender to glare at him before huffing in annoyance and sitting down in her seat. "STOP!!" Yelled Simba loudly, causing everyone to freeze and look at him. "I''m hungry!" Added Simba as he eyed Alexander while practically salivating, causing Marlin to shake his head, Lily to sigh, Lavender to grab her face, and Alexander to chuckle. "I''m also hungry!" Yelled Talis as she warily peeked her head from outside the window, her sudden appearance causing everyone to chuckle while Lily swiftly exited her seat and grabbed her. "My little birdie is back! Oh, how I''ve missed you." Said Lily as she embraced Talis and stroked her feathers. "Let me go, woman!" Exclaimed Talis, though all Lily heard were cute chirps, causing her to think Talis was enjoying her caresses. "Alright, I''ll get on it; just give me some time." Said Alexander as he approached a cabinet and grabbed his apron, wearing it over his clothes as he started preparing some food. ___ ___ "Here, Bon App¨¦tit; hope you all enjoy." Stated Alexander with a smile as he carried two plates while three others floated atop a mini tornado. "Mhm, this looks delicious; thanks, Chef Alexander." Said Lily as she looked at the plate in front of her before kissing Alexander''s cheek, causing Lavender to glare at her angrily. "Thanks, Alexander. Thanks, Alex!" Said Marlin and Talis, respectively, while Simba immediately started eating. "Thanks, Husband." Said Lavender in a sultry tone as she leaned forward and passionately kissed Alexander, glancing at Lily while flaunting her wedding ring. "Heh, you''re welcome, my Wife." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he glanced at Lavender, who was sporting a smug expression, while Lily huffed in annoyance. Ignoring Lily and Master''s battle, I grabbed the last plate, which was mine, and approached Master''s seat before lifting her up with one hand and sitting down while setting her on my lap, again causing her to smugly eye Lily in victory. "So, since it seems our nightly activities weren''t a secret at all, did you and I end up having sex, Lily? Because shortly after you gave me your blessing, I don''t remember anything." Asked Alexander curiously, causing Lavender to cruse underneath her breath while it was Lily''s turn to smile smugly. "Hehe, why yes, we did; you had filled me with your cum countless times that I couldn''t even keep track. Though, too bad you don''t remember anything since I''m positive it was the best sex you''ll ever have." Remarked Lily with a grin as she looked at Lavender, who was angrily glaring at her, while Marlin just sighed in annoyance at the conversation. "Um, do you know why I don''t remember anything?" Asked Alexander, eating his food while looking at Lily, who awkwardly smiled. "That''s my fault; I-I was getting a little too into it and stopped holding back, and well, you passed out shortly after we started having sex." Replied Lily awkwardly as she looked away, while Alexander''s expression constantly twitched. Chapter 85: A Leafs Fading Colors I wanted to question why she continued to have sex with me despite me being unconscious, but I refrained from doing so and just decided to ignore it as I could tell Master wasn''t too pleased with the conversation. "Ahh, that was delicious, Leader''s disciple!" Said Simba with a loud burp as he patted his chest, earning disgusting looks from his three former teammates. "Show proper etiquette, Simba, or I''ll forbid you from eating at the table." Said Lavender with a slight frown as she glared at Simba while tapping Alexander''s arm, prompting him to use his wind mana to clear the room. "Eh, sorry, I''ll make sure to do so next time." Replied Simba with an apologetic smile while sheepishly rubbing his head, causing Lavender to sigh as she knew it wouldn''t happen. "Anyways, Leader''s disciple, I''ve been meaning to ask ever since we first met, but how did you stop me?" Asked Simba curiously while his expression became slightly serious as he eyed Alexander, his words garnering the attention of Lavender. "I wouldn''t really say I stopped you, more like slowed you down, but it''s a skill of my greatsword-" Remarked Alexander wryly as he scratched his head and summoned Trina from his right hand, though before he could, he was cut-off by Simba. "I''m not talking about your weapons skill; I''m talking about when I was about to grab Leader. You yelled at me, and following that, my body suddenly stopped; I could no longer move despite trying to. It was almost like my body was no longer mine to command." Stated Simba solemnly as he gazed deeply into Alexander''s purple eyes, eliciting curiosity in both Marlin and Lily and prompting them to also look at Alexander while Talis was busily enjoying her food. "Hmm? Oh, I know what you''re talking about, but I didn''t do anything. I figured you stopped on your own accord; at that time, I was also confused about why you suddenly stopped. Though since I had thought you were trying to harm Master, I didn''t think about it for long." Replied Alexander in confusion with a slight frown while looking at Simba, who was also confused. "Weird; if you didn''t do anything, then why did my body forcefully come to a halt." Muttered Simba in confusion as he leaned back and stroked his beard, looking rather philosophical. ''Master, you were actually the reason why Simba couldn''t move.'' Said Trina within Alexander''s mind, though her words only furthered his bewilderment. ''Hmm, I was? But I''m confident I didn''t do anything; at that time, I had yelled at Simba purely out of fear and anger.'' Replied Alexander with a raised eyebrow, and while he was skeptical of Trina, given her notoriety for not being able to explain things properly, he did trust her. ''Yes, you did, Master, but because of the powerful emotion of fear and anger you were feeling at the moment, you managed to subconsciously use your Mythical trait, [Heroes Will], forcing Simba''s body to stop.'' Stated Trina as she folded her arms and nodded her head, though all Alexander felt was a slight pulse in his head. Listening to her words, I was quite surprised Trina was able to properly explain something without leaving me more confused than before; the trait [Heroes Will] was something I''d forgotten about over the years. Among all of my skills and traits, it''s the only one I haven''t ever been able to use, I mean, besides passive abilities like [Heroes Aura] and [Omnilingual]. With that new knowledge, I decided not to bother informing everyone, not because I wanted to keep it a secret or anything, but mainly because I had no way of displaying the use of a skill; besides, the conversation has since changed. "Excuse me if this question is a little rude, as I know Master doesn''t like speaking about it, but how are you all so old? Master''s a Dryad, and Marlin is a Dark-Elf, so I can see them living for long periods of time, but you and Simba don''t seem to be the type of species that tend to live for a long time." Asked Alexander curiously as he interrupted the four''s conversation, causing Lavender to groan in annoyance while everyone else didn''t seem to mind. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "My goodness, Lavy really didn''t tell you anything about this world; no wonder she never liked the idea of having a disciple; she always knew she would be a sorry excuse of a Master." Remarked Lily with widened eyes as she gave Alexander a look of pity before shaking her head and glancing at Lavender in disappointment. "I-I was going to tell him!" Yelled Lavender defensively with a slight blush of shame as she knew Lily was right, but she wasn''t about to admit it, especially not to Lily, considering she slept with Alexander. "A long time ago, we drank a longevity potion, which greatly elongated our life span; without it, none of us would be here today; we''d have long since died. Even Lavender, who could live the longest among us, would''ve died over 1,000 years ago." Stated Marlin calmly as he finished eating his food and wore his cloak again, hiding his appearance. "Oh, that makes sense. Though I must agree with Lily on this one, Master, how are you going to be an alchemist and not tell me about that?" Said Alexander with a nod before looking at Lavender sitting on his lap and giving her a blank look, causing her to fold her arms and huff in annoyance while her cheeks were bright red in shame. Chuckling at Master, I shook my head and tightened my hug around her as the five of us, excluding Master, started talking about things, which mainly consisted of me asking about their past while refraining from trying to accidentally bring up the topic regarding their party; since whenever they did, I''d see vast amounts of rage, wrath, and anger appear within their hearts. Once everyone finished eating, we all exited the house and leaned against the tree as he continued our conversation from earlier; just like this, the day passed by with the five of us, plus occasionally Talis, enjoying ourselves. Not once did any of us bring up the topic of Master''s declining health, even though it was visible to all that she was aging at an accelerated rate. ___ ___ With Master''s health declining every passing hour, I spent every waking moment with her, forgoing my training just to spend more time with her. I never separated from her, not even when she used the bathroom; well, I stood outside the door; I didn''t actually go inside with her. I wanted to, but she refused me to do so, which is understandable, but it did waste our precious time together, which was already incredibly limited. As the days slowly passed, it was getting harder on the two of us; Master was becoming less and less active, and more of her skin was turning brown while she became even more wrinkly. Unlike Master, I didn''t feel any physical pain, but being forced to watch your lover experience agonizing pain while slowly dying without being able to do a single thing to help her was honestly driving me insane; it was emotional torture at its cruelest. Though for Master, I forced myself to stay calm as I stood by her side on her last days, even going so far as to use [Heroes'' Gaze] to slow down my perception of time so it felt like I was spending more time with her. "T-Tell me, Alexander, have I lost my beauty?" Asked Lavender weakly as she lay in Alexander''s embrace, the two having just finished a passionate night of lovemaking. "Depends which beauty you''re talking about, Lavender; you''re physical or spiritual one?" Questioned Alexander softly as he gently caressed Lavender''s back, which felt rough and dry, a far cry from her usually soft, tender skin. "Both." "Well, your physical beauty has definitely vanished, and if I showed people a before and after picture, most people would find it hard to believe that the two people were actually the same. However, your spiritual beauty has stayed just the same, if not even more beautiful than before; after all, I fell in love with you not because of your physical looks but because of who you were, Lavender. Your physical appearance was just a plus, in my opinion." Replied Alexander truthfully as he used his other hand to grab Lavender''s hand and transfer his emotions into her, causing her to softly smile before suddenly erupting into a fit of coughing. Seeing her cough with such intensity while being unable to do anything felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in the heart. "I-I''m fine; t-though I''m both glad and sad to hear that." Said Lavender as she finally rested her head back on Alexander''s chest once she finished coughing. "Beauty fades, but the heart will always remain the same; a quote from my past life, one that fits us perfectly." Remarked Alexander as he closed his eyes, his words causing Lavender to laugh weakly. "Hehe, what a wonderful quote; I wish I had heard it sooner." Muttered Lavender while soaking up Alexander''s love. "It''s getting late, Lavender; you should go to sleep." Said Alexander softly as he looked down at Lavender, though, to his surprise, she shook her head. "No, I''m fine." Replied Lavender, though when she felt Alexander''s hand squeeze her own, she nearly started to cry. "Heh, I can''t hide anything from those stunning purple eyes of yours. Can I, my disciple? I-I can''t go to sleep; if I close my eyes, I-I won''t ever open them again." Added Lavender weakly with a forced smirk as she felt the world around her begin to dim. Chapter 86: A Masters Dying Breath/ Volume 1 End Hearing Master''s words, I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn''t bring myself to do so; if I started talking, I had a feeling I''d descend into a sobbing mess, and I didn''t want Master''s last memories of me to be of her disciple crying, I wanted to show her how far I''d grown; I wanted her to see the strong man she created. Still, I didn''t just stay lying down in my bed with Master; gently picking her up, I sat upright and slowly got out of bed, trying my best to keep Master as comfortable as possible within my arms. "W-What are you doing, Alexander?" Asked Lavender softly as she looked up at Alexander, who was now holding her with one arm while using her other arm to put on a pair of pants. "Nothing, I-I just figured it would be best to be with Simba, Marlin, and Lily; after all, they''re your family." Replied Alexander with a forced smile as he set Lavender on the bed, which was surprisingly clean despite having made love in it. "Ah, yes, you''re right; I-I would love my final moments to be with my family." Remarked Lavender lightly with a small smile while Alexander carefully clothed her, moving her arms and legs when needed. "Can you please not speak like that, Master? I-I''m trying my best to stay happy, but you''re making it real difficult." Asked Alexander with a slight frown as he turned away and wiped the tears that threatened to escape from his eyes before picking Lavender up. "Fufu, sorry; I meant to say I''d love to fall into a deep slumber while surrounded by my family." Said Lavender with a smile as she finished it off with a nasty cough. "Yeah, you''re just going to sleep, Master; everything will be fine when you wake up." Remarked Alexander with a small as he leaned down and kissed Lavender''s brown, wrinkled lips while clenching his teeth, holding back his genuine emotions. Exiting the house with Master in my arms, I leaped from the top of the tree, using my wind mana to slow down my descent before my feet finally touched the soft grassy ground. Using [Heroes Gaze], I searched the edge of the clearing for Simba, Marlin, and Lily; thankfully, they were all easy to find well except Marlin, even with my eyes; it took me a few moments before I finally spotted him. Walking toward them, as I got within about ten feet of them, all of a sudden, Marlin''s eyes snapped open while glaring at me, followed by Simba leaping out of his lying position and standing in a fighting stance; unlike those two, Lily was sound asleep. "It''s just you two; what are you two doing up this late?" Asked Simba as he lowered his guard, glancing at Alexander and Lavender while Marlin sheathed his dagger and dropped from the tree he was resting in. "Sorry to disturb your sleep, but it''s about Master; she''s getting very sleep, so I brought her to see you guys so we could all sleep together." Stated Alexander with a slight smile, and although he didn''t directly mention it, Marlin and Simba understood what he was implying. "I-Is that so? I thought you didn''t like sleeping with us, Lavender; didn''t you say Simba and Lily are too wild." Said Marlin with a smirk that he used to hide emotions while clenching his fist, keeping himself calm. "Eh, I don''t remember saying that; you must be lying, Marlin." Replied Lavender weakly as she glanced at Marlin with a small smile, causing him to defensively raise his hands while backing away. "Maybe I am." Walking forward, I sat down and leaned against a tree with Lavender sitting on top of me while Simba quietly lay beside us on the ground. "Hmm; something the matter, Simba? It''s rare for you to be this quiet." Asked Lavender as she turned and glanced at Simba, someone she saw as a younger brother. "No, nothing; everything is fine. I was just enjoying the night sky. It''s beautiful, isn''t it, Leader?" Replied Simba softly as he rolled onto his back and looked up at the night sky through the canopy of trees, the three moons illuminating the forest. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Yeah, it is, indeed, beautiful; I''ll miss it." Muttered Lavender softly as she followed Simba''s eyes and looked to the sky, bathing in its embrace one final time. Listening to Master, I tightened my hug around her waist, prompting her to rest her hands on my hands while the two of us silently absorbed our warmth, though I could feel hers fading. "Lavy, what you doing up so late? Don''t tell me you and Alexander are into exhibitionism!?" Questioned Lily as she approached Lavender and Alexander, sitting right beside them while Marlin leaned against a tree a few feet away from them. "Hmph, no; besides, even if we were, we aren''t doing anything with you." Replied Lavender with a scowl as she eyed Lily in anger; she may be dying, but her anger at Lily was still ever apparent. "Aw, don''t be like that, Lavy. It''s always more fun when more people are involved, don''t you agree, Alexander." Said Lily with a pout before smirking and leaning her head on Alexander''s shoulder while looking up into his bright purple eyes. "Eh, I mean, it depends, really; if it''s another woman, then yes, but not if it''s another man." Stated Alexander with an awkward smile as he looked at Lily while feeling Lavender''s eyes boring into the side of his face. "That''s very hypocritical of you, Alexander." Said Lavender as she eyed Alexander blankly, causing him to look away in embarrassment. "Um, I love you, Master." Replied Alexander with a kiss, causing Lavender to raise her eyebrow and huff before looking away. "Hmph, kiss me a few more times, and then maybe I''ll forgive you." Remarked Lavender as she folded her arms, prompting everyone to chuckle while Alexander continued planting tender kisses upon her dried and wrinkly lips. "Hmm, what are you doing out here, Alex, Miss Lavender?" Asked Talis as she exited from the canopy of trees and landed on a tree branch a few feet above Alexander. "Birdie!" Said Lily with a happy smile as she leaped toward Talis, though before she could grab her, Alexander stopped her. "Nothing, we''re just hanging out; you should join us, Talis." Replied Lavender with a smile as she outstretched her skinny, brown arm, prompting Talis to land on it. Unlike everyone else, Talis was the only one who didn''t know about Master''s condition; it''s not that I didn''t wish to tell her or that she was too stupid to understand the concept of death; I just never had a chance to. Every day was spent beside Master''s side, and I purposely refrained from mentioning anything about her condition while I was with her; I didn''t need to be even more reminded that she was dying. ''Well, it''s too late now.'' Mused Alexander with a sad expression before swiftly shaking his head, regaining his happy smile, something he''s gotten very good at faking. Slowly, the night passed by while the six of us talked like there was no tomorrow, though, for one of us, that statement was true; hours passed by excruciatingly slowly, yet time also seemed to be moving exceptionally fast. By the time dusk cracked and the first light of sunshine shone upon the forest, Master was lying on the ground while the six of us huddled around her; everyone, including Talis, could see it; she was just moments away from dying. "L-Looks, l-likes I was l-lucky enough to b-bathe within the s-suns rays, o-once more." Said Lavender softly as she looked up at the sky; though all she could see were her colors, her vision had deteriorated to the point where she couldn''t even make out anyone''s face. "Heh, see, I told you everything was going to be fine, Master." Remarked Alexander with a loving smile while holding Lavender''s hand and transferring his never-ending love to her. "Y-You know, h-having been an a-adventurer for o-over 2,000 y-years, I''ve seen a-and experienced c-countless things; b-but, I''ve n-never felt so t-terrified as I-I feel right now. I-I don''t want to d-die, I-I don''t wish t-to l-leave you, Alexander." Stated Lavender softly while looking at Alexander''s bright purple eyes, the only thing her vision was still capable of discerning as she started crying, causing tears to form in everyone else''s eyes as well. "I-I didn''t w-want my l-last moments, t-to be of me c-crying; b-but it seems I-I couldn''t help it." Muttered Lavender while her voice became quieter and her breathing slowed down. "I-It''s fine, M-Master; I-I''m not much better." Replied Alexander while gritting his teeth as he constantly wiped his tears, his grip on Lavender''s hand tightening. "P-Promise me A-Alexander; p-promise me you''ll l-live, I-I don''t want to s-see you f-for at least 1-1,000 years." Said Lavender as she felt the final bits of her strength fade away while her heart finally stopped beating. "I-I promise, Master." Said Alexander, rapidly nodding as tears streamed down his face. "G-Good; I-I''ll miss you, Alexander, my Disciple, my Husband." Remarked Lavender with a slight smile while finally closing her eyes, exhaling her last breath as she died. "Lavy." Muttered Lily as she collapsed on her knees right beside Lavender''s body while tears streamed down her beautiful face that was contorted in pain. "Leader." Said Simba while crying as he looked at Lavender, clenching and releasing his fists. "Lavender." Said Marlin as he turned around, though even so, one was able to see the occasional tears dropping onto the ground. "Miss Lavender." Whispered Talis as she stood right beside Lavender while constantly wiping her beak with her wings. "Master." Said Alexander while tightly holding Lavender''s lifeless hand, while an endless stream of tears escaped his eyes. Chapter 87: Princess, Mercenary, & Vampire / Volume 2 Start (Note: Images are on my discord) Holding Master''s lifeless hands in my own, I finally stopped showing a strong front by suppressing my emotions, and I let go of everything that''s been bottling up inside me for the past two weeks; almost like a tsunami, I felt those emotions overcome me as I yelled out. "MASTER!!" Yelled Alexander with an unfathomable amount of pain and sadness as he affectionately held Lavender''s hand while looking toward the sky, sobbing his heart out. ___ ___ Unknown to Alexander, as he released his heartfelt cry at the death of his beloved, his powerful emotions invoked his will as he subconsciously released it out into the world, causing the sky up above to rumble as dark clouds from seemingly nowhere started to form. In a matter of a few seconds, the previously clear morning vibration sky had turned dark and dreary as a torrential downpour happened, almost as if the very world was crying alongside its precious Hero. "Rain?" Muttered Lily with tears in her eyes as she outstretched her hand before looking up at the dark sky covered with thick sheets of rain. Though to the one who caused it, he was wholly oblivious to the heavy rain as he was far too preoccupied; however, unknown to all, except for one, Alexander''s powerful emotions extended far beyond what one would think, causing a select few inhabitants across the world to start crying. ___ ___ Somewhere far away, the Light continent, also more widely accepted as the human continent, is occupied by many human kingdoms. The human continent is said to be the domain of the church of Light, which worships the goddess Serenis, the goddess of purity and Light. Under the church''s religious beliefs, all other species are seen as inferior beings with impure blood, causing the human continent to be avoided by most species. Within the human continent, down south, there exists a kingdom, the Scalor Kingdom, one of the oldest kingdoms in the human continent that''s been around for thousands of years and has seen the rise and fall of numerous other kingdoms. Within that kingdom, or more specifically within the palace halls, a little girl with yellowish hair and blue tips, bright blue eyes, and an utterly adorable little face wearing a small dress was currently running through the halls while several heavily armored men followed right behind her. Holding the hem of her dress, the little girl suddenly made a sudden right and arrived at a set of double doors being guarded by two large, heavily armored knights, though the instant they saw the little girl, they got onto one knee and lowered their heads. "Princess!" Said the two men with the utmost respect in their voices as they outstretched their hands and opened each door, causing the little Princess, who usually greeted them with a happy smile, to run right past them and into the room. The room the little Princess ran into was actually the palace''s throne room, and at the opposite end of the room were two large thrones high in the air, overlooking the entire room while asserting their dominance; however, for some reason, only one throne was occupied. Sitting on the throne was a handsome middle-aged man with light skin, blue hair, yellowish eyes, and a powerful physique that not even his royal garbs could fully conceal. Hearing the sound of the door open, the man looked up and, with a soft smile unbefitting of a king, stared at the approaching little Princess, though when he saw her expression, he suddenly frowned and waved his hand to the various men and women below. "You are all dismissed." Stated the man commandingly, and although many were annoyed, none voiced their thoughts as they left after a simple bow. Standing up from the throne, the man approached the little girl, who jumped into his open arms, tightly hugging him as he embraced her while affectionately rubbing her back. "Haa, did you have a dream about your Mother again, my little Princess?" Asked the King with a sad sigh as he looked down at the Princess in his arms while walking back to his throne. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "N-No, Father; I-I don''t know why, but a-all of a sudden, I felt sad, and then I started crying." Replied the Princess softly as she cried in her Father''s loving embrace, giving her warmth and comfort. "It''s fine, Jasmine; your Father is here, so cry. Cry to your heart''s content." Said the King with a smile as he stroked Jasmine''s back, soothing her as she released her tears. ___ ___ Heading down far south, crossing the large east sea, we arrive at the Life continent, more commonly known as the Elven continent; even though many different prominent races inhabit the said continent, it is also the island where Lavender Vestalis was born. Heading east, passing over tribes, towns, villages, and even a few kingdoms, we''ll eventually arrive at a small cabin far from a small town. Sitting outside the small cabin was a young Elif with long golden hair and pale skin, happily weaving a blanket with a golden sewing kit while humming a tune; however, at the sound of bushes moving, he suddenly stopped and looked up, only to see a tall woman approaching him. "Hmph, I''ve been worried sick for you, sister; it''s three hours past the time you said you''d return. If you had made me wait any longer, I was going to search for you." Stated the young Elf with a pout as he folded his arms and looked away. The woman, who was wearing a golden helmet that had wings on the side and covered most of her face except her mouth, walked toward the young Elf with her two prosthetic golden legs while holding a long, bloody, hiltless curved sword with her prosthetic arm before kneeling on the ground and grabbing the young Elf''s hand. "My apologies, Vanimo." Said the woman apologetically in a heavenly voice, her long red hair flowing in the wind as she held the young Elf''s hand with her golden prosthetic, touching the ground with her other hand, which seemed to be decaying, causing the ground to be stripped of its life. "Hmph, that won''t be enough; you do this several times a month. I understand if your mercenary jobs go on longer than usual, but don''t give me a set time of your arrival, only to not arrive on time. You''ll only make your elder brother worry for you." Replied Vanimo as he glanced at his sister before huffing and looking away, causing her to sigh. "You''re right, and I deeply apologize for that; I''ll make sure to take that into consideration for future missions." Said the woman as she nodded and stood back up, causing her to tower over Vanimo. "Hmm, good, at least you understand; now come inside and rest; I''ll make some food for you, Vanye." Remarked Vanimo with a charming smile as he stood up and grabbed Vanye''s arm, happily leading her inside the cabin. "Slow, brother." Muttered Vanye, with a slight smile, though before she continued, she suddenly felt a great deal of sadness wash over her as tears started streaming down her face. "Tears?" Added Vanye in confusion with a quivering voice that Vanimo didn''t hear as she touched her wet chin. ___ ___ Making a U-turn, heading directly west, leaving the Elven continent, and passing over the massive south sea, we eventually arrive at the Dark continent, more commonly known as the Demonic continent. Similar to the Elven continent, many different types of demons exist, as a demon is simply a broad term for species that have horns, though, of course, there are a few outliers, but those are the minority. Close to the continent''s center, surrounded by forests and mountains, there is a hidden estate that very few people know about; only powerful adventures and high-ranking officials know about this place. Inside the estate, you''d see many servants of varying species; most were demons, but occasionally, there was a human, Elf, or demihuman servant. Walking down one of the halls, there was a woman whose presence instilled fear in everyone she passed, whether it be servants or guards; they all gave a slight bow of respect and fear when they saw her, which caused her to frown, but she was used to such a sight. The woman was pale, extremely pale, as if she''d never once stepped foot in the sun before; she wore a large white hat that had a black bow tie and a shoulderless blouse that only covered her forearms. Her long black hair trailed behind her, reaching down to her back while her bright red eyes glanced at everyone she passed. She continued walking through the halls, making several turns before walking down an empty hall with a blood-red, handless door at the end; reaching the door, she brought forth both of her hands, and after extending one of her nails, she sliced open her palm, causing her blood to spray onto the blood red door, which emitted an eerie glow before opening. Entering the dark room, the woman took a few steps before the room suddenly lit up, showcasing an almost inhumane sight of numerous men chained to a bed, though weirdly enough, despite the two tiny holes in their necks, they seemed completely unharmed. "Now then, who shall I feast on today." Said the woman in a lovely voice as she licked her lips, revealing her pearly white teeth and two prominent fangs. However, before she could pick a man to drink the blood of, she suddenly stopped, and to her utmost bewilderment, she started crying. "W-Why am I crying? W-Why do I feel so sad?" Remarked the woman with a pained expression as she constantly wiped her never-ending tears. Chapter 88: Armored Figure & Lazuli Slingshotting back to where we started, leaving the dark continent, traversing the sea, and eventually arriving at the Center continent, famously known for its many names; however, most importantly, it''s where our Hero, Alexander Vestalis, currently resides. Moving south, some hundred kilometers away from our Hero, we arrive at the closest prominent city called Hyphen, a place where all manners of races can freely mingle with each other without worrying about being oppressed or treated differently. Hyphen is also home to a sub-branch of the adventure Guild, one of the most famous, if not the most famous, guilds in the world, with only the Mage guild being comparable in authority, power, and influence worldwide. Very few know where the Adventurer''s main base resides, but it''s believed that by reaching the adventure rank of an "SS", one will learn of its location. Deep within Hyphen, at the center of the city, the most crowded place in the city, there was a large hill; embedded into the side of the large hill was a cave that would lead anyone who walked its path downwards before expanding into several different paths that networked beneath the entire city like a labyrinth and even partially beyond. Though the said path was actually a dungeon owned by the city, and exiting from the dungeon was a large, heavily armored warrior with two blue horns sticking out their helmet, pointing to the sky; their large frame towered over nearly everyone they walked past. With every step they took, their armor rattled, and as they moved through the crowd, their two great shields were placed on its back as it headed toward the tall wooden building in the distance. As they arrived before the building with a large sign that read "Adventurer Guild", they entered the double doors, knocking two unsuspecting men out of the way. "Hey; watch where-" Said a bald buff man angrily as he rubbed his head and turned around, only to freeze and nervously gulp when he laid eyes on the massive figure clad in thick platted armor; only their piercing yellow eyes were visible through the slits in their helmet. "C-C''mon, Jack; w-we''ve got s-something to do." Said the man as he fearfully backed away, keeping his eyes on the large armored figure while helping his buddy up before the two ran out of the building. "Are you okay?" Asked the large armored figure quietly in a deep, muffled voice before sighing and shaking their head as they watched the two men fleeing in fear. In a slightly downcasted mood, the figure moved through the building, passing by several tables of adventurers, resting, drinking, conversing with friends, and whatnot before arriving at one of the three desks where a woman stood on the opposite side with a bored expression. "Ah, can I help you, Mr?" Asked the woman with a professional smile as she tilted her head up, eyeing the large figure. "Yes, I''ve got a few Monsters to sell." Replied the armored figure with a deep voice as they reached into one of their armor pockets, grabbing a decent-sized space pouch before handing it to the woman. "I see; if you can wait a few moments, I''ll take it to the back and have someone examine your spoils." Said the woman with a light smile as she nodded and walked away, entering into one of the many doors. While waiting for the secretary to return with an estimate of their spoils, unknown to everyone nearby, the armored figure suddenly felt a great deal of sadness wash into its body, causing them to turn right, heading down a hall directly toward a door with a symbol of a man above it. However, instead of entering the one with a man above it, they entered the one to their left, which had the symbol of a woman above it, causing the few people watching to raise their eyebrows, but none made a move. Entering inside, she locked the door and quickly took off her helmet while looking in the mirror, revealing the face of a beautiful woman with light blue skin, shoulder-length white hair, canines sticking out her mouth, and slightly pointy ears. "Crying? Why am I crying all of a sudden?" Asked the woman in a soft, pleasant voice, unbefitting of her intimidating appearance as she touched her face with her gauntlets. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ''It''s been years since I''ve cried; what''s this sadness that''s overtaken me?'' Thought the woman in confusion as she stared at her bright yellow eyes that leaked tears into the sink below her. ___ ___ Leaving Hyphen to its lonesome, we head far north into the rocky, mountainous terrain, inhabited mostly by golems, the occasional drake, birds, and many other beasts; however, hidden deep underground, away from the numerous beasts and harsh environment, was a sanctuary of some sorts. The inside of the sanctuary was filled with technologically advanced components that didn''t fit with this world''s era, which could only mean one thing: whoever built this place was from a different era or world altogether. However, further into the technological sanctuary, you''d see many different things floating in a tank filled with green liquid: a horn, teeth, scales, bones, eyes, and a heart. You could find any kind of body part, whether it belonged to a beast or not, floating in those large tanks, which were connected with pipes and closely monitored. At the deepest part of the sanctuary were two massive tanks filled with green liquid hooked up to tens of highly advanced machines as they closely mentioned the things inside the tanks. In one of the tanks, there was a small glowing crystal, barely even the size of a human hand, which was a rather amusing sight, considering those tanks were plenty big enough to house an elephant. In the other tube was what looked like a young woman with bright blue eyes and short, silver hair, though besides her head, the rest of her body was that of highly advanced prosthetics connected to thousands of wires. Standing in front of both tanks was an old, hunched-back man who would glance between the two with unconditional fatherly love. "Haa, my sweet daughter Lazuli, it''s taken me decades, but I''ve finally perfected and revived your body; only a little bit longer, and you''ll finally return to me." Stated the old man softly as he placed his hands on the glass of both tanks, though before he could do anything else, loud sirens suddenly started going off. "No, no, no, no! Don''t tell me something is wrong!" Yelled the old man angrily as he quickly hobbled toward a large machine that was flashing red as he looked at the screen, depicting several wavelengths. "No, t-this shouldn''t be happening so quickly; t-to think the synchronizing process would be this perfect!" Declared the old man with youthful exuberance as he intently observed the machine before looking up at the Lazuli floating in the tank of unknown green liquid, only to see her eyes flutter while a single tear streamed down her face. "Hahahaha!! YES, YES, LAZULI! My daughter, you''re alive!!" Exclaimed the old man with a burst of crazy laughter as he ran up to the tank Lazuli was in and pressed his face against it, observing her peacefully floating in the tank. ___ ___ While four very different women and one future woman cried from our heroes'' powerful emotions that were felt around the world, let''s return to our Hero, Alexander Vestalis, and watch him start his journey in the world of Azarath. (Note: I''ve uploaded the images for them onto discord) ___ ___ It''s been a few days since Master''s passing; after we finally released all of our tears, we buried her body right underneath the tree at the center of the clearing. Currently, I was lying on the ground in the middle of the forest, mindlessly looking up at the sky as I thought about my next course of action, which I already knew what it was. With Master dead, there was nothing holding me back from venturing around the world and becoming an Adventurer; I would''ve preferred to have her by my side, but I suppose you can''t have everything in life. Ever since her passing, Talis has been staying by my side, keeping my company, which I''ve greatly appreciated; her presence is helping me accept Master''s death. Another thing that happened was I spoke the name of Trina''s elder sister, Zartha. Apparently, in order to speak her name, I was required to experience a massive burst of emotion, and in the midst of my crying, her name had appeared in my head, though only yesterday did I bother actually speaking her name. I haven''t spoken with her much, but unlike Trina''s childish personality, Zartha was much more mature, a little detached as well, if I will add, though other than that, she''s very knowledgeable, calm, and, most importantly, knows how to explain something properly. Hearing the crunch of leaves, I turned to my left and spotted Lily approaching me with a small smile. Simba, Lily, and Marlin haven''t left yet as they stayed the past few days, though just like me, today is the day we''ll be leaving. I can''t stay in this forest for a day longer; as much as I try not to think of her, every tree reminds me of her; it''s tortuous yet blissful at the same time. "You ready, Alexander? We''re about to leave, so unless you wish to get lost, you better hurry up and pack your things." Remarked Lily softly as she neared Alexander and lightly kicked him, causing him to smile slightly while knocking her foot away. "Yeah, yeah, I''m coming; let''s go, Talis." Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he poked Talis, who was resting on his chest, prompting her to take to the skies while he stood up. Chapter 89: Leaving The Forest With Talis perching herself on my shoulder, I followed behind Lily, walking through the forest that I knew, like the back of my hand, which caused me to frown slightly as I knew exactly where we were heading. Exiting the forest, we arrived in the clearing, the same place where I''ve been living for sixteen years, almost seventeen, and while this place is full of lovely memories, currently, this is the last place where I want to be. Standing to the right in the distance, I spotted Simba and Marlin near the edge of the clearing, seemingly waiting for us. "We''ll give you a minute, Alexander, but try not to take too long." Said Lily with a soft smile as she looked at Alexander before turning around and approaching Simba and Marlin while accentuating her large ass by swinging her hips. "Haa, thanks, Lily." Replied Alexander softly as he watched her bubbly ass shake with each step, but unlike usual, he felt no lust building up within him, just emptiness. ''Heh, if not even a Succubus can stir my sex drive, maybe I''ve gone impotent?'' Thought Alexander with a shake of his head as he ignored Lily and approached the tree house in the middle. Walking toward Master''s, or I should say, my tree house now, I was honestly a little sad to leave. Ever since I was reborn, this is all I''ve known, yet now I was going to leave it all behind. I knew this would happen one day, but it felt a thousand times more painful than I expected. Hoping from branch to branch, I arrived at the front door, and after hesitating, I grabbed the handle and opened it; walking inside, I closed the door behind me and basked in the familiar presence of the house, though I noted it no longer felt like home to me. It''s the first time I''ve been in here since Master passed; actually, it''s the first time anyone has been in here since then, and everything is the exact same as how we left it. Approaching my room, I looked inside, eyeing the bed Master and I made love on not even a week ago; granted, because of how weak she was at the time, we only did two rounds, and I didn''t even get to climax. Entering, I inhaled the air, and although faint, I could still smell the lingering scent of her love juices wafting about in the air; approaching my bed, I reached down and grabbed my small blue blanket. The same blanket my birth Mother had given me, it''s the only thing I have to remember her by, and while I''ve never met her, I''ve always slept with it. "I think it''s only right for you to accompany me on my or our adventure; you''re tagging along, right Talis?" Remarked Alexander as he grabbed the blue blanket and wrapped it around his neck, using it as a scarf before glancing at Talis. "Of course, Alex! Wherever you go, I''ll be flying right behind. Besides, life will be rather dull without you." Replied Talis energetically as he leaned forward and rubbed her beak against Alexander''s face, causing him to smile while lightly scratching her sweet spot. "Life with you will be rather exciting; I''ve just got a feeling you''re going to get us into some crazy scenarios." Said Alexander while enjoying the cat-like purrs escaping Talis''s beak. Turning around, I headed toward the door and gave my room one final look before exiting and closing the door; one day, I''ll return, but that''ll most likely be years from now; I just the tree house has been left untouched. Walking down the hall, I arrived in the kitchen and couldn''t help but sweetly smile as I remembered all the times Master complimented me on my cooking skills, though that sweet filling quickly turned into a bitter one when I was brought back to reality. ''They say you don''t know how precious something is until you lose it. I''ve always known Master was dear to me; I guess I just had no idea how truly precious she was.'' Thought Alexander while gliding his hand across the table before walking toward the pantry. Opening the pantry, I reached forward and grabbed my apron before stuffing it into my pouch; there weren''t many things I''d take, but that was definitely one I''d have as a keepsake. Leaving the kitchen, I quickly walked past the bathroom, which I''ve hardly used since my body is very efficient; I don''t know whether it''s because I''m a High Human or because of my golden blood. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Leaving the bathroom alone, I took a few more steps and arrived right before Master''s office, the place where she spent most of her time and the place where I would occasionally test her potions, treating me like a guinea pig. Walking around the office, allowing the numerous memories to come flooding through, I stopped before her desk and noticed the carousel she''d been working on for the past months; curious to see if she finally managed to fix it, I pressed the button on top. Immediately after, the horns on the unicorns lit up with various colors as the carousel came to life, spinning around in a circle while singing a song in the druidic language. Once it stopped, I picked it up and stored it in my space pouch; the carousel didn''t hold much significance to me, but it held a lot for Master, and the least I could do was return it to her sister, who has most likely died since apparently, a Druid''s life span is only one-thousand years. Giving a quick look around the office, I turned off the mana torches that lit up the room, closed the door, and left it be as I headed to my last stop, well, last stop in the house. Approaching Master''s room, I didn''t need to open it as it was already opened, allowing one to view the destruction I had caused when I learned of her inevitable death. I was not one prone to violence, but in that moment, I was so angry I didn''t know how else to vent my emotions. Walking around her destroyed room, remembering the hundreds of hours we''d spent making love throughout the night, I couldn''t help but smile amidst the pain. Approaching the closet, I entered, and after doing a quick search, I found our wedding attire in rather battered shape, as we had gotten a little too impatient with taking our clothes off. Softly chuckling, I grabbed both Master''s dress and my suit before folding them nicely and storing them in my pouch, along with Master''s old space pouch. Leaving the closet, I left the room, walked down the hall, passing the Master''s office, the bathroom, the kitchen, and my room before finally arriving back outside; closing the door one last for the next several years, I leaped to the ground and walking around the tree, approaching Master''s grave. Despite Master apparently being an "SS" class adventurer, one of the greatest in all of existence, and an actual Princess, her gravestone was simple as that''s how she wanted it. [Here lies Lavender Vestalis, the Hero''s Master and Wife of Alexander Vestalis. "Love you"] Why did she want her headstone to say that? When I asked her, she said, "I''ve lived a long time and done many things, but being your Master and your Wife are the greatest two things I''ve ever accomplished." "Same for me, Master; being your disciple and Husband will be my greatest accomplishment ever." Muttered Alexander softly with a lovely smile as he rested his hand atop her headstone while a single tear trailed down his face and landed on the ground below him, only to be absorbed into the soft soil. Practically seeing Master softly smiling at me, I said my final goodbyes before standing up and walking away. "Farewell, Master; as your disciple, I''ll make you proud. I''ll make my name resound around the world for your sake." Said Alexander with a determined expression as he walked away, missing the phantom of Lavender briefly manifesting before disappearing with a gust of wind. "So, you all set, Alexander? Everything ready? You''ve said your final farewells?" Questioned Lily as she, Simba, and Marlin all looked at Alexander, who nodded in response. "Yeah, I''m all ready to go." Replied Alexander with a nod while wearing his armor with a blue blanket wrapped around his neck, causing the three to raise their eyebrows, though they didn''t question it. "Well then, let''s get moving." Said Marlin with a nod as he and everyone else gave one final glance before entering the forest, leaving the clearing behind for good. While walking through the forest, by coincidence or not, we happened to stumble across the same spot where Master originally found me, the exact spot where she also buried my birth Mother. Breaking away from the three for a split second, I swiftly approached the tree that had grown atop my mother''s grave and got onto one knee as I spoke to her. "I''ll be leaving Mother; at least while you''re overlooking me, you won''t be lonely anymore; Master will be there to accompany you. She can tell you about my life and the outrageous things she put me through." Said Alexander softly while resting his hand atop the tree before standing up and quickly returning back to the three, who were all giving him weird looks. "Ahh, sorry; that was just my Mother''s grave." Remarked Alexander with an apologetic smile, causing the three to nod their head and glance at the grave before turning back around and continuing their trek through the forest. Chapter 90: Emerging From the Forest For roughly an hour, the four of us walked while Talis pitched a ride on my shoulder, using me as her personal chauffeur as we trekked through the forest. We encountered a lot of beasts along the way, though with my presence, none were aggressive, and with a few rubs, they allowed us to easily pass by uninterrupted; the ones who were trying to hunt us quickly scurried off with their tails between theirs with one look from Marlin. "Aren''t Elves supposed to be more closely in tune with nature than most species? Why does it feel like that''s not the case?" Questioned Alexander curiously as he watched a Runebear run away while whimpering in fear from Marlin''s glare. "Haa, I''m not an Elf; I''m a Dark Elf; we''re different." Replied Marlin with a sigh of annoyance as he glanced at Alexander while Lily snickered in amusement. "Heh, ignore him, Alexander. He''s really just a buzzkill, but after spending enough time with him, you''ll get used to it. I know I have." Remarked Lily with a smirk as she slowed down and walked right beside Alexander, who nodded while Marlin grunted. "Eh, I guess, but are Dark Elves and Elves really that different?" Asked Alexander quietly while looking at Lily, who shrugged her arms in response. "Don''t really know. I''ve met many Elves and Dark Elves, and while Elves do seem to be in tune with nature, as one would believe, Dark Elves seem to prefer the darkness of night; however, that could just be my misconception." Replied Lily lightly while shaking her head as she recalled her interactions with Elves. Nodding my head, I returned to being silent while we continued to walk through the forest, and before I knew it, I noticed parts of the forest stopped looking familiar; I mean, I know a forest looks practically the same wherever you are. However, I''ve lived in this forest for nearly seventeen years, and I know it like the back of my hand; it''s impossible for me to get lost, though that''s when I account for the parts of the forest I''ve ventured through. Despite living in this forest, I haven''t ever walked toward the edge of the forest; there was no need to, and why would I ever want to? Master has said there have been no signs of civilization for roughly two hundred kilometers; all I would end up seeing is a grassy plain for as far as the eye could see. ''It''s only a matter of time now.'' Thought Alexander while looking around the forest, which was new to him. Not even twenty minutes since we entered the unexplored part of the forest when I started to notice that the vegetation was slowly becoming more sparse; trees were smaller and more spaced apart, and no longer did I see predators, such as Direwolves, Runebears, Windeagle, and etc. Now, it was only small critters and the occasional deer. Passing by a tree, I finally saw it, the edge of the forest, though it was just as I believed, nothing but a hilly plain; still, I couldn''t help but slightly smile at such a sight; after all, it would be my first step into this world. After a few more minutes, the four of us finally emerged from the forest and appeared standing in the open; it physically didn''t feel any different standing in the forest, but I felt better mentally. Every tree I passed, I saw a faint image of Master, which was rather painful to deal with; if I''m being honest, I don''t want to enter another forest for several years. "How does it feel to finally leave the forest and step into the real world?" Asked Lily with a slight smile as she, Simba, and Marlin stopped and looked at Alexander, who was facing the sky with his eyes closed. "Hmm, liberating a little." Replied Alexander with a smile as he bathed in the sun''s golden rays before looking at the three, who smiled slightly. "I know how that feels." Remarked Simba with a nod before frowning as he remembered his younger days prior to encountering Lavender. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "So, where are we going? I''m assuming a City or a town at the very least." Asked Alexander curiously as he and the four continued walking atop the hilly plain, letting the gentle breeze blow their hair into the wind. "We?" Remarked Marlin as he turned and glanced at Alexander, who tilted his head in confusion, causing Lily to grab her head and sigh. "I don''t mean to be rude, Alexander, but as much we enjoy your presence, even if we don''t look like it, you can''t follow us, or more like you shouldn''t. We''ve already completed our adventure, and you''re just starting yours." Said Lily softly as she looked at Alexander, who nodded his head though he sighed. "Haa, I know, I figured, but you guys can at least drop me off at the closest city, right? I have no idea where to go." Asked Alexander with a slight sigh as he looked at the three, who nodded in response. "Yes, we can at least do that, but after that, we''ll go our separate ways; after all, we still have our own life to live. Marlin travels around the continent like a madman, visiting dangerous places way out of your current league. I''m the owner of a prominent brothel in a distant kingdom, so unless you wish to become an escort, which I''ll gladly accept, I''m not really the person you wish to be with. And Simba. I honestly couldn''t tell you anything about Simba; one second, he''s in one place, and the next second, he''s on a ship sailing to who knows where." Remarked Lily with a shake of her head as he pointed at Marlin, herself, and then Simba, who displayed a significant smile. "Eh, I don''t know why, but that sounds about right; I''m not even surprised." Said Alexander with a nod while Simba laughed. "So, what place will we be going, and how long do you think it''ll take?" Asked Alexander, though before anyone could answer, Marlin reached into his pouch and handed Alexander a folded piece of paper, which he took. "It''s a map of the Continent, something crucial for you." Replied Marlin, prompting Alexander to express his gratitude before unfolding the map. Looking at the paper map, I noticed plenty of land along with numerous different ecosystems, ranging from swampy meadows all the way to a volcanic range; just from this alone, the continent looked super dangerous, though It wasn''t nearly as bad as I had expected; then again, I''m merely looking at a map. ''So, we''re right there, bottom south; yeah, we are indeed quite a distance away from the closest village.'' Mused Alexander while looking at a small forest down south, which had the word "Lavender" written above it. The closet village was about a little over two hundred kilometers away, and if we decided to run it, we''d reach it in a few days; sprinting at full speed isn''t enough to exhaust me, especially since it seems like my healing capabilities have improved after [Rebirth] leveled up. ''Simba, Marlin, and Lily should also be fine; they''re considerably stronger than me. My full sprint is probably a slow jog to them at best, and Talis, I don''t need to worry about her either.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at his four companions before looking back at the map Glossing over the rest of the nearby area, I was about to fold it, but I suddenly felt my heart powerfully pulsating, which was rare given how strong it was. Slowing down a little, I gazed at the map once more, and when my eyes landed on the small image of the city with the word "Hyphen" right above it, I knew that was where I needed to go; my heart had never misled me, and I wasn''t about to start doubting it now. "Hmm, Hyphen, that''s kinda far away, though." Muttered Alexander with a slight frown, though his voice was overheard by Lily, who was walking beside him. "Hyphen, what about it, Alexander?" Asked Lily curiously as she stood on her toes so she could view the map with him. "Don''t know; all I know is I need to go there. My heart is directing me to Hyphen; I think there is something there for me." Replied Alexander solemnly as he stared at Hyphen on the map before folding it and storing it in his pouch. "Heart? Well, I don''t know about all that, but Hyphen is a pretty good place to become an Adventurer. It''s a decently prominent city, is in control of a rare-level dungeon, has both a Mage and Adventurer guild, and no one there is too strong; you''ll at most see a B-rank adventurer, and if that''s the case, either they''re just passing through or something serious has happened at Hyphen." Stated Lily with a thoughtful expression as she remembered what little she knew of Hyphen. "Ah, that''s actually something I''ve been meaning to ask; I know I''m not exactly strong compared to you guys. But how would you rank me as an adventurer, strength-wise?" Questioned Alexander curiously while looking down at Lily, who gave him a once over with a scrutinizing glance. "In the Adventuer guild, the lowest rank is an F, and the highest ranking is an SSS. Strength-wise, you''re a powerful E-rank adventurer, and when you finally become a Tier 1, you''ll be a D-rank adventurer; while it may not seem that impressive, don''t forget you''re only level 49. Most people at Level 49 are still F-rank adventurers." Declared Lily lightly as she poked Alexander''s muscles hidden underneath his armor. Chapter 91: Fast As F**k Boi Nodding to Lily, while her information helped, it didn''t really feel good to know I was rather weak in this world, although I honestly expected it; I was only level forty-nine, and Lily was like in the four thousand, nearly four hundred times my current level. However, it was a little relieving to know there shouldn''t be too many strong people in Hyphen; I didn''t want to accidentally piss off the wrong person and end up getting killed, at least not right now when my [Rebirth] is still on cooldown. "That''s good to know; is there anything else I should know about Hyphen or the world in general?" Asked Alexander as he looked down at Lily, who was walking right beside him. "Hmm, not anything incredibly important off the top of my head; you''ll learn most things just by living in Hyphen and meeting new people." Replied Lily with a thoughtful expression as she put a finger on her chin while looking up at the sky. "Refrain from being too nice." Stated Marlin as he glanced back at Alexander, his words slightly confusing him, though Lily elaborated. "What he means to say is, you''re a little too nice, Alexander, and people will see your nice personality as a form of weakness, which can get you into many messy situations that could be easily avoided just by having a tough outward appearance. Though I personally don''t think you need to worry about that too much, just your appearance alone should be enough to ward off troublesome people." Remarked Lily with a nod as she backed away and eyed Alexander, who had grown a little in the past year, standing at six foot six and weighing roughly two hundred and fifty pounds of lean muscle. "Yeah, but I''m still a little small when compared to Simba." Said Alexander as he looked down at his body before gesturing to Simba at the forefront, who was the same height as Alexander but was packed with muscles. "He''s an outlier even for a lion demi-human; most of them don''t get that large." Said Marlin calmly while Simba was too busy enjoying the pleasant breeze against his mane. I wasn''t entirely sure about Marlin''s comment, but he didn''t seem to be lying, so I just rolled with it; since this world has a variety of species that were considered mere myths back on earth, I don''t think I''m actually that big. Maybe for a human, but what about Giants, Orcs, Trolls, or Demons? ''Guess I''ll find out when I get to Hyphen.'' Thought Alexander with a shake of his head while looking at the slightly cloudy sky. "So, will we be walking the whole way? Cause if so, Hyphen is quite a ways away." Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at Marlin, who seemed to be the de facto leader of this bunch. "Will you be capable of keeping up?" Asked Marlin as he turned and looked back at Alexander, who slightly smirked. "So long as you three keep the pace relatively low, I''ll hopefully be able to keep up." Replied Alexander, his confidence diminishing slightly towards the end when he noticed the whites of Marlin''s teeth. "Let''s pick up the pace then; I''ve got some things I''ve got to do!" Stated Simba with a smile, and without any hesitation, he dashed up and down the hills, his figure rapidly leaving the group. "Of all people, what does that fool have to do? He probably just wants to do something stupid." Muttered Lily with a shake of her head as she winked at Alexander and slapped his butt before following Simba''s footsteps, dashing right behind him. "Keep up sweet stuff." Added Lily as her lustful voice trailed off in the distance. "What Lily said, minus the sweet stuff." Remarked Marlin as he gave Alexander a glance before his dark figure quickly passed Lily and appeared beside Simba. Seeing them speedily dash off into the distance, I looked at Talis, who was perched on my shoulder. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "If you need to rest, I''ll carry you." Said Alexander, prompting Talis to spread her wings and take to the skies with a mighty flap, swiftly propelling her through the air as she broke the sound barrier in merely a few seconds. "The Queen of the Skies never needs to rest!" Yelled Talis pridefully as she chased after the three who were already a kilometer away. Slightly chuckling, I filled my body with mana, covered my legs in a dense layer of winds, and, to top it all off, channeled lightning through my body, using both [Wind Steps] and [Lightning Cloak] to massively enhance my speed. Adding [Heroes Gaze] to the mix so I could properly react with my now enhanced speed, I sprinted right after those four, moving the fastest I''d ever run before in my life, and once I reached my top speed, I felt myself break through an invisible wall, so-to-speak, followed by a large boom. ''Did I just break through the sound barrier?'' Thought Alexander with a surprised expression, which quickly morphed into a childlike grin. Although I was moving even faster than the speed of sound, It still took me several minutes to reach Lily, Marlin, Simba, and Talis, who seemed to be purposely slowing down since the instant I arrived, they sped up, running and flying just as fast as me. "Heh, I didn''t think you could move that fast, Alexander." Remarked Lily with a smirk as she showed off her speed by casually running backward right beside Alexander, who rolled his eyes. "Neither did I." Replied Alexander with a slight smile, one that caused Lily to smile as well. "Though I''d like to add, this is draining my mana rather quickly; I''ll be able to keep this speed activated for, at most, 20 minutes." Added Alexander as he looked at Lily, who nodded. "Then we''ll just slow down once that time arrives, and when you refill your Mana, we''ll repeat the process." Said Lily as she flipped herself and started running normally. Running this fast was a little surreal at first, but I quickly got accustomed to it, and before I knew it, my mana was utterly drained, causing me to wince in slight pain, though as I''ve exhausted my mana numerous times before, it wasn''t that bad, and my mana started refilling on its own. ''Well, not a bad way to improve my [Mana Regen].'' Thought Alexander as he was forced to slow down from the loss of his lightning, wind, and neutral mana, though he still continued running. ___ ___ For the remainder of the day, we continued running, constantly changing our pace because of my lack of mana, though I did level up my [Mana Regen], so it was completely worth it, in my opinion. Once nightfall arrived, we had just reached what looked like a dirt road, so we couldn''t be too far away from some sort of settlement. However, we camped in the plains, and the three also had this fantastic magical device that would set up their own tent in a matter of a few seconds; I didn''t have any, but Lily was kind enough to share her tent with me and Talis. Just like I suspected, the first thing Lily did when I took off my armor was pull down my pants, revealing my flaccid member, which didn''t get hard despite her constantly touching it, even going so far as to use her pheromones. "Can you stop Lily? Your attempts clearly aren''t working to revive my sex drive." Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as he pulled up his pants and lay beside Talis, who was already fast asleep from a long, exhausting day of constantly flying. "S-Sorry, I was just trying to help you." Said Lily awkwardly as she sat down in the complete nude. "Haa, it''s fine, Lily. I can tell what you''re trying to do, but I don''t want to get over Master''s death by using you as an outlet. You''re also hurting, and I''m not selfish enough to do that to you." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. After that little remark, Lily went quiet before laying down and snuggling against my body, causing me to sigh, but I didn''t say anything about it. "Lavy really was lucky to have a disciple like you." Said Lily softly as she looked at Alexander''s back before closing her eyes and drifting to sleep. "I was luckier to have her as my Master." Stated Alexander before he, too, drifted to sleep. ___ ___ It was the third day, and none of us had eaten anything, well, except Talis, who had hunted a few rabbits; currently, we were walking across the dirt road, which had turned into a paved road a few kilometers back. "Well, we arrived at Hyphen far faster than I anticipated; it only took three days." Muttered Alexander, walking down the paved road while looking up at the sky, which was just a few hours away from nighttime. Since we were now on a regularly used road, we''d occasionally see carriages being pulled by either horses or oxen passing us, and after several minutes of walking, I finally started to see the first signs of a city. First came the city walls, then came the city gate, and finally, the line of people trying to enter the city, which thankfully wasn''t too long. ''I''m honestly surprised we didn''t get ambushed by bandits or something; isn''t that how life back in medieval times usually goes?'' Thought Alexander, though he wasn''t completely sure as this world has magic. Chapter 92: Entering Hyphen Approaching the line of people waiting to be allowed entry from what seemed to be the city guards, we stood in line as well and patiently waited as we moved up the line at a decently moderate speed. Looking around, I refrained from using my skill, [Hereos Gaze], at first, out of fear of someone sensing me, but after remembering that Marlin, Simba, and Lily seemed to be oblivious whenever I used the skill, I activated the skill, though I made sure not to view someone status panel. No one''s told me not to view a status panel, but I''m pretty sure anyone with common sense would be able to discern such actions are reserved for critical situations; waiting in line wasn''t one of those times. Using [Hereos Gaze], I could see through the numerous people and view the front of the gate, where two armored individuals, the city guards, were checking for some sort of ID while additionally accepting what looked like five bronze-colored, circular, metallic objects. "Will I be able to enter? It seems the guards up front are checking for identifications along with what looked like copper coins, which I have neither of." Asked Alexander as he furrowed his brows and looked at Lily, feeling slightly concerned that everything may be for naught. "Yes, don''t worry; Identification only makes entering cities much cheaper since without them, it''s one whole silver instead of five copper coins; however, please, for the love of a God or Goddess, tell me Lavy at least informed you about the currency system." Replied Lily calmly with a shake of her head before suddenly widening her eyes and staring at Alexander, who awkwardly looked away, causing her to cover her face in disbelief. "I love Lavy, but she was a subpar Master; it''s simply incredible." Muttered Lily as she looked at Alexander while rubbing her face, inwardly cursing Lavender. "I can''t comment on that; she''s the only Master I''ve ever had." Replied Alexander with a wry smile while looking at Lily and rubbing his head, earning him another sigh from Lily while Simba and Marlin acted oblivious to the two''s conversation. "Well, thankfully, the world''s currency is straightforward and easy to learn, so it''s not like she screwed you over by not telling you; even without an explanation, you''d be able to figure it out relatively easily." Said Lily as she grabbed the bridge of her nose in exhaustion while lightly shaking her head. "Anyways, the currency goes like this: Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and finally Diamond. 100 copper equates to one silver, 100 silver equates to one gold, and so on and so forth. To give you an idea of how much money that is, 5 silver or 500 copper is enough for an average family to comfortably sustain themselves in an average city like Hyphen." Added Lily as she took a second to catch her breath while Alexander processed her words before continuing where she had left off. "You won''t see gold and platinum used by most people; only wealthy nobles and high-ranked Adventures will use gold or platinum. Diamond is reserved solely for kingdoms and Empire as they are the only ones capable of amounting to that much wealth; of course, there are outliers, like if you happen to find a diamond coin and whatnot, but that''s so incredibly rare, and honestly, if you ever find one, don''t use it until your strength is at comparable to an S class adventurer." Stated Lily with a nod as she finished her explanation, going silent and allowing Alexander to mull over her words. "Yes, that is rather simple; thanks for telling me, Lily." Replied Alexander with a nod, smiling in appreciation while Lily reciprocated with a smile of her own. "You''re welcome; as your Master Aunt, it''s the least I could do." Said Lily with a smile as she leaned onto Alexander, grabbing his arm and placing it right between her voluptuous breasts. "Master Aunt?" Remarked Alexander skeptically as he eyed Lily, who chuckled in response. "Yes, Master Aunt. Lavy was practically a Sister to me, so by that logic, I''m your Master Aunt, while Simba and Marlin are your Master Uncles." Stated Lily seriously with a nod, sounding believable enough to the point where Alexander couldn''t tell whether she was lying or not. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Why do I have a feeling that term is not real, and you just now made that up." Muttered Alexander as he suspiciously looked at Lily, who didn''t bother replying and just smiled, causing him to sigh and shake his head. After another fifteen or so minutes of waiting, it was finally our turn to enter; we stepped forward while the city guards repeated the same words they''d probably been saying all day. "Five copper and IDs; if no ID, it''ll be one silver." Stated the Human Guard on the right, closest to Marlin, as he looked up at him. I expected Marlin to do as the Guard said, but nope, he instead brought what looked like an Adventures license, though it was much different from Master''s, which I''d stored in my pouch, as Marlin''s had a "C" on it instead of "SS". When the Guard grabbed the Adventurer license from Marlin''s hand, his tone slightly improved; he no longer sounded utterly bored out of his mind; instead, he was respectful as he looked at us. "Ah, an Adventurer; I assume these three must be your companions, Sir?" Asked the Guard as he handed the adventurer license back to Marlin, who calmly nodded. "Yes, so we should be allowed entry?" Replied Marlin calmly as he looked at the Guard, who stood out of the way while nodding. "Yes, and have a good afternoon, Sir and Sir''s companions." Said the Guard as he gave a slight wave to Marlin, Simba, Lily, and Alexander, with Alexander being the only one to nod in acknowledgment. Entering Hyphen, I couldn''t help but whistle as I observed the surroundings; the place didn''t look impressive by any means, but it was a brand-new sight, one that I was slightly eager to experience. Walking throughout the city, I would occasionally spot a duo of guards waking the streets as well, which were still decently packed with various species despite it being late in the afternoon. "You okay, Lily?" Asked Alexander in slight worry as he saw Lily getting pushed around by the numerous strangers. "Of course, I''m fine; don''t forget, I''m an S-class Adventurer." Replied Lily softly with a sweet smile as she looked up at Alexander. "Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that; anyways, speaking of that, why did you hand the Guard a C-class Adventurer license, Marlin? Also, why did he let us with needing to pay?" Questioned Alexander curiously as he looked at Marlin, who towered over the crowd, though the same went for Simba and Alexander himself, only a few passing strangers matching their stature. "Showing that I''m an S-clas adventurer would be overboard; besides, it would bring you more harm than good; the news of an S-clas adventurer within Hyphen would quickly spread, and once we leave, you''d be a person of interest, which would be bad for you as you''re not sufficiently strong enough to take care of yourself. He let us in for free, as C-class adventures and up can enter cities for free along with their companions or party members." Replied Marlin calmly as he and Simba walked side by side, practically pushing people out of the way. "Oh, didn''t think about that, so now that we''re in Hyphen, are you guys leaving right away or in the morning?" Remarked Alexander as he looked at Marlin, Simba, and Lily, seeking their input. "I don''t know about those two, but I''m leaving tomorrow morning. I''ve been away from my business for quite a while; I''m sure some of my wealthy customers are getting anxious." Said Lily as she looked up at Alexander while gesturing to both Simba and Marlin. "I''m also leaving tomorrow morning; I''ve got important things to do after all." Stated Simba with an excited smile, though neither Marlin nor Lily believed his words. "I shall leave tomorrow morning as well; I''d like to quickly return to my adventures. Lily had called me out of nowhere and forced me to postpone some rather crucial things." Replied Marlin with a slight frown, which was hidden behind his dark cloak. Silently nodding, I was honestly a little sad to see them leave so soon, not to mention I was slightly nervous at being left alone in a new world I knew nothing about. ''Well, not entirely alone; I''d have Talis by my side, but she won''t be proving much help regarding knowledge about this world; she''s more clueless than I am.'' Mused Alexander with a slight smirk as he looked at his right shoulder, spotting Talis silently observing her new surroundings before lightly scratching the underside of her beak, causing her to purr like a kitten. We continued walking through the streets until we eventually arrived at a large wooden building that reminded me a little of a motel from my past life. "Breakfast & Inn; yeap, must be a hotel." Muttered Alexander quietly as he looked at the hanging sign right above the entrance, which the four entered. The inside resembled a bar with a bar in the back, along with tables to my left and right, with some people occupying a few of them already. Approaching the bar, which seemed to also serve as the front desk, Marlin rented out two rooms, and I had a feeling I''d be forced to sleep with Lily once Marlin received the keys from the man behind the bar. We headed to the left and walked up a flight of stairs before walking down a hallway until we arrived at our room number. ''Yep, I''m with Lily.'' Thought Alexander with a slight sigh as he saw Simba and Marlin enter a room while Lily practically dragged him into hers. Chapter 93: Simba, Marlin, and Lily Leave It was the next day, having already woken up from my sleep with Lily hugging my body; I quickly got myself dressed, and within a measly hour, I was standing at the entrance of Hyphen while Simba, Marlin, and Lily stood opposite of me. "So this is where we part way?" Remarked Alexander lightly with a sad smile, standing near the city''s exit while gazing at Simba, Marlin, and Lily, who were all about to leave. "Yes, as much as we enjoy your lively presence, we have our own lives to live; besides, we wouldn''t wish to impede your own journey." Said Lily with a slightly sad smile as she approached Alexander and hugged him. Feeling Lily''s body press against mine as she hugged me, which might''ve been the first time she touched my body without any sexual intentions behind it, I reciprocated and hugged her as well, though I suppose she can only suppress her natural desires for so long since I felt her hands make their way to my butt. ''It was enjoyable while it lasted.'' Mused Alexander with a shake of his head as he felt Lily''s hands squeezing his butt, prompting him to remove her from the hug. "Hehe; I''m also going to miss this lovely bird. She''s so fluffy and cute!" Added Lily with a mischievous chuckle before embracing Talis from Alexander''s shoulder. "Urgh! Let me go, Lily! A-At least don''t squeeze so much; I-I can''t breathe!" Yelled Talis as she tried to wiggle her way out of Lily''s grasp, though she only continued to sink deeper into her cleavage before only her fluffy, feathery tail was visible. ''Tch, lucky bird.'' Thought the numerous men as they walked past Lily while eyeing Talis with an envious gaze. Chuckling at the heaven Talis was currently experiencing, I unceremoniously reached into Lily''s cleavage and gently yanked Talis out of her massive bust, prompting Talis to instantly perch herself on my head, further away from Lily''s grasp. "T-Thanks, Alex; I-I nearly died suffocating between her breasts!" Yelled Talis between her large breaths as she gently patted Alexander''s face with her wing. "I''m going to miss you, Talis!" Stated Lily with a heartbroken expression as she looked at Talis while backing away, letting someone else say their farewells. "Haha, Make sure to live up to Leader and become the best Adventurer alive!" Simba said with a large smile as he wrapped Alexander in a powerful hug that might''ve broken a few of his bones. "I-I will t-try my best S-Simba." Remarked Alexander as he suppressed his desire to howl in pain and lightly patted Simba''s arm, causing him to release the hug. ''Fuck man, nearly caved my chest in.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he felt his body heal at astonishing speed, and not even ten seconds later, he returned to peak condition. "That''s what I love to hear!" Yelled Simba enthusiastically as he patted Alexander''s shoulder, dislocating it for a second time. Fixing my shoulder for a second time because Simba apparently couldn''t properly control his strength, he backed away next to Lily while Marlin stepped closer, though unlike the other two, he didn''t offer a hug, which I was somewhat glad for. I didn''t want another mab grabbing my butt, and I didn''t want him to break one of my shoulders accidentally. "Be smart, don''t do anything stupid, and survive." Said Marlin seriously as he looked at Alexander while the two shook hands, though he felt a little nervous afterward. "Did your farewell speech have to sound like you were a father watching their son go fight a war? It doesn''t exactly fill me with confidence." Remarked Alexander with a forced smile as he subconsciously became more alert of his surroundings. "The real world is more terrifying than war; in war, at least you know who your enemies and your allies are; the same can''t be said for everyday life. If you ever need assistance, just call one of us through Lavender''s Adventurer license." Stated Marlin solemnly with a hardened gaze while eyeing Alexander, causing him to nod his head rapidly. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I-I understand, Marlin." Replied Alexander with a small smile, causing Marlin to nod before turning around and walking toward Simba and Lily. Seeing the three stand beside each other, I couldn''t help but sigh; it was weird; despite only knowing them for a little over two weeks, it felt like I''d experienced so much with them, and It was sad to see them go, and a part of me didn''t wish to separate from them. ''Haa, but they''re right; they''ve got their own lives to live, and I''ve got my own to start.'' Mused Alexander a bitter-sweet smile as he watched Marlin, Simba, and Lily turn around and walk away after saying their final farewells. "Bye, Alexander! Seeya later! Farewell." Said Lily, Simba, and Marlin, respectively, as they exited Hyphen amidst a small crowd before suddenly vanishing. Seeing them disappear, I sighed once more before turning around and walking away from the city gates; it was time to start my own adventure. "Heh, ready, Talis?" Asked Alexander with a slight smile as he grabbed Talis from atop his head and held her in his arms. "Hmm, ready for what?" Asked Talis in confusion as she looked up at Alexander, who merely chuckled. "Hehe, I don''t know. But that''s the beauty of it, isn''t it?" Muttered Alexander; his words only confused Talis even more, but she forgot about it once he stroked her. ___ ___ For about two hours, Talis and I walked around the city, getting a better layout of Hyphen; thankfully, the city was properly separated into sections or districts. The south side of Hyphen, where I''m currently staying at that inn, is the residential area, which makes sense, considering I see almost nothing but inns and houses; the west side of Hyphen has two districts, the commercial and market district, which I will add, is also the most bustling place in the city by far. The north side of Hyphen was the redlight district, full of brothels and bars, a place I don''t plan to visit at all; I mean, diseases still exist, right? Besides, lately, I haven''t been sexually active at all, so there''s that; plus, none of the women I saw were that attractive, and they all wore heavy makeup, which only made them uglier, in my opinion, but I digress. The east side of Hyphen was the industrial district, so it''s also pretty bustling, but I also don''t see myself visiting this place often; the final district, the center district, is where the dungeon is located, along with the Mayor''s house, and the Mage and Adventurer guild''s sub-bases. This area was packed, not nearly as crowded as the west side of Hyphen, but it''s a close second; though instead of civilians, most people looked to adventurers or mages. "Excuse me. Excuse me." Said Alexander lightly as he squeezed and maneuvered through the crowd, occasionally bumping into people, who merely glared at him before scoffing. After getting through the crowd of people, I sat down on a large fountain and used this chance to observe the dungeon with [Heroes Gaze], which honestly seemed to be the same as the other dungeons; the only difference was the vitality coursing through the walls were much more potent. "Hmm, I should learn more about dungeons; I''m sure I could find a library or-" Said Alexander curiously while looking at the dungeon that adventures constantly entered and exited, though he trails off toward the end when he noticed a large armored figure emerge from the dungeon. I didn''t know why, but when I laid eyes on that figure, my heart instantly started pounding, and as I watched the armored figure walk through the crowd unhindered, I quickly stood up and followed after them. "Eh? What''s the matter, Alex?" Asked Talis in surprise, nearly falling off Alexander''s shoulder when he stood up, though her question fell on deaf ears. However, unlike the armored figure, I couldn''t just walk through the crowd of people as quickly as them, and I was progressively losing ground; I tried speeding up, but that failed miserably. "Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me-" Said Alexander as he speedily walked through the crowd before suddenly colliding with someone, only to fall atop a nearby woman. ''Ugh, ouch.'' Thought Alexander with annoyance as he lay collapsed atop a woman. Getting up, I placed my hand atop the woman''s body, which I didn''t even know I was lying on, and ended up accidentally grabbing her breasts. "What the? S-Sorry!" Muttered Alexander in confusion as he looked down, only to notice a light-skinned woman with blue eyes, pointy ears, and long blonde hair looking directly at him. "If you''re sorry, release your hand!" Yelled the elven woman angrily with slight tears in her eyes as she glared at Alexander, who swiftly removed his hand. Quickly standing up, I reached down and tried to assist the elven woman, but she smacked my hand away before standing up on her own. "I-I''m deeply sorry for that; I wasn''t paying attention to where I was walking and-" Said Alexander with a slight blush as he apologized, though he couldn''t finish since a hand smacked him in the face. "Hmph, pervert." Declared the elven woman with a huff as she fixed her long robe before turning around and walking away. ''Haa, I deserve that.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh, only to feel someone pat his shoulder suddenly. "Just had a fight with your girl?" Asked an older man wearing light armor with a battle axe attached to his back. "Eh?" Remarked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the older man to his right. Chapter 94: Jackal "Ah, I''ve been there plenty of times, young man; in fact, last week, my wife caught me with another woman, made me sleep on the cold hard floor for a month, and I''ve still got three weeks left of punishment." Said the older man with a smile as he watched the Elven woman angrily storm off while Alexander just looked at him weirdly. "Uh, It just sounds like you were being unfaithful to your wife." Replied Alexander as he looked at the man, who laughed and aggressively patted his shoulder. "Haha, you could say so, but I love her; she just can''t satisfy my sexual needs. Promise me you won''t tell her, Kid." Remarked the older man before turning serious and eyeing Alexander, who hesitantly nodded. "Sure; anyways, that girl wasn''t my girlfriend or anything; I just happened to trip over her and touched her breast." Said Alexander with a nod while looking at the older man suspiciously before shaking his head. "Ah, you''re a man of culture as well; the old trip and breast maneuver, I remember doing that to every big-breasted woman I came across; it''s a technique that never fails. Just make sure to pick your targets correctly. One of my buddies did try it on an Orc, and with one swift motion, he became an eunuch." Stated the older man with a slightly perverted smile while ogling a passing woman before the two subconsciously shivered at his words. "Eh, well, I''ll make sure to be careful around Orc''s in the future; I''d prefer not to lose my manhood." Said Alexander while searching the crowd for an orc; it was not like he''d be able to spot one even if one were standing right before him since he''d never seen one before "Anyways, who are you?" Asked Alexander curiously as he gazed at the older man, who smirked in response. "My real name is Yokich Tazban, though I go by Jackal. What about you, Kid?" Replied Jackal with a grin, causing Alexander''s eyebrows to raise, curious how he got such a name. "Alexander Vestalis, and for the record, I''m not a kid; I''m turning 17 in a few months." Remarked Alexander with a slight smile as he shook hands with Jackal, who simply laughed. "Heh, 16? I''m 40 years old, more than twice your age, son, and you dare to say you''re not a kid. Still, an Adventurer at 16 is a rare find indeed." Stated Jackal with an amused grin as he looked up at Alexander, who towered over him by half a foot and outweighed him by sixty pounds. "Eh, I''m not an Adventurer, not yet, at least; besides, I''d imagine there would be a lot of young Adventurers around my age. I mean, that woman from before looked very young." Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he looked at Jackal in slight confusion. "There are a lot of young Adventurers; the problem is, their pride and ego often get them killed shortly after becoming an Adventurer; the ones that are smart enough to survive become like me. A 40-year-old veteran Adventurer veteran; I''ve been in the business since I was 15, and I''m still only a C-class Adventurer." Replied Jackal with a slight frown before pointing at himself, which, just as he expected, didn''t help his case. "Besides, that woman you performed the trip and breast maneuver on was an Elf; she was probably already 90 years old at the very least." Added Jackal, earning him a nod from Alexander. "Well, I''m not that prideful, nor do I have a large ego, so at least I don''t have to worry about those two killing me; I''ve already cleared a dungeon by myself when I was 12, and I had a Master, so hopefully, that should be enough to survive." Remarked Alexander with a thoughtful expression, though his words caused Jackal to be surprised. "Cleared a dungeon by yourself at the age of 12!? Granted, it was probably a common dungeon, but still, that''s impressive; you''ve got a feat under your belt that most adventurers will never have, nor will they have the balls to achieve." Said Jackal with an impressed smirk as he looked at Alexander in a new light. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Yes, it was a common dungeon, and I nearly died as I was protecting Talis; if it weren''t for her stubborn nature, I wouldn''t have been forced into that situation in the first place." Replied Alexander with an annoyed frown as he glared at Talis perched upon his shoulder, who simply looked away. "Eh, Talis? Is Talis the bird?" Questioned Jackal curiously as he looked at the one-meter bird he''d somehow only now noticed. "Yeah, I first met her roughly eight years ago when she was just a tiny little hatchling, and she''s been my friend ever since." Replied Alexander with a smile as he scratched Talis''s underside, causing her to purr like a kitten while Jackal looked startled. "Oh, you probably don''t understand her, but she said hello." Added Alexander lightly as Talis chirped at Jackal, who once again seemed startled. "Well, it''s not every day you come across someone who can speak to a beast, but it''s not the weirdest thing I''ve come across." Muttered Jackal with a raised eyebrow as he extended his hand and shook Talis''s talons. Hearing Jackal''s words, I don''t know why I only now remembered, but I quickly stopped playing with Talis and looked around, though, as I expected, that armored figure was long gone; hell, I don''t even remember which direction they were walking. ''They exited from the dungeon, so their probably an Adventurer, maybe I should head to the Adventurer Guild.'' Thought Alexander with a furrowed brows as he looked back at Jackal. "Anyways, it was nice to meet you, Jackal, but I need to go to the Adventurer Guild to register as an Adventurer, so I''ll probably see you later." Stated Alexander with a slight smile while Talis nodded her beak, and just as he started walking away, Jackal quickly caught up to him. "Lucky for you, Alex, I''m also heading to the Adventurer Guild, so I can show you a little of the do''s and don''ts. I don''t wish to see a young prodigy getting killed early on in their life; I''ve seen too many in my days." Said Jackal with a smile as he walked beside Alexander and patted his back before slightly frowning. "Well, I appreciate it, Jackal; I also don''t wish to get killed so young; I''d at least like to start a family first." Replied Alexander with a thankful smile, causing Jackal to laugh. "A Family? Haha, you''re only 16, Alex; focus on other things first; family is for when you''ve become old like me." Remarked Jackal with a grin as he and Alexander conserved while heading toward the Adventurer Guild. ___ ___ "Welp, here she is, Hyphens own Adventurer Guild; what''cha think, Alex?" Asked Jackal with a warm smile as he stood before the large building where people were constantly entering and exiting from its double doors. Standing before me was a large three-story building with a sign that said, "Adventurer Guild". "It''s more maintained than I''d expected." Replied Alexander lightly, while Talis tilted her head in confusion at the building. "Haha, you damn sure ain''t wrong; with what goes on, you''d expect this place to be a dump. C''mon, let''s go in." Said Jackal with a laugh as he walked forward, up the few steps and into the Adventurer Guild, Alexander following closely behind. Entering the building, I was instantly assaulted with a potent stench of sweet meat, iron, and alcohol; looking around, I spotted numerous people of all races sitting at tables, talking with other people, drinking, eating, or even brawling. The front of the building was mostly filled with tables, while to the right was a bar where you could get food and drinks; at the back of the building, there was a long reception desk with a few receptionists that were attending to Adventurers, and to the left was a massive bulletin board filled with flyers that other Adventurers were observing. "Hehe, I can already tell by your face you think it stinks." Said Jackal with a smirk as he looked back at Alexander, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it''s a terrible smell, though I suppose I''ll just get used to it after a while." Remarked Alexander with a frown as he looked at Talis, who seemed completely unbothered by the smell. "That''s the optimistic attitude I like to hear!" Said Jackal as he turned around and walked to the reception desk while Alexander followed. "Yo, Cath, I''ve got a young prodigy here who tries to be an Adventurer." Said Jackal with a slight smirk as he leaned on the desk and looked down at a young woman with cat ears and a cat tail. "Prodigy? He looks more like a model." Remarked Cath blandly with a raised eyebrow as she looked at Alexander''s towering figure standing beside Jackal. "Thank you." Commented Alexander with a slight smile, which caused Cath to smile slightly as well. "Wait right here; I''ll go and get an adventurer license." Said Cath with a nod as she glanced at Jackal before standing up and entering a door. "Heh, would you look at that? First time meeting her, and you''ve already made Cath smile; it took me over a year before I got her to warm up to me. I think she might like you; you should ask her out on a date; she''s still single." Remarked Jackal with an envious grin as he nudged Alexander, who shook his head. Chapter 95: Yuki Ama "No thanks, Jackal. She''s cute, but I''m not really interested in women right now." Replied Alexander with a small smile as he looked at Jackal, who gave him a weird look while distancing himself. "Not interested in women? Ay, I''m not one to judge someone''s preferences, but just know, I don''t swing that way." Remarked Jackal lightly as he carefully eyed Alexander, who was utterly confused. "Hmm? Oh, I, no, you''re misunderstanding; I love women; it''s just I''m not looking for a relationship right now, or any time soon, for a matter of fact." Stated Alexander with a shake of his head, clearing up the confusion between the two, causing Jackal to sigh in relief as he returned to his spot. "Not looking for a relationship? You''re a young man, aren''t you? What young man isn''t looking to find a woman? I know I was when I was your age; I was hitting on girls left and right." Questioned Jackal with a raised eyebrow, surprised at Alexander''s statement, though when he saw him frowning, he nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see; sorry for asking a personal question like that, Kid." Added Jackal lightly, noticing Alexander''s demeanor shifting. "No, you''re fine, but yeah, I''d prefer not to talk about it; I''m still having difficulty coming to terms." Remarked Alexander softly with a forced smile as the two descended into silence for some time, at least until Jackal grabbed him by the shoulder. "Listen, Alex, I''ve been in your shoes before; I got my heart broken when I was young. I thought the world was ending then, but heartbreaks are part of life, and I eventually overcame them. While I''m sure this feels terrible right now, just know she wasn''t the right one; there are thousands of other women out there just waiting for a tall, strong, and handsome young man like you." Stated Jackal seriously with a comforting smile as he patted Alexander on the shoulder while looking up at him. "For an adventurer, you''re much more friendly than I imagined, and while I appreciate your words, I wasn''t dumped; I deeply wish I was, though." Replied Alexander with a soft smile, muttering the last part to himself while looking down at Jackal, who just grinned. "Hehe, I''m usually not this friendly, but there is just something about your presence that brings out the best in me, Alex. No homo." Remarked Jackal with a slight smile before quickly removing his hand from Alexander''s shoulder and stating the last part. With a slight chuckle, Jackal and I went quiet as Cath exited from the room she was previously in and walked out while carrying an adventurer license that was nearly identical to the one Marlin showed the gate guard. ''It really just looks like a driver''s license if I remember correctly.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow before looking back at Cath. "Sorry it took so long; one of my colleagues required some assistance in the back. Anyways, here you go, sir, your Adventurer license; just drop a dot of blood onto it, and it''ll link to you; after that, we''ll proceed with the paperwork." Stated Cath softly with a shake of her head as she handed Alexander a black-looking license, which he inspected with [Heroes Gaze]. //////////////////// Name: License Rank: Uncommon Description: a slab of iron engraved with numerous magic formations. //////////////////// ''Well, that wasn''t very descriptive, but I suppose everything doesn''t need to be complicated.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked around before glancing at Cath. "Ms. Cath, is there a restroom I can use? I don''t wish to accidentally spill blood on the floor." Asked Alexander softly, his words causing Cath to give him a weird look; nonetheless, she nodded her head and pointed. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Yes, It''s over there, just down that hall." Replied Cath as she pointed down the hall underneath the stairway, causing Alexander to nod with a smile and leave. Walking down the hall Cath pointed at, I quickly found the men''s and women''s restroom at the end of the hall; unfortunately, it was a one-person bathroom, so I was required to wait, though thankfully, I was the only one waiting. "Oh, yeah, I never bothered asking, Talis, do you wish to be an adventurer?" Asked Alexander as he looked at Talis resting on his shoulder while leaning against the wall. "Nah, I don''t see the point if you''re already an Adventurer." Replied Talis, straight to the point as she rubbed her beak with her brown feathered wings. "Have you gotten bigger again, Talis? If you keep growing, you won''t be able to perch yourself on my shoulder; even now, it''s a little uncomfortable for me." Remarked Alexander curiously as he closely observed Talis, who shrugged her wings, causing him to shake his head and forget about it. Hearing the faucet turn off, I expected someone to walk out, but what I didn''t expect was the hulking armored figure I was chasing earlier to leave the bathroom; from a distance, they were large, but only when I was up close, I realize how large they truly were. ''My goodness, I, myself, am about 6 feet 6, and yet I''m barely up to the middle of their torso. I''m like a kid standing next to them.'' Thought Alexander in awe as he was required to tilt his head to look up at the armored figure''s helmet. I was beyond curious who the behemoth was occupying that armor, so while a little rude, I used my eyes and looked inside their armor, yet what I wasn''t expecting was to see a woman. The woman inside the armor clearly wasn''t human; her light blue skin, horns, teeth, and four arms were great examples. However, despite not looking much like a human, her muscular arms, toned abdomen, glowing yellow eyes, shoulder-length white hair, and, well, her utterly massive breasts caused her to look rather beautiful. "Can I help you?" Asked the armored figure with a deep voice as she towered over Alexander and looked down at him, an intimidating sight, though to him, he felt completely at ease. "Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean to stare; your massive frame is just kind of striking, to say the least." Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he dismissively waved his hand, causing the woman to nod. "I get that a lot." Said the woman in her deep voice as she looked at Alexander, finding him pleasant despite just meeting him. "Anyways, I''m Alexander Vestalis. It''s nice to meet you." Stated Alexander with a friendly smile as he outstretched his hand to the woman, who looked at him for a moment before doing the same, using one of her four arms. "Yuki Ama, nice to meet you as well." Replied Yuki with a slight smile as she shook Alexander''s hand, though it was hidden behind her helmet, which only allowed her yellow eyes to remain visible. "Would you prefer Ms. Yuki or just Yuki?" Asked Alexander curiously as he retracted his hand, though his words greatly surprised her. "Ms?" said Yuki in surprise, though Alexander mistook it as her response. "Well, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Yuki, and I''d love to get to know you, but I need to use the bathroom real quick." Said Alexander with a smile as he passed Yuki and entered the bathroom, leaving her alone to ponder what just happened. Once inside the bathroom, I leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief as I placed my hand on my rapidly beating heart; just talking with her made me nervous. ''Still, she was very beautiful; I hope we can speak again.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he shook his head and approached the sink with the license in hand. Moving the interaction with Ms. Yuki to the back of my mind for now, I poked my finger against Talis''s sharp talons, causing a drop of blood to emerge on my finger as the wound instantly closed up. Smearing it onto the license, I saw it absorb my blood before glowing brightly, followed by the change in the license; no longer was it blank, it had my full name, a picture of me, and the letter "F" in bold. "I wonder why my adventurer license differs from Marlin''s, Simba''s, and Lily''s." Muttered Alexander curiously as he looked at his license before putting it in his pocket and exiting the bathroom. Looking around, I, unfortunately, didn''t spot Ms. Yuki anywhere, but it wasn''t that surprising; why would she bother waiting for a person she had just met? Shaking my head, I walked down the hall, approaching Jackal, attempting to flirt with Cath, though given her blank look, he seemed to be doing a poor job. "So, how about the two of us go on a date tonight, Cath? I know you''re free." Asked Jackal with a slight smirk while leaning on the counter, though Cath seemed thoroughly unimpressed. "How about no? Besides, you have a wife, and I know where you live, so do you really want to play this game?" Replied Cath calmly as she eyed Jackal, who clicked his tongue and backed away when he noticed Alexander. "Damn, where have you been? Why did it take you so long? Were you shooting one off? Questioned Jackal as he eyed Alexander skeptically, confusing him and causing Cath to shake her head. "Shooting one off? What do you mean by that?" Asked Alexander curiously, causing Jackal to smirk as he whispered in Alexander''s ear. "Oh, that''s what it means; no, I wasn''t; why would I do that here? Besides, I can''t even if I wanted to." Added Alexander with a shake of his head while frowning before sighing at being partially Impotent. Chapter 96: Official Adventurer Ignoring Jackal''s disgusting remark, I looked over to Cath, who handed me a few pieces of paper and scanned it with [Heroes Gazes] similar to the license; there were a lot of magic formations engraved on the paper. "That right there is the contract all Adventurers are given before they become official adventurers. In there, it states everything you''d be concerned about, such as the payout, what privileges and punishments you get, and a few other things, such as how to increase between classes. If there is anything that confuses you, or if you''d like more details about something specific, just ask me; I''m here to help." Stated Cath with a smile as she handed Alexander a pen, which he took with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Cath; this might take a little time. I''m not trying to sell my soul or way or anything." Said Alexander lightly, earning a nod from Cath as he turned around and walked toward a table while Jackal continued to flirt with her. "So, about that date from earlier, Cath, I can reserve a restaurant for the two of us on Friday night; I''ll even come and pick you up." Remarked Jackal with a smirk as he leaned back on the counter, only to get sprayed with a water bottle, causing him to hiss like a cat. As it was around lunchtime, there weren''t any empty tables, and I wasn''t trying to intrude on people''s downtime, especially since some people gave me dangerous looks, almost like they were waiting for me to say something stupid, so they could fight me. However, after looking around, I spotted Ms. Yuki all by her lonesome eating; seeing her, I maneuvered through the tables and approached her. "Is that kid stupid? He''s going to get killed!" "Hehe, let him be; it''ll be an amusing sight to watch." "How much do you want to bet he beats that kid to an inch of his life?" "15 silver, he does." "Not making a bet, I know I''ll lose." "Fuck it; I''m doing something crazy, 10 silver, nothing happens." Hearing all those people talking, I was confused about who they were speaking about, though even after looking around, I couldn''t figure out who the person in question was. ''Am I blind or something?'' Mused Alexander as he tilted his head in confusion before shaking his head and nearing Ms. Yuki. "Heh, here it comes!" "Excuse me, Ms. Yuki, I noticed you were sitting alone. Do you mind if I sit here?" Asked Alexander with a friendly smile while nearly everyone in the building, including Jackal, waited for her response. "Oh no, I should''ve warned Alex about him; this will be bad." Muttered Jackal with an ugly expression as he prepared to go and assist Alexander, though he suddenly froze, and to everyone''s shock, Ms. Yuki''s deep voice echoed throughout the building. "No." Said Ms. Yuki, shaking her head as she looked up at Alexander while eating through a small slit at the bottom of her helmet, allowing her overgrown fangs and sharp teeth to be on full display. "Thanks." Replied Alexander with a smile as he sat down opposite Ms. Yuki before putting Talis on the table, the two quietly focusing on the contract in hand. "W-What the hell just happened?" Muttered Jackal in astonishment as he and everyone else silently watched Ms. Yuki and Alexander, though when she looked up, everyone instantly looked away. "A-Am I seeing things correctly? Why is that kid not sprawled on the ground groaning in pain?" "I-I don''t know; maybe they know each other?" "That''s unlikely; he''s been here in Hyphen for over a decade, yet that Kid looks like he just left the house, probably no older than 18." "Haha, I''m not going to question it; where''s my fucking silver suckers?" If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. While Talis and I read over the contract, well, I was the one reading it while she just sat down next to the paper; after about twenty or so minutes, I had reread it a few times just to make sure I wasn''t getting scammed or anything, though I got hung up on a few things. ''What the hell does this mean?'' Thought Alexander with a troubled expression as he intently looked at the contract while tapping his head on the pencil, something Ms. Yuki noticed. "Um, d-do you need help?" Asked Yuki quietly as she looked at Alexander, who looked up at her before nodding. "Yeah, I''m currently reading the contract to become an adventurer, and I don''t know what this is." Replied with a slight frown as he pushed the contract over to Yuki, slightly surprising her, though nonetheless, she hesitantly grabbed the papers. "T-This means you''re required to relinquish all items given to you by the Adventurer guild if you desire to retire." Said Yuki after a little bit of reading, finding the part that stumped Alexander, causing him to nod his head. "I thought that''s what they meant, but why did they have to word it so weirdly? They couldn''t have just said that?" Remarked Alexander with a sigh as he shook his head and grabbed the paper Yuki handed back to him, only to stand up and move his seat closer to her. "Hope you don''t mind, but I''m still confused about a few other things." Added Alexander with a small smile as he flipped the page and pointed toward the paragraph with his pen, showing Yuki, who nodded after a little hesitation. ___ ___ "This means in the absence of a proper leader, whether they were killed or something else, the person with the highest Adventurer rank is promoted to the new leader; in the case that there is more than one person with the same rank, the most veteran will be the new leader." Stated Yuki in her deep voice as she assisted Alexander, who sat right beside her while constantly nodding his head, a sight that shocked many people, though none dared to get close. "I see; that one completely confused me; what is up with this contract? They''re making it unnecessarily difficult to comprehend for no reason." Said Alexander with an understanding nod before frowning in annoyance, something Yuku agreed with. "Yes, it also confused me when I first became an Adventurer." Remarked Yuki with a nod, feeling comfortable with Alexander''s presence, almost as if she could behave true herself around him. "Well, I''m glad you''re here to assist me; otherwise, I might''ve become a slave without me even knowing." Remarked Alexander lightly with a smirk as he grabbed his pen and signed his name on the last page, causing the ink to glow slightly. "Y-You''re welcome, Alexander." Replied Yuki with a slight smile, which was hidden behind her helmet. "Anyways, I don''t want to intrude on your lunch longer than I have; thanks for your assistance, Ms. Yuki. I''ll see you later. C''mon, Talis." Said Alexander with a thankful smile as he stood up and gestured to Talis, who flew and perched herself on his left shoulder. "Yuki." "Hmm, what did you say, Ms. Yuki?" Asked Alexander as he stopped and turned around, glancing at Yuki, who had stood up, towering over Alexander like he was a child. "Y-You can just call me Yuki, Alexander." Said Yuki softly as she looked down at Alexander, who smiled in response. "Well then, Yuki, I hope to see you later. Bye." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he turned around and walked back toward the counter where Jackal was flirting with Cath. "B-Bye." Muttered Yuki as she awkwardly waved her hand before returning to her seat and mumbling to herself. While walking back, I noticed I was earning plenty of stares from everyone I passed by, which confused me as I didn''t do anything but sit down. ''Maybe it''s because I''m the new guy or something?'' Mused Alexander as he tilted his head, though he didn''t dwell on it for long, and neared Cath and Jackal. "How about this, let''s go on a double date, Cath? Alex and I will both be your date. Hmm, how does that sound?" Asked Jackal with a sly smirk as he tried to wrap his shoulder around Alexander, though the height difference was too large, so he just patted his back. "I''m confused." Said Alexander as he looked between Cath and Jackal. "It''s nothing, Alexander; please, just ignore him. So, have you signed the contract?" Asked Cath as she shook her head and ignored Jackal before smiling at Alexander, who nodded and handed her the signed contract. "Yes, it''s right here." Replied Alexander as he handed Cath the contract, which she did a once over before sweetly smiling. "Well then, I''d like to formally announce you as an official Adventurer!" Declared Cath with a large smile as she shook hands with Alexander. "Now then, since you''ve already read the contract, I won''t go over anything; the quest or job board is over there, hard to miss; the second floor is where you can create a quest or job, and that''s about it. Everything else is straightforward and easy to notice." Added Cath as she pointed to the massive board in the distance before pointing above her. "Thank you, Cath." Said Alexander with a soft smile, which Cath reciprocated before turning and glancing at Jackal. "Thanks for the assistance as well, Jackal." Added Alexander as he shook hands with Jackal, who grinned in response. "Ay, no biggie, I''m all for seeing newbies thrive, though later you must tell me how you didn''t get beaten to death by that large dude over there." Stated Jackal as he gestured to Yuki sitting by her lonesome. "Dude?" Muttered Alexander in confusion, though he couldn''t inform Jackal as he quickly left. "I''m out of here. I must return home before the wife gets angry; see you, Kid, and don''t die." Added Jackal with a smirk as he dashed out of the building, though not before giving Alexander a thumbs-up. Chapter 97: Frolicking Fields Watching Jackal leave the building, I lightly shook my head as I looked at my adventurer license, and I couldn''t help slightly smile; I hadn''t done much, but it felt like I was paying homage to Master, even if just slightly. ''You best be watching me, Master.'' Mused Alexander with a small smile as he looked up at the sunny afternoon sky through the ceiling. Wiping the tears that started forming in my eyes, I put my license in my breast armor pocket and headed over to the quest board; it was my first day as an Adventurer, so why not celebrate it a little by doing a small job? Standing before the quest board, which was categorized into different sections depending on the rank or difficulty of the quest, the lowest and most numerous were F-rank quests, while the fewest were B-rank quests, with only three of them. Now, since I was an F-class Adventurer, I couldn''t accept anything higher than one rank of my class, so I''d at most be able to get an E-rank quest, though I wasn''t necessarily looking for anything challenging just yet. I just wanted something easy to start off with. I still wanted to explore the city a little more, as I''ve only done a quick walk around, mapping the general layout of the Hyphen. "Talis, how about this quest? All we have to do is collect a specific flower in the nearby Forest; we can do that, I hope, at least." Asked Alexander as he grabbed an F-rank quest from the board, which had an image of a green flower with pinkish tips. "Sure, I don''t care." Replied Talis as she leaned down and read the paper, something both Lavender and Alexander had taught her a few years ago. Nodding my head, I returned to Cath, as I was required to give it to an attendant before I could do the job; otherwise, I wouldn''t get paid for my work, and one thing I needed rather urgently was money. Surprising as it sounds, I had no coins; in fact, it wasn''t until yesterday that I first learned of the currency of this world, so right now, I''m completely broke. ''Haa, if it really comes down to it, I''m seeling you, Trina.'' Thgouht Alexander lightly, causing the frightened voice of a young girl to resound within his mind. ''Eek! N-No, don''t sell me, Master!'' Yelled Trina with teary eyes as she got on the floor and begged, causing Alexander to chuckle slightly. ''Don''t worry, Trina, if I have to sell you, I''ll be forced to sell Zartha as well; the two of you come in a pair, after all.'' Replied Alexander with an amused smirk as he suppressed his chuckle, though unlike before, the voice of a calm, mature, and indifferent woman sounded out. ''Calm yourself, Trina; Master can''t sell us even if he wished to; we''re bound to him. Besides, we''re the most valuable objects he owns; he would sell us last even if he did hold true to his words.'' Stated Zartha calmly, sitting in a chair made of water as she glanced at Trina to her right before closing her eyes. ''Eh, r-really?'' Asked Trina with newfound hope as she looked at Zartha, her elder sister, who didn''t bother responding. ''Aww, you ruined the fun, Zartha.'' Remarked Alexander with a slight frown, though his words garnered no reaction from Zartha whatsoever as she continued sunbathing in their dimension. ''Hmph, I can''t believe you, Master! Playing such a prank on me isn''t funny!'' Yelled back Trina with a pouting expression as she ran off in the distance. Chuckling, I brought my focus back to reality as Cath grabbed the quest paper out of my hand; although it felt like some time had passed while I was speaking with them, since everything happened in my mind, not even a second passed in reality, which was nice. "Hmm, picking flowers? It''s rare to see a young adventurer willingly pick such a quest; Adventurer your age usually desire fame and wealth, and the quickest way to do that is by showing one''s might by slaying powerful beasts, so they only pick quests that require killing in it." Remarked Cath lightly as she looked at the quest paper before glancing up at Alexander. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "I''d imagine, but I don''t really desire fame all that much; however, I''m in need of some wealth, though killing? I''m not fond of taking another living being''s life. I''d rather not do so if I can, though I''ve got no problem with slaying the mindless monsters." Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he shook his head, causing Cath to chuckle amidst her shock. "Hehe, I could also use some wealth; though I don''t think I''ve ever heard an adventurer say they would rather not kill, it''s almost always the opposite with these brutes." Said Cath with a slight smile as she processed Alexander''s quest before handing the paper back to him. "Here you go, Alexander; you''re all set; just a heads up, but if you show the guards this paper, you won''t be required to pay a toll. Of course, it''s only applicable to quests that require you to leave the city. It''s a little secret that most adventurers don''t know, so don''t go around telling everyone." Added Cath with a smile as she leaned forward and whispered close to Alexander, prompting him to show a thankful expression. "I appreciate the advice, Cath; I''ll be sure to abuse it." Said Alexander with a smile as he gave her a wave before turning around and heading toward the entrance. Walking toward the exit, I spotted Yuki finishing her food, and I gave her a wave, to which she responded after a little bit of hesitation, though her wave was rather stiff and awkward; however, I found it to be a little cute, if anything. Exiting the Adventurer''s Guild, I headed towards the west gate since that''s where the flowers are said to populate; at least, that''s what is written on the quest paper. Walking through the crowd, after ten or so minutes of walking, I finally exited the city without a hitch, though looking at the long line, I dreaded entering Hyphen. ''Hopefully, it''ll be shorter by the time I return.'' Mused Alexander with a frown as he glanced at the long line before continuing towards the Forest in the distance. The Forest wasn''t too far away, probably about a kilometer or so, and once I arrived, I entered the edge of the Forest and headed deeper since that''s where I''d find the flowers. "I''m going to fly around, Alex; sitting on your shoulder all day is uncomfortable." Said Talis as she spread her wings, hitting Alexander in the face, before taking to the sky. "Yeah, tell me about it; anyways, be safe, and don''t go messing with Wind Eagles or anything else that can potentially kill you!" Yelled Alexander as he watched Talis fly through the canopy of trees before disappearing. "Haa, she''s going to do something foolish, I bet." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he shook his head before continuing deeper into the Forest. ___ ___ "Heh, a green flower with a pinkish tip finally found you." Said Alexander softly as he reached down and grabbed a small flower before storing it in his second space pouch, which was entirely empty. Looking around, I grabbed a few more nearby before continuing my search, but suddenly, I heard something to my left, and I saw a female deer grazing the exact flowers I needed to acquire. Seeing her, I suddenly got a brilliant idea, making my presence known, prompting her to look up at me warily; I slowly approached her as I didn''t want her to flee in fear. "Aren''t you a beautiful girl?" Said Alexander softly as he gently scratched the deer''s neck, causing her to release several sounds befitting a deer. "I was wondering, could you show me where these flowers bloom most plentiful?" Added Alexander lightly as he also scratched the top of her head, causing her to kick her hind leg repeatedly. After a few more tender scratches, she finally agreed as she turned to her left and started walking while following behind her, I would also caress her back, which she immensely enjoyed. Several minutes later, we arrived at a small open field, and all around me, there was nothing but the flowers I was looking for. ''Jackpot!'' Thought Alexander with a smirk as he gave the deer a few final scratches. "Thank you, girl; you really saved me some time." Added Alexander with a soft smile as he rubbed her head, earning him a small bark from her, which only he understood clearly. Once I finished caressing her, she gave me a few licks on the face before turning around and walking away while I started picking flowers left and right. ___ ___ "While there was no limit to how many flowers, that should be more than enough." Remarked Alexander as he wiped the non-existent sweat off his forehead and held his space pouch, which was filled with flowers. I hadn''t picked every flower, not even close, despite the open field being on the smaller end; there were at least a few thousand flowers, and that''s after I''d picked around two hundred. Besides, I wouldn''t have picked all the flowers anyway; if I had gathered everything, they wouldn''t repopulate. ''You know that they say, don''t kill the goose that lays the golden egg.'' Mused Alexander with a satisfied smile as he turned around and prepared to leave, only to suddenly turn around at the feeling of two eyeing staring into his back. Searching around, several meters away, hiding behind a tree, I spotted a pair of bright green eyes staring right at me, and although slight, I could sense intelligence in them along with anger, lust, and, well, lust. Chapter 98: Orc! Shortly after meeting eyes with the creature, it emerged from behind the tree, allowing me to see its large Orcish appearance; the creature, which I presumed was an Orc as it looked somewhat similar to the ones I''ve seen in my past life, was wearing hide clothes. However, his clothes were roughly made; they consisted of a two-piece, one that covered his lower region and one that covered his chest, though given his erect penis, it was hardly covering anything. ''I''ve never met an Orc before, so I can''t speak their language; let''s just hope he can be reasoned with.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he looked at the approaching Orc, who was staring at him with a lustful look on his face. "Um, hello, I''m Alexander, ni-" Said Alexander with a friendly smile as he tried introducing himself to the Orc, though all that earned him was a loud guttural roar, followed by the Orc charging toward him with a massive club befitting his stature. "H-Hey, calm down; w-we can talk about this!" Yelled Alexander as he quickly jumped back, dodging a swing from the Orc''s club, denting the ground. Despite my words, the Orc seemed to ignore me as it continued charging toward me while constantly trying to smash me with its club, which was proving futile. I didn''t know the Orc''s exact stats, but I was dodging without too much difficulty, so he wasn''t much of a threat to me. "Listen! Stop attacking me, or I''ll be forced to retaliate!" Remarked Alexander with a serious expression as he summoned Trina from his body and sliced the club in half. I was hoping with his weapon having been destroyed; he would finally listen to reason, though apparently, that was just wishful thinking as he tossed his broken club at me before punching at me like a wild beast. Having grown tired of the Orc''s ignorance, I dodged his punches and leaped upward before hitting the top of his head with the broad side of Trina, knocking him to the ground as he roared loudly. "You''ve been defeated; can we have a conversation like intelligent living be-Urgh." Said Alexander as he stood on top of the Orc''s chest while pointing Trina at his neck, only for him to suddenly grunt in pain when he felt the Orc dig his nails into the back of his knee, where his armor was the weakest. Grabbing my leg out of reflex, the Orc then swatted me off his chest with a backhand; he flung me several meters, though I regained my balance and landed on the ground, the injury in my knee already healed. "Alright, I tried to be nice, and I gave you multiple chances; you only have yourself to blame for what''s coming next." Said Alexander with a frown as he pushed off the ground, dashing toward the Orc, who stood up and charged toward him. Leaping into the air, I swung Trina right at the Orc''s neck, and without any resistance, my greatsword sliced through his skin, muscles, and bone, decapitating him, as his head fell to the ground while his body continued forward thanks to his momentum. Landing on the ground, I turned around and looked at the dead Orc, and although I didn''t feel guilty for killing him, I still couldn''t help but sigh; his death could''ve been avoided if he had just decided to respond instead of attacking me like a madman. "Haa, well, I''ll leave his body here; I''m sure the animals will feast on it, though I need to burn my blood off his body first." Muttered Alexander as he retracted Trina back into his body and approached the Orc''s body, burning any trace of his golden blood. Burning the blood off the Orc, I did a quick sweep around the area, ensuring I didn''t miss any of my blood, before leaving the area, heading back the way I came as I walked back toward Hyphen. While walking, I called out for Talis, and after a few minutes of yelling, I finally heard that familiar sound of wings flapping, followed by a brown feathered bird perching herself on my shoulder. "Hmm, you smell disgusting, Alex." Said Talis as she covered her beak with her wings while looking at Alexander in disgust. "Eh, it''s not that bad; you''re overreacting; besides, I had a run-in with an Orc and was forced to kill him, so that''s probably why." Replied Alexander as he sniffed himself before shaking his head and glancing at Talis, who wasn''t convinced by his words. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Orc?" Asked Talis curiously, prompting Alexander to explain what had happened. ___ ___ "You may enter. Next!" Said the guard as he accepted the entrance fee from a few Elves before looking at Alexander, who stepped forward and handed him the quest paper. "Alright, you''re good. Next!" Remarked the guard with a nod as he handed the quest paper back to Alexander before looking at the person next in line. "Good thing Cath told me about that; otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to get in." Muttered Alexander with a sigh of relief as he stored the paper in his breast pocket and headed directly toward the adventurer guild. Entering the Adventurer guild after a few minutes of walking, I noticed it was emptier than before, though, considering it was around evening time, which made sense as everyone was trying to go home and relax. "Hmm, back already, Alexander?" Asked Cath as she looked up from her desk and spotted Alexander standing before her. "Yeah, it was an easy mission; I was just required to pick some flowers; other than an Orc I encountered, it was very easy." Replied Alexander lightly with a smile, causing Cath to raise her eyebrow. "You encountered an Orc? Just one?" Questioned Cath curiously, prompting Alexander to nod. "It must''ve been an outcast then. Orcs primarily move in groups with upwards of five in a single group, and for larger colonies, it can get all the way up to 20. That''s what I''ve heard from other Adventurers, though I presume, given the month, it was attacking you wildly while erect?" Added Cath with a nod as she organized her papers. "Yes, he was erect the entire time, and it was a little uncomfortable fighting him, though what do you mean by that." Replied Alexander with an uncomfortable expression as he looked down at Cath, who turned and pointed to the calendar behind her, which had an image of a sexy Elf posing. "It''s Chloe, the month known to be the most fertile for plant life; however, this also translates to certain species, one of them being Orcs. During this month, an Orc''s libido will soar, and for nearly the entire month, Orc''s will mate, only stopping to eat; if an Orc doesn''t release their sexual urges, after a few days, they''ll go mad and rape anything they can get their hands. Deer, Wolves, Humans, Elves, Demi-humans, sharks, Birds, so long as it''s a living being, they''ll rape it; gender doesn''t matter either." Stated Cath calmly, her words causing both Alexander and Talis to shiver in fear and disgust. ''Ugh, no wonder he was staring at me with lust; he was trying to rape me.'' Thought Alexander as he shivered in fear, causing Cath to smirk slightly in amusement. "W-Well, thanks for the information; better late than never, I suppose." Said Alexander softly with a forced smile as he reached into his breast pocket, grabbing both his space pouch and quest paper and handing them to Cath. "Give me a few moments, Alexander." Said Cath with a smile as she stood up and entered through the same door as previously, her white tail swaying about with every step. After a few minutes of waiting, Cath exited the door, giving me a somewhat surprised expression as she handed me my space pouch, which was now empty of flowers, but instead, I counted roughly thirty-five copper coins, which was far more than I had expected. ''We''re rich!'' Thought Alexander with a slight smile as he stored the pouch in his breast pocket. "For spending only a little over 2 hours, you sure acquired quite a lot of flowers." Remarked Cath, prompting Alexander with a nod while still smiling. "Yeap, I had a lovely deer lead me to the way; next time I see her, I should properly thank her." Said Alexander while stroking Talis''s body, his words surprising Cath. "A deer showed you the way? Can you talk to animals?" Questioned Cath curiously as she glanced between Talis and Alexander. With my eyes, I could see a person''s heart, and I knew Cath wouldn''t go around telling people about what I was capable of, but I also knew I shouldn''t go spilling information about my skills. Just like Master said, the most dangerous part about being an Adventurer isn''t the mindless monsters you''ll be facing but your intelligent colleagues. "No, but I''ve lived all my life growing up in a forest, so I''m rather friendly with animals." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head, prompting Cath to nod in understanding. "Anyways, I''ll be leaving, Cath. I''ll see you tomorrow; maybe, I don''t know." Added Alexander as he waved at Cath before turning around and exiting the building, heading back to the Inn he was staying at. Entering my Inn, I walked up to the front desk and paid for an extended period of time, which cost ten copper up front, but as I was currently swimming in money, it was fine; heading upstairs, I entered the same room as the one Lily, and I shared. It was a rather nice room, or at least nice compared to the other rooms in this Inn, and there wasn''t anything terrible about it, which was why I decided to stay here for some time. "Welp, it''s a little early to go to sleep, so let''s do some training." Muttered Alexander as he summoned Trina and Zartha, practicing his swordsmanship while Talis was on the bed, watching him. Chapter 99: Firemania Party ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Alexander.¡± Said Yuki with a frown in a deep voice as she walked beside Alexander, who was doing his best to suppress his laughter. ¡°Haha, b-but it is, Yuki.¡± Replied Alexander as he took a breath to calm himself, though he immediately started chuckling when he noticed the brown poop smeared on the side of her helmet. ¡°You¡¯re annoying, you know that, Alexander.¡± Remarked Yuki with an irritated growl as she looked down at the laughing Alexander. ¡°Hehe, oh, stop being so dramatic, Yuki; if it happened to me, I know you¡¯d be laughing at my misfortune.¡± Said Alexander with a small smile as he wiped the tears threatening to escape his eyes and nudged Yuki with his elbow, though other than a glare and huff, she didn¡¯t respond. It¡¯s been a little over a month since I first became an adventurer, and ever since that day, I¡¯ve been doing some basic quests, getting a better understanding of how the quest system works, though mainly, I just wanted some easy stuff to do as I wasn¡¯t in the mood to do anything else; besides, I didn¡¯t think I was in the right state of mind to fight inside a dungeon or what not. Speaking of quests, I¡¯d just gotten back from doing one, and on my way out, Yuki, despite being a C-rank adventurer, decided to tag along with me on my F-rank quest. While it was slightly surprising, I didn¡¯t object; she¡¯s one of the few friends I¡¯ve made in Hyphen, and I don¡¯t know what it is about her, but her presence always improves my mood, even making me laugh on several occasions like just right now. While doing our quest, which required us to acquire a variety of animal eggs, though I only grabbed unfertilized ones, Yuki happened to get pooped on by a bird while reaching inside a nest; that happened about fifteen minutes ago, yet I still can¡¯t stop laughing. Another thing I never noticed until leaving in a city was how much Talis enjoyed flying; in the forest, she could fly to her heart''s content, but in Hyphen, she was quite limited, so some days, she¡¯d spend the entire time in the forest just flying around to her heart''s content. Of course, I¡¯m worried about her, but she¡¯s stubborn, not stupid, so I doubt she¡¯ll purposely get into something dangerous, and if she does, I¡¯ll chase her into the forest in search of her, though that¡¯s only if she doesn¡¯t return by dusk. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash my helmet.¡± Said Yuki as she leaned down and entered the adventurer guild, walking straight towards the bathrooms while everyone moved out of her way. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m going to turn the quest in, then.¡± Remarked Alexander with a soft chuckle as he walked through the building, which he¡¯d gotten acquainted with, and approached Cath¡¯s desk. ¡°Is it just me, Cath, or does it seem like you get no business?¡± Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at the few other attendants, who were almost always assisting adventurers. ¡°Well, unlike them, Alexander, I¡¯m not willing to prostitute myself, and even if I was willing to, I¡¯m too old for that.¡± Replied Cath lightly as she looked at her young colleagues, who were all wearing tight clothes and showcasing their cleavages, which the adventurers, mainly consisting of men, loved. ¡°Eh, old? Aren¡¯t you, like, in your early 20¡¯s or something, Cath?¡± Asked Alexander as he suspiciously eyed Cath, who smiled at his compliment. ¡°I¡¯ve long since passed my early 20s. I¡¯m 38, nearing 40, and to make matters worse, I¡¯m so old, yet still single.¡± Said Cath with a happy smile before sporting an ugly expression as she covered her face with her hands and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re only 38, Cath; what do you mean old? You¡¯re still super young; besides, for a 38-year-old, you look fantastic. I¡¯d flirt with you if I weren¡¯t already married.¡± Declared Alexander with a shake of his head, causing Cath to lightly blush at his compliment, though she widened her eyes in shock towards the end. ¡°Eh!? M-Married!?¡± Exclaimed Cath in astonishment as she eyed Alexander, who nodded, in disbelief, causing everyone in the vicinity to give her weird looks. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Ugh, there is no hope for me if people as young as you are marrying. I¡¯m going to be lonely for the rest of my life. So, who is this lucky woman?¡± Muttered Cath in defeat as she slammed her head onto her desk, feeling completely unmotivated, before curiously looking at Alexander. ¡°I think you meant to say who is the lucky man; I was the one lucky enough to meet her.¡± Remarked Alexander with an expression of love as he reminisced about Lavender. ¡°Though, things¡­ Things had happened, and she¡¯s no longer with us, so I¡¯d prefer not to speak about it too much.¡± Added Alexander with a bitter-sweet smile as he looked at Cath, who slightly widened her eyes and nodded in understanding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought up such painful memories; it¡¯s never good to hear the passing of such a young woman.¡± Said Cath with a look of pity as she glanced at Alexander. ¡°Heh, she wasn¡¯t young by any means, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± Muttered Alexander with a small smile as he looked at Cath before shaking his head and reaching into his breast pocket, grabbing both the quest paper and space pouch. ¡°Here, I¡¯m here to turn in the quest.¡± Said Alexander as he handed the two things to Cath, who took them with a nod and stood up, entering the back door sort through the space pouch. Seeing Cath disappear into the back rooms, I sighed in sadness before turning around, leaning against her desk while observing the adventurer guild, which was currently filled with Adventurers since it was around noon. However, while looking at everyone, I spotted a group of people suddenly enter the building, they were about six people in total, five men surrounding one woman, who seemed to be a mage if I had to guess, considering she held a staff and wasn¡¯t donned in armour like almost everyone else. Similar to how the treated Yuki, they all paved way for the group as they approached the attendant right beside where I was, and in doing so, they practically kicked the people out of line as they skipped directly to the front. ¡°Ah, I was here f-¡± Said the man at the front with a frown as he eyed the group, though before he could finish speaking, one of the men punched him in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. ¡°We don¡¯t give a fuck!¡± Said one of the five men with a nasty smirk as he looked at the man he had just punched, who was on the ground, holding his broken and bleeding nose. ¡°Huh, what¡¯re you staring at!?¡± Exclaimed another one of the five men as he walked towards the man on the ground and grabbed his sword from his scabbard, causing the man to gnash his teeth in anger, though other than glaring he didn¡¯t act hostile and backed away. ¡°Tch, that¡¯s what I thought; don¡¯t let me see you again, or¡­¡± Declared the second man as he pressed his sword against his own neck while eyeing fleeing man before returning to his group and laughing. ¡®Bunch of belligerent fools.¡¯ Thought Alexander with a frown as he glanced at the group before ignoring them, though the woman in the center sensed his gaze, prompting her to look at him in confusion. While waiting for Cath to return, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the mage woman approach me, causing me to internally wince, as I had no desire to interact with such a ignorant group of people; I¡¯d prefer if I were approached by stupid people instead. I did my best to ignore the woman, but it became quite difficult when she was standing about a foot away from me, and eventually, I figured it would be better to greet her, lest we end up on the wrong foot. ¡°Yes, Ms?¡± Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at the woman, who wore a large hat, a long bluish robe and a black staff with a blue gem on the end. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your face before.¡± Remarked the woman softly, speaking moreso to herself as she closely observed Alexander, causing him to slightly lean back. ¡°Well I could say the same for you too, Ms; however, I¡¯m a new Adventurer, started only a month ago. The name''s Alexander Vestalis.¡± Said Alexander with a friendly smile as he extended his hand toward the woman, who promptly ignored his words, causing him to awkwardly retract his hand. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve got decent control over your mana. Join my party.¡± Stated the woman with a scrutinizing look before speaking in a commanding tone. //////////////////// Accept party invitation from [Lucy Monrue: Leader of the Firemania]? //////////////////// ¡°Eh, I appreciate the offer Ms. Monrue, but I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯m not really looking to join a party right now.¡± Replied Alexander with an apologetic smile as he refused Lucy¡¯s request, before shifting his attention to Cath, who returned from the backroom. ¡°A lot like always, Alexander; he¡¯s your pay.¡± Remarked Cath lightly as she handed Alexander his space pouch while the two ignored Lucy, who only grew more furious. ¡°Thanks Cath.¡± Said Alexander with a soft smile as he stored his space pouch in his breast pocket before glancing at Lucy, who was glaring at him. ¡°It was pleasure to meet you, Ms. Munrue, but I must go now. Hope to see you again.¡± Added Alexander with a smile, his [Heroes Aura] seemingly having minimal effect on Lucy. Chapter 100: Grievances Just as I was getting ready to leave the adventurer guild, or more like stand outside and wait for Yuki to return from cleaning the poop off her helmet, one of Ms. Monrue¡¯s men, the same one that punched the other adventurer from a few minutes ago, suddenly appeared before me with a snarl, blocking my path to the exit. Sighing to myself as my heart warned me of the inevitable clash between the Firemania party, I still responded kindly, trying my best not to make unnecessary enemies. ¡°Um, can I help you, Sir?¡± Asked Alexander curiously as he looked down at the man; the sheer difference in size made Alexander a little imposing. ¡°I heard leader speaking to you, so where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Replied the man aggressively as he stepped forward and glared at Alexander, who wasn¡¯t the least bit nervous, though he was slightly annoyed. I wasn¡¯t even able to respond as Ms. Monrue walked up from behind and aggressively grabbed my shoulder, prompting me to turn around and give her a slight frown. Now, I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who was violent or easily angered, but I also wasn¡¯t about to let them treat me like a child or anything of the sort. ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t hear me the first time; I told you to join my Party.¡± Said Lucy as she breathed to calm herself before intently eyeing Alexander with an authoritative voice and a smile, which swiftly cracked. Seeing her party request once more, I shook my head as I refused her request, though neither she nor her party seemed to take kindly to that; in fact, some of them even started directing their killing intent at me. ¡®Haa, I didn¡¯t even do anything to garner their anger.¡¯ Thought Alexander with a sigh of annoyance as he filled his body with mana, strengthening it, preparing just in case a fight happened. ¡°Did¡­ Did I hear you correctly? Did you just refuse MY request? Lucy Monroe¡¯s request!?¡± Exclaimed Lucy in unbridled rage as she glared at Alexander while her five other party members slowly surrounded him from a distance. ¡°Yes.¡± Replied Alexander with a deep frown as he activated [Heroes Gaze], giving him a full, three-sixty view of his surroundings, leaving him with no blind spots. ¡°Hehe, stupid kid; do you know what happened to the last person who dared to refuse our Leader¡¯s request?¡± Remarked a scrawny, short, greenish man with pointy ears and a large nose as he glared at Alexander with vicious eyes. ¡°We cut his tendons and left him to hang in the forest; his agonizing screams as he was eaten alive by beasts were music to my ears.¡± Said another man with his top half of a human, while his bottom half was of a snake, eyeing Alexander with his vertical, slit-like pupils. Although I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t easily angered, his words were sickening to hear; what kind of psychotic person would ever do that to someone else? Not to mention, it was over something stupid like refusing a request. ¡°If you were trying to scare me into agreeing to Lucy¡¯s request, you¡¯ve done the complete opposite; I would never associate myself with such demented beings like yourselves.¡± Declared Alexander with a disgusted and angry expression as he glanced at the snake demi-human before eyeing Lucy. ¡°I will not be joining your party, Lucy; now, don¡¯t bother me again.¡± Added Alexander as he glared at the furious Lucy before turning around and walking away, though in doing so, two people equipped their weapons and pointed them at him. Seeing the scrawny, short, greenish man and what I presumed was a snake demi-human point their dagger and bow at me, I frowned, but I didn¡¯t stop walking. There is a strict rule that forbids fighting within adventurer guilds, and if you¡¯re caught doing so, you¡¯re temporarily banned from working as an Adventurer for six months; if you¡¯re caught doing so again, you¡¯re permanently banned from not only being an Adventurer but entering any establishments owned by the adventure guild. Stolen novel; please report. Now, when I first read that rule, it had slightly confused me since I¡¯ll see several adventurers fighting regularly, but from what Jackal said, they were ¡°playing around¡± and not actually fighting. I didn¡¯t see punching each other as playing around, but that was just me; so long as no weapons were drawn, it technically didn¡¯t count as fighting, at least by the guild standard. So, even though those two had drawn their weapon, I wasn¡¯t too worried they would actually follow through and attack me; well, so long as I was inside the guild, and I was correct. Walking right up to them, I reached down towards them, grabbing their shoulders, before separating the two; while I continued walking right past them, neither one of them attacked me. ¡°Don¡¯t walk away when I¡¯m speaking to you!¡± Yelled Lucy angrily as she stomped her foot on the ground like a spoiled brat and aimed her staff at Alexander, her blue gem glowing. Sensing the sudden movement of mana, I turned around and eyed Lucy, lowering my stance just in case she really dared to attack; however, all of a sudden, loud, heavy footsteps rang out through the quiet building as Yuki emerged from the hall. ¡®Eh, she looks rather angry.¡¯ Mused Alexander as he glanced at Yuki, anger at the forefront of her heart. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Yelled Yuki in a deep, angry voice, causing everyone to suddenly reel back and look at Yuki, most sighing in relief, though that couldn¡¯t be said for the Firemania party. ¡°No fighting in the guild.¡± Added Yuki as her massive, imposing figure stood right in front of Lucy, completely towering over her while her pierce yellow eyes stared at her through the slits in her helmet. ¡°Yuki, don¡¯t think you can tell me what to do; you¡¯re just a C-rank adventurer, same as I. So move.¡± Said Lucy with a furious expression as she looked up at Yuki, who didn¡¯t so much budge. ¡°Make me.¡± Stated Yuki, squinting her eyes as she reached behind her, grabbing her two massive shields off her back with her four arms and turning herself into a literal defensive wall. Just when I thought the two might actually fight it out, I heard a voice coming from the second stairs; looking up, I spotted a middle-aged man who honestly seemed about average; nothing about his appearance stood out from me, other than the fact that he had a full head a hair, which was good for him. ¡°Every time you return from your stupid missions, you cause a fuss. Lucy, Yuki, stand down, or I¡¯ll kick the both of you out of my guild.¡± Declared the man with an irritated expression as he looked at both Yuki and Lucy. ¡°Guild Leader.¡± Muttered the snake demi-human with an ugly expression as he instantly holstered his bow while the scrawny greenish man sheathed his dagger. ¡®Guild Leader?¡¯ Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he observed the middle-aged man, who glanced at him before ignoring him. The moment the guild leader glanced at me, I felt my heart warn me of danger, and while the intensity was nothing compared to what I felt when Simba, Marlin, and Lily first arrived, It was enough to tell me my chances of beating him in a fight very slim, though luckily, it wasn¡¯t nonexistent. With the guild leader''s presence, it seemed Lucy had reached her limit of testing people as she retracted her staff, rather reluctantly, before Yuki holstered her two massive shields onto her back. ¡°Tch, let¡¯s go.¡± Remarked Lucy with an ugly expression as she glared at Yuki before walking right past her towards the exit, her party gathered right behind her. When Lucy reached me, she gave me an intense glare, and from the anger in her heart, I could tell she wasn¡¯t going to just forget about it; besides, she acted like a spoiled brat who didn¡¯t get her way, and people like that, usually hold a grudge. ¡®Haa, great. I just unfortunately had to encounter a group of idiotic psychopaths and make them my enemies. Actually, I didn¡¯t even do that; they made themselves my enemies for no reason other than the fact her child-like ego couldn¡¯t accept it when someone refused her request.¡¯ Thought Alexander in annoyance as he watched Lucy and her group leave the guild, though while doing so, the snake demi-human kept giving him dangerous looks. ¡°Bunch of annoying fools.¡± Muttering the guild leader with an annoyed expression as he shook his head before turning around and walking up a flight of stairs. Once the guild leader left, the place slowly returned to normal, as everyone pretty much forgot what had just happened. ¡°Are you okay, Alexander?¡± Asked Yuki in concern as she turned and approached Alexander, getting onto one knee, though she was still taller than him by at least a foot. ¡°Yes, though I should thank you, Yuki; you didn¡¯t need to get involved with them, yet you did. However, that group of psychos might hold a grudge against you now.¡± Replied Alexander with a grateful smile as he looked up at Yuki, who shook her head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Alexander, you¡¯re a friend.¡± Said Yuki in her deep voice as she rested her hand on Alexander''s shoulder. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t need to worry about me; I¡¯m more than capable of handling myself against the Firemania group. However, you, on the other hand, are different; you¡¯re merely an F-rank Adventurer, though everyone but Lucy is a D-rank adventurer.¡± Added Yuki with a slight frown, looking at Alexander as if he were a fragile little boy, which wasn¡¯t too far from the truth, at least from her perspective. Chapter 101: Moving In (Forgot to mention it last chapter, but 100 CHAPTERS!!!??) I couldn''t help but softly smile at Yuki''s concern for me, and she had all the right to worry; throughout our time spent together, which hasn''t been exceptionally long, I have hardly displayed any combat capabilities before her, in fact, she hasn''t even seen my weapons, well, actually, no one has besides that Orc from a month ago. It''s not like I''m purposely hiding my strength from her or anything; it''s just that most of the quests I''ve decided to take have been easy ones, which require next to no fighting. "I appreciate your concern, Yuki. I really do, but you don''t need to worry about me so much; I may be merely an F-rank adventurer, but I''m a little stronger than most." Replied Alexander softly with a smile as he grabbed Yuki''s hand from his shoulder and held it while looking at yellow eyes. I would convey my emotions to her, but that''s only possible through direct contact, and despite knowing what Yuki looks like, I''ve never seen her without her armor. However, it seemed like my words weren''t enough to persuade her as I saw her intensely pondering something, so I stood there silently and waited for her to finish. "Alexander, live with me." Declared Yuki seriously as she eyed Alexander, who was completely taken aback. "Eh; r-repeat that Yuki, what did you say?" Asked Alexander hesitantly as he rubbed his ears before looking at Yuki, who stood back up on her two feet, towering over him and everyone else. "Live with me; if you do that, I''ll be able to better protect you from the Firemania''s possible revenge." Stated Yuki in her deep voice as she stared at Alexander, who didn''t know how to respond. "Umm, I appreciate the offer, but if I do that, I''ll be getting you further into harm''s way, and I wouldn''t do that to a friend, Yuki, even if you''re stronger than me." Replied Alexander with a shake of his, though Yuki seemed unbothered by his refusal. "I intervened when I stopped them; I''m already a part of this whether either of us likes it or not. Besides, a friend wouldn''t just stand by and watch their friends when they could assistance." Remarked Yuki as she glanced at Alexader, slightly smirking underneath her helmet, using his own morals against himself. "Tsk, despite your appearance, I suppose you can be quite cunning when necessary, Yuki. Haa, and you''re not wrong; the moment you intervened, you entered a hostile relationship with them." Said Alexander with a click of his tongue as he gave Yuki an annoyed look before rubbing his chin and sighing. I really didn''t wish to rely on Yuki for something as serious as this, it wasn''t my pride, okay, maybe a little bit, but it was mostly to prove to myself that I can handle things by myself. In my last life, shortly after my brother died, I was left alone and was forced to fend for myself; not even a year later, after barely struggling to scrape by, I ended up dying. This time, I wanted it to be different, with Master having passed away, I wanted to prove to her and myself that I wasn''t just a kid trying to make it by in an adult world. However, as I looked at Yuki, I knew persuading her was going to be incredibly difficult; over the month of living in Hyphen as an adventurer and being Yuki''s friend, I learned I was the only one whom she could actually call a friend. She cared for me quite a lot despite only knowing each other for a month; I could see it in her heart. Besides, I know If our roles were reversed, I would help Yuki to the best of my ability. "Haa, since I can tell you''re so adamant, I''ll move in with you, though that''s only if you''ve got the space; I don''t wish to impose myself on you." Said Alexander with a defeated sigh as he rubbed his shoulder-length white hair before looking up at Yuki, who, in her excitement, picked up Alexander. ''I know this is called the princess carry, but I feel more like a baby, not a princess.'' Mused Alexander, resting within Yuki''s arms as he looked up at her, using his [Heroes Gaze] to see right through her helmet and gaze upon her enthusiastic expression. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Wonderful! You don''t need to worry about space; I''ve got plenty of it. I''ll show you to our home!" Stated Yuki with a jolly smile as she happily left the guild with Alexander still in her arms, garnering the looks of several adventurers, though everyone opted to mind their own business. "I like your enthusiasm, Yuki, but can you please put me down? It''s slightly embarrassing for a grown man to be carried around like a child." Asked Alexander with a slight blush as he covered his face, though Yuki ignored his words. "Can I at least get my stuff first!" Yelled Alexander, finally acquiring Yuki''s attention. "Yes, where do you live?" Replied Yuki with a nod as she looked down at Alexander, barely able to contain her excitement. "It''s just in an Inn; I''ll show you." Remarked Alexander as he forcefully removed himself from Yuki''s embrace and landed on the ground before walking to his Inn. ___ ___ Leaving the Inn with all my belongings, which honestly wasn''t much, I''ve been holding off on buying most things until I got a house, which, I''ll tell you, was mighty expensive. I make an abnormal amount of money compared to the average F-rank adventurer because of the large amounts of items I acquire when I visit the forest; heck, among the employers, I''ve even earned myself a little nickname, the ''Golden Goose''. A little cheesy, in my opinion, but thanks to my efficient work, I''ve made about twenty-seven silver, excluding the fact I''ve spent some of it over the course of a month, though still, for an F-rank adventurer, I''m rich. However, a single house costs one to two gold. I''ve been pretty active for one month, but I''ve only made twenty-seven silver and some change, and currently, I''ve only got twenty-three silver; it would take me a few more months to acquire a house, and then again, that''s just a standard one bedroom house. "Alright, I''ve got everything, Yuki; lead the way." Said Alexander as he approached the massive woman donned in armor standing like a mountain amidst the sea of people. Following behind Yuki, we headed deeper into the city, toward the center district, which did have a few houses, but they were even more expensive than the ones I intended on buying; the cheapest house in the center district was ten gold, something I was years off from acquiring. ''Really should start taking more profitable quests, though it''s hard to find any that doesn''t involve killing, which seems to be a common theme no matter which world you live in.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he shook his head and followed behind Yuki, who, like Moses, parted the crowd. Turning right, we left the main street of the Hyphen and walked down a minor street, though we shortly exited that street as we walked one I never have. Walking down the small residential area of the center district, we suddenly stopped before a moderate-sized house with a fenced-off front yard. "This is it, Yuki? Didn''t know you were living lavishly like this." Remarked Alexander with an impressed nod as he entered the front yard right after Yuki. "I''ve been an adventurer for over a decade, and I bought this house a few years ago; one of my biggest spending sprees, but I wouldn''t call it lavish." Replied Yuki lightly as she reached underneath the flower pot, grabbing a small key, which was used to unlock the door. Taking off my boots, I stepped inside the house, and the first thing I noticed was how great everything looked compared to the Inn I had previously stayed at; the wood flooring was clean and sleek, the walls were painted with a mixture of white and black, and there was even a welcome matt at the front door. "You can look around, but I''m going to clean myself; I can still smell the poop on my armor." Said Yuki as she turned and glanced at Alexander before heading up the stairs to her left while he nodded. "Okay." Replied Alexander with a nod as he took a little tour around the house. This was probably the cleanest house I''ve been in; I love Master''s tree house, but it had a nature feel to it, and while I love nature, it isn''t necessarily clean. After spending a few minutes exploring the first floor and walking around the living room, kitchen, and dining room, I headed upstairs, curious about my room. Once I was on the second floor, there were a few doors; three led to a bedroom, while one was a bathroom, which Yuki was currently occupying by showering. "Haa, I really miss that pond." Muttered Alexander with a depressed sigh as he glanced at the bathroom door before walking past it and into one of the rooms. The first room didn''t seem to be the one Yuki lived in, as there was nothing present except a bed and wardrobe; leaving that room, I checked on the second room, which looked the exact same as the first one, thought the third one on the other hand, that one was different. The entire room was nearly twice as large, while the bed took up almost a third of the room; there was a massive armor stand, along with a large wardrobe. There were a few pictures hanging on the wall, though I didn''t really wish to be nosy, so I left the room alone and headed back downstairs. "Hmm, I should cook us something." Said Alexander with a light smile as he headed toward the kitchen. Chapter 102: Yuki The Oni Entering the kitchen, I took off all my armor pieces and stored them in my space pouch, leaving me with my slime body suit, before hesitantly grabbing my apron and wearing it, which caused me to both sigh and smile. Shaking my head as I tried to clear my mind, I opened all the kitchen cabinets, trying to locate where everything was, though most of the cabinets were empty: no spices, nor herbs, no sauces, nothing. Other than a few plates and utensils, there was nothing I could use to enhance the flavor of my dish; sighing, I closed the cabinets and went to the pantry, which was filled with food; actually, it was just rice. ''Rice, rice, rice, oh, and some more rice.'' Thought Alexander blankly as he looked through the pantry, hoping to find something other than rice, though to no avail. Opening the fridge, similar to the pantry, there was only one type of food present, and that was meat; from the looks of things, there were different types of meat, but that was about it. ''Well, at least it''s not more rice.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he rubbed his head in frustration before grabbing a few pounds of various meat. Knowing Yuki eats quite a lot of food, I made sure not to skimp out, grabbing four pounds of food while also getting about eight cups of rice from the pantry. Finding the cooking tools, I grabbed a pan and a pot; filling the pot with water at the sink, I placed it on the stove and poured the eight cups of rice into it before turning on the fire. While the rice was cooking, I opened the packages of meat, which were poorly packed, by the way, and since there was no chopping board or knife, I just used the counter and summoned Trina, reducing her size with [Shrink], causing her to look like merely a big knife. ''Why? Why is it always me, Master?'' Asked Trina in defeat as she lay sprawled on the ocean while looking at the sky. ''Sorry, I''ll make sure to switch between you and Zartha, Trina.'' Replied Alexander with an apologetic smile as he looked at Trina, who he was using to chop up chicken. ''I''m a Mythical sword forged by a Godsmith; even if it''s you, Master, I refuse to be treated with such disrespect and used as an everyday knife.'' Remarked Zartha coldly with a frown as she looked up at the clear sunny sky while sitting down in a chair made of water. ''Eh, well, I''ve already done it plenty of times with Trina; it''s only right if I interchange you two every now and then. I apologize beforehand, Zartha.'' Replied Alexander with a wry smile, his response causing Zartha to squint her eyes as she continued to justify herself, though Alexander had long since stopped listening. While Zartha continued to plead her case, I used her beautiful voice as a radio as I chopped the meat; once done chopping the meat into small bite-sized chunks, I placed the pan on the stove beside the pot and poured the meat chunks onto it; before suddenly hitting myself in the face. "Nearly forgot to add cooking oil; how does Yuki not have any cooking oil? After this, I''m spending the remainder of the day at the market; I need to get a lot of things if I want to cook properly." Muttered Alexander as he reached inside his space pouch, grabbing a small bottle of cooking oil before pouring it into the pan, which was filled with meat chunks. ''Good thing I always keep a little bit on me, though just this won''t be enough to spice up the food; this is probably going to be the blandest dish ever.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he shook his head before using Trina as a spatula, stirring the pan. Since I had absolutely no ingredients at my disposal, there wasn''t much I needed to do, and other than occasionally stirring the pan to ensure every chunk of meat got thoroughly cooked, I was pretty much just standing there doing nothing while waiting. After a few minutes had passed, I heard several loud thumps above me, which was just Yuki walking through the house, something I just realized probably wasn''t that comfortable given the size of the interior. I was nowhere near Yuki''s massive size, but even I felt a little claustrophobic at times; same with Master''s tree house, though this place was a little bit better. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. With Yuki out of the shower and my food almost done cooking, I waited another minute or so before checking on the rice and seeing it nicely cooked, I turned both the stoves off. Setting three plates down, I grabbed the pan, and while Trina grumbled in annoyance, I poured a little bit, about an eighth of the meat, onto one plate before dumping the rest onto another. ''Thank you for your service, Trina.'' Said Alexander with a smile as he burned off all the juices on Trina with his fire mana before absorbing her back inside him. Grabbing a spoon, I bought the pot over and poured some onto my plate before dumping the rest, or simply how much the plate could hold onto the third one. Putting the pot, which still had some rice left, back onto the stove, I carried the three plates, hovering the last one with my wind mana, and walked toward the table before placing them down. "Well, I''m far from proud of it, but it seems to be slightly better than what Yuki eats, at least whenever she''s at home." Said Alexander with a nod as he grabbed a few utensils before placing them beside the plates. Well, since the only thing left was to wait for Yuki, I headed back upstairs and walked toward her room, knocking on her closed door. I heard all the noise coming from behind her door and paused for a second as Yuki''s voice rang out. "Y-Yes?" Asked Yuki, and without her helmet, her voice sounded incredibly soft and gentle, slightly surprising Alexander. "I-I just wanted to inform you I had cooked lunch; we need to have a serious discussion about your empty kitchen." Replied Alexander as he quickly regained his composure before frowning while practically staring at Yuki through the door. "Eh? O-Oh, okay." Said Yuki in her soft and gentle voice that anyone would mistake belonged to a petite and delicate maiden, not a massive, battle-hardened, muscular, four-armed Oni. "Um, Alexander, could you stay there, please?" Asked Yuki lightly, her words prompting Alexander, who was already halfway down the stairs, to turn around and approach her door. "Hmm? Yeah, sure, I don''t mind." Said Alexander as he tilted his head in slight confusion before shrugging his arms and waiting for Yuki. I didn''t know why Yuki wanted me to wait for her, but I didn''t care too much; I was finished cooking and preparing the table, so I had nothing stopping me from doing so. After a few minutes of humming one of Master''s favorite songs to myself, I heard the handle twist as the door slightly cracked open, allowing me to see Yuki''s yellow eyes, blue skin, and part of her white hair. This weird stare between us continued for a little while, which I honestly found to be a little funny, though I could actually tell she was a little scared to open the door fully. "Heh, stopping stalling, Yuki, the food is getting cold; no one likes cold food unless the food is supposed to be cold." Remarked Alexander as he pushed off the wall he was leaning on and stood before the door while folding his arms. "O-Okay, j-just don''t freak out." Said Yuki in her soft voice as she fully opened the door after hesitating and emerged from her room, standing right beside Alexander. Despite having already seen her appearance, it was the first I''d ever seen her without her armor and wearing regular clothes, and while I wasn''t looking for a relationship, I couldn''t help but whistle in awe; although Yuki was a nine and a half foot tall Oni weighing nearly seven hundred pounds of pure muscle, she looked just as feminine as any woman I''ve come across. ''Though I won''t lie, Yuki''s incredible curves are helping her immensely.'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Yuki''s thick thighs, large butt, toned abdomen, and massive, firm breasts. "You look much different without all that heavy armor on you, Yuki; you actually look and sound like a woman." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he lightly hit Yuki''s exposed abdomen; her shirt was too small to cover anything more than her massive breasts. ''Felt like I just hit stone; I''m slightly jealous of her.'' Mused Alexander as he glared at Yuki''s six-pack of abs in envy. "Um, I-I don''t look ugly or anything?" Asked Yuki, feeling slightly embarrassed with herself as she kept fidgeting. "Hmm, no, why would you think that?" Asked Alexander as he tilted his head in confusion while looking up at Yuki. "I thought men don''t like tall women with muscles; don''t they only like small, petite women?" Replied Yuki; this time, it was her turn to give Alexander a look of pure confusion. "I can''t really say much about that; my lover was also a small, petite woman, though I think you''re referring to marriage and whatnot, Yuki." Said Alexander, causing Yuki''s eyes to widen as she nodded in understanding. "Oh, that makes much more sense now that you mention that, Alexander." Muttered Yuki while nodding, her embarrassment from before completely vanishing. "Yes, now come on you, Oni, I''ve made us lunch." Remarked Alexander as he shook his head and walked downstairs, followed by Yuki, whose stomach grumbled at his words. Chapter 103: Lost (Note: I might''ve forgotten to mention it, but Yuki''s appearance is on my discord????) Walking down the stairs, the thumping sounds of Yuki''s footsteps trailed right behind me as we headed toward the kitchen and sat at the table with four seats, and Yuki was using two of them. "This smells great, Alexander; I didn''t know you knew how to cook." Said Yuki with a slight smile as she inhaled her two plates of chicken and rice before glancing at Alexander. "Well, you never asked, nor have I ever had the chance to actually display my skills as a chef, though don''t base my skills off this dish; I had no ingredients to work with." Remarked Alexander with a sly smile as he looked at Yuki, who had grabbed a fork and taken a bite of the chicken. Watching her take a bite, I waited to see her reaction; I was mainly curious how bland it tasted, though all I got was a large smile of her sharp teeth and four fangs. "Ahh, this chicken is wonderful! And the rice, it''s not hard!" Said Yuki in glee as she used her spoon and shoved a large spoonful of rice into her mouth along with small chunks of chicken. "Eh? Is it that good?" Muttered Alexander suspiciously as he looked at Yuki enjoying his dish before glancing at his plate. "Yes! Especially the rice, it''s so spongy and soft; I never knew rice could be this great! Whenever I cook rice, it''s always hard and doesn''t taste that good." Remarked Yuki with a nod as she spoke to Alexander with a mouthful of food, causing him to rub the bridge of his nose. "Well, I appreciate the compliment, Yuki, but how do you usually cook rice? ''Cause I did nothing special with it; just water and heat." Replied Alexander curiously as he took a bite of the food, causing him to frown at the blandness of his dish. "Hmm? Water? Why did you add water?" Asked Yuki as she tilted her head in confusion and glanced at Alexander while having eaten a third of her food already. "Because that''s how you cook rice. Wait, don''t tell me you''ve been cooking rice without adding water this entire time, Yuki?" Said Alexander calmly with a raised eyebrow before suddenly freezing as he eyed Yuki, who looked away bashfully. "Y-Yes." Replied Yuki softly with a slight blush; it was quite the sight when you consider her large, intimidating appearance. Sighing to myself, we continued eating in silence, which didn''t take long for Yuki, who was like a vacuum cleaner, finishing all her food in five minutes at the most. ''That was like at least 5 pounds of food, yet she ate that with ease; in fact, she still looks hungry.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at Yuki, who kept glancing at his food, causing his face to twitch. "Well, I''m full; you want to eat the rest of it, Yu-" Said Alexander as he set his utensil, though he couldn''t even finish speaking since Yuki had grabbed his plate and dumped the rest of the plate into her mouth. ''Haa, I''m going to need to teach her basic manners; she''s making a mess.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh as he frowned while eyeing the mess Yuki had made, leaving grains of rice everywhere. "Ahh, that was wonderful, Alexander, thanks!" Stated Yuki with a loud burp as she patted her chest before standing up and walking to the living room. "You''re welcome, but where are you going?" Asked Alexander as he waved his hand around while watching Yuki''s figure fall onto the couch. "Taking a nap; we Oni''s process our food the fastest when we sleep." Replied Yuki as she yawned before quickly falling asleep. Furrowing my brows, I stood up and approached Yuki, only to hear her loudly snoring as she slept on the couch without a care in the world, as if she had zero responsibilities. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "She really just went to sleep without cleaning up after herself; this, haa. I guess that saying, ''you really don''t know someone until you live with them'', is true." Muttered Alexander in disbelief as he stared at Yuki before sighing and returning to the kitchen table to clean the mess she made. ___ ___ Once I finished cleaning the mess Yuki made, I left a note saying I was heading out, and that was about an hour ago; currently, I''m walking through the market while acquiring various ingredients to cook with since her kitchen was empty. "That''ll be one silver and 13 copper, young man." Said the store vendor as he gave Alexander a suspicious look. "Here, you go, sir." Replied Alexander with a nod as he reached into his second space pouch and grabbed the exact amount needed before handing it to the vendor. "Hmm, pleasure doing business with you." Remarks the vendor as he counted the coins before nodding with a slight smile. Nodding to the man, I grabbed the sack of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and a few other things before storing them in my space pouch, along with all the other items I''d bought today. ''Heh, I must thank Master for these space pouches; my life would''ve been a much bigger pain.'' Thought Alexander as he held the space pouch containing nearly one hundred pounds of items in his hand. ''I''ve got the space element; I wonder how hard it is to make one of these? I''ve stabilized Matser''s old space pouch, so they might not be that complicated.'' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he rubbed his chin before shrugging his arms and storing his pouch in his pocket. Since I wasn''t on the clock or anything, I spent a few more hours walking around the market, collecting various items and foods, and only started to return home once I noticed the sun had begun to set. Exiting the Market district, I walked down the populated streets, wondering what living with Yuki would be like; a part of me felt like it would be fun, but another part told me it would be just as annoying, and I trusted my heart. ''Well, I can''t only have the good without the bad; if I want one, I must have the other.'' Mused Alexander with a wry smile as he walked through the city, garnering weird glances in front of the populace since he was barefoot. "Oh, shit; nearly forgot, Talis doesn''t know we''ve moved; she''s probably going to head to the Inn. I''ll just wait for her there." Muttered Alexander as he hit himself on the head before turning around and jogging, though since he went commando, his massive junk is flinging about against his slime outfit, causing both men and women, mainly women, to widen their eyes. "C-Casey, did you see that man''s thing!?" Whispered an older woman with a slightly blushed face as she watched Alexander disappear into the crowd. "Yeah, his thing was huge, even though I couldn''t see it fully, but it was definitely bigger than my husband''s, and it wasn''t even hard!" Replied Casey in disbelief as she looked in the direction Alexander went before looking back at her friend with a horny glint. ___ ___ Arriving back at the Inn, I whistled into the sky, using the Avian language, and a few moments later, I heard those familiar flapping wings before I felt a pair of talons land on my left shoulder. "Alex, where have you been!? I''ve been waiting for nearly half an hour!" Exclaimed Talis in annoyance as she gently slapped Alexander with her wings, which felt quite good considering her soft feathers. "Sorry, I didn''t know you would return earlier than usual, but I must tell you something, Talis: we no longer live in an Inn. We''ve got an upgrade!" Replied Alexander apologetically as he gently scratched underneath Talis''s beak, causing her to purr like a kitten before smiling in excitement. "Hmm, an upgrade?" Asked Talis curiously with a slight pout when Alexander stopped scratching her sweet spot. "Yes, while you were gone, Yuki and I had gotten into an altercation with a group called the Firemania party, so be a little careful from now on; they''re the kind to hold a grudge, and they aren''t friendly at all. However, never mind them; after everything was settled, Yuki offered us to live in her home, and now, we''ve got an actual house, and you''re probably going to love it!" Stated Alexander seriously as he briefly described today''s earlier events before smiling again while Talis spread her wings in surprise. "A house!? Finally! That Inn always felt a little cramped! What are you waiting for, Alexander? Hurry and take me there!" Exclaimed Talis in excitement as she eagerly slapped the back of Alexander''s, causing him to chuckle. "Alright, calm down a little. It''s somewhat far away, so it''ll take a few minutes to get there." Said Alexander, gently flicking Talis''s beak and calming her down as he left the Inn and started walking to Yuki''s home. ___ ___ "Umm, Talis." "Yes, Alex." "I-I think we''re lost." Exclaimed Alexander softly while walking down an alley. "Lost? I thought you said you knew where our new home was?" Questioned Talis as she folded her wings and glared at Alexander. "No, I never said that; I said it''s somewhat far away; besides, we''re not completely lost. I know Yuki''s house is in the Center district." Said Alexander, though his words weren''t very persuasive given their situation. ''Besides, it''s probably best we''re lost; at least now, I can deal with the person who has been silently following us.'' Thought Alexander with an intense frown as he used [Heroes Gaze], allowing him to see behind him and right through the stalker''s concealment skill. Chapter 104: Snake Demi-Human The person who''s been stalking us is actually someone I know; well, it''s a bit of a stretch to say I know them, but it''s someone I''ve encountered; they''re the snake demi-human part of the Firemania group from earlier. He''s been following Talis and I for quite some time, ever since we left the main streets, which was about a few minutes ago, and based on the look in his vertical slit eyes, he''s not following me to protect me from possible would-be attackers. ''I figured they''d get revenge somehow, but to come after me not even a day since the altercation, either this dude holds intense grudges, or his leader, Lucy, ordered him to attack me.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he slowly walked down the alley, further getting lost within the maze of streets while the night sky continued to get darker. Either way, it didn''t matter too much right now because I''d gotten myself lost; I''d most likely be forced to deal with him, though thankfully, unlike Lucy, who gave me a feeling of danger, this man following me wasn''t too big of an issue, which I hoped to be the case since I didn''t wish to make a big deal of things within city limits, in the heart of Hyphen no less. "Talis, do me a favor and fly away for a little bit; I''ve got to deal with something real quick." Said Alexander softly yet solemnly as she gently scratched Talis, conveying to her the presence of an enemy through his emotions, something she''d experienced multiple times. "Alright, just be careful, Alex; I''ll be flying up above if you need assistance." Replied Talis with a nod as she spread her wings and took to the sky, escaping the maze while leaving Alexander behind to deal with the stalker. Since Talis and I were already alone in a secluded section of an alley of the city, the moment Talis departed, the snake demi-human unsheathed his dagger from his waist before slowly sneaking from behind my oblivious self; once he got into position, he coiled his lower snake half, before springing forth with a mighty lunge, aiming right at my heart. Thanks to his skill, which concealed his presence, he was hidden, and except for a slight noise, I probably wouldn''t have noticed anything until he got real close, which, by then, might''ve been too late, though as I could see everything his sneak attack was all for naught. Swiftly side-stepping to the right once he neared me, the sudden movement slightly took him aback, and he didn''t react in time as he continued right past me before hitting the ground, only to turn around and stare right at me while deactivating his skill, allowing me to perfectly see him without using [Heroes Gaze]. "It seems you''re not just an average F-rank adventure; who are you?" Asked the snake demi-human with his cold vertical slit eyes while hissing as he stared at Alexander, who wore literally nothing but his tight-fitting slime two-piece outfit. I was going to respond, but it seemed like his question was a rhetorical one rather than an actual one. "Never mind, it doesn''t matter who you are, as I''m going to kill you!" Stated the snake demi-human, his gaze hardening as he brought his dagger upward and swiftly slithered toward Alexander with impressive speed. Seeing him dash toward me, I instantly filled my body with mana and lunged right for him, going so far as to use both [Strength Augmentation] and [Speed Augmentation], which are essentially skills that improve the efficiency of using neutral mana in my body. I don''t use these skills often, and other than when I fight against Master, I never use them, simply because I never needed to well except for when I fought both Simba and Marlin, but that doesn''t really count. Feeling my strength and speed increase to even greater heights, I ducked underneath the snake demi-humans initial strike before punching him twice in the chest, forcing him back several meters, which I used as a chance to view his status panel. //////////////////// Name: Orcus Species: Snake Demi-Human Age: 36 years This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tier: 2 Level: 122 Experience: [71%] Class: Assassin(Uncommon) Sub-Class: Title(s): Member of the Firemania(Common)+ Lifeforce: 82% Mana: 1,576/1,770 Vigor: 142 Endurance: 149 Agility: 301 Dexterity: 286 Intelligence: 177 Perception: 208(229) Traits: Enhanced Perception(Rare), Night Vision(Uncommon), Basic Camouflage(Uncommon), Poison(Uncommon) Skills: Silent Slither-lvl6(Uncommon), Pierce-lvl9(Uncommon), Concealment-lvl9(Uncommon), Vital Strike-lvl7(Uncommon), Condition: Internal Bleeding //////////////////// Seeing his status panel, I was honestly a little shocked by how inferior his stats were compared to mine; I mean, I know my class is like five whole tiers above his, but still, my stats completely overpowered his; he wasn''t a threat to me at all. Not to mention his skills and traits, none of them were a threat, and I was completely immune to the scariest one, in my opinion, his [Poison]. ''I suppose It was a good thing I held back my attacks; otherwise, I might''ve killed him instantly.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he watched the snake demi-human, Orcus, spit blood while lying on the ground, struggling to get up. Still, while I did hold back, I wasn''t holding back a lot, so I was a little surprised he was still alive; his leather armor must be unique, and with a quick look with my eyes, I noticed minute traces of mana emitting from it. ''Magic armor? If that really exists, I need to get some as well; my armor does absolutely nothing; it''s really just their decoration at this point.'' Thought Alexander as he approached Orcus, and despite the overwhelming difference in stats, he still stayed wary. "W-Who are y-you, Bastard!?" Yelled Orcus in pain, standing up while grabbing his chest in pain with blood leaking from his mouth as he held his dagger while vigilantly eyeing Alexander. "I''m no one special; I''m just stronger than you, that''s all; now, can you put down the weapon, please? I''d prefer to talk things over rather than fight you." Replied Alexander lightly while slightly raising his hands, showing that he meant no harm, causing Orcus to lower his guard. Seeing Orcus lower his guard, I was filled with relief, thinking I might be able to talk to him rather than stupidly fight it out over something so trivial, but to my annoyance, he threw his dagger at me, causing me to sigh in defeat as I dodged his attack; looking back at him, to my surprise, he lunged right at and bit my raised arm, sinking his fangs into my flesh, a painful sensation, but I''ve experienced worse, you know, like actually dying. Twice! However, I was far from happy, not that he attacked me again, but the fact he bit me of all things. Grabbing his head with my other arm, I pried him off my arm and tossed him back while hurrying to cover my wound, concealing my golden blood that leaked out before it healed itself. ''Haa, thank goodness it seems he didn''t notice.'' Thought Alexander in relief as he glanced at Orcus, easily standing back up while laughing. "Hehe, you may be stronger than me, but you''re dead now; I''ve used my poison to kill several stronger opponents, and you''re no different. Now that you''re inflicted with my poison, it''s only a matter of time before you die." Said Orcus with a victorious smile while laughing, though he quickly realized something was wrong with himself. "Hmm, I''m no longer in pain, weird; I could''ve sworn I was bleeding internally, wha- what the!? When did I get the trait [Natural Regeneration], and it''s rare!" Added Orcus with a confused frown as he looked at his status panel, only for his frown to deepen along with his confusion. Hearing Orcus, I winced and hoped he''d act stupid and just forget about it, but seeing him look at me, only for his eyes to squint on my thigh, which happened to be stained with a drop of my golden blood. "Golden blood?" Muttered Orcus with widened eyes as he looked at Alexander, only to suddenly frown when he saw a large black greatsword covered in purple markings emerge from his body. "Haa, I don''t really wish to do this, but I can''t have anyone knowing about that." Stated Alexander with a slightly depressed look as he gazed at Orcus with his purple, crystal-like eyes, causing Orcus to shiver slightly. "L-Listen kid, I-I don''t know why-" Said Orcus in slight fear as he tried to speak, though, unfortunately for him, he was past the point of no return, and the last thing he saw before embracing lady death was a black blur. Flicking the blood off of Trina before burning the rest, I turned around and eyed the headless body of Orcus; however, while doing so, I suddenly felt a massive boost in my overall strength. I had no idea what happened, but I saved that for when I returned home; for now, I needed to deal with the evidence, as murder is a crime in Hyphen, and I wasn''t trying to be apprehended. Absorbing Trina back into my body, I opened my hand and summoned forth a small orangish flame, which quickly grew into a blazing hot red flame with enough mana, prompting me to drop it onto Orcus''s body. Along with the fire, I added wind, increasing the temperature even further as the body slowly burned away, and when it started to leave a distinct smell, I created a slight gust, dissipating the scent. "Is it over, Alex?" Asked Talis as she softly landed on Alexander''s shoulder, the two watching the corpse burn. "Haa, yeah, it''s over." Replied Alexander with a sigh as he nodded. Chapter 105: Stat Increase! After burning the body to ashes, leaving behind a burning smell, which I promptly dissipated with gusts of wind along with his skeleton; feeling like a grave robber, I collected all the bones and stored them in my space pouch to dispose of them properly before gathering all the ashes and doing the same thing. ''Haa, this isn''t the best of feelings, but you forced my hand.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he looked at the spot where the body previously lay before turning around and continuing down the alley. Besides those mindless monsters, I never felt good whenever I killed a living being for a reason that could''ve been avoided or simply talked through; however, his personality made it difficult, and even when beaten, he didn''t relent. I just hope I''m not forced to do that to any other members of the Firemania party. ''Granted, they were far from being good people, quite bad if I''m being honest; their hearts were clouded with darkness; though a person can change, it just depends on whether they wish to change.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he shook his head while scratching Talis, her adorable kitten-like purrs instantly cheering up his mood. Walking around, I eventually arrived back at the main street and tried to remember how I first arrived at Yuki''s home; I made a left down a minor road before heading down another smaller road, only to stop and turn around when I realized I was going the wrong way once more. Walking down the other smaller road, I passed by multiple houses before finally spotting Yuki''s house in the distance, causing me to sigh in relief as my search had finally come to an end. "Haa, finally, we''ve arrived, Talis; how do you like it?" Asked Alexander with a sigh of relief as he stood before the gate entrance while glancing at Talis, who was observing the house. "It''s nice, much better than the Inn we were previously living in." Remarked Talis with a nod as she glanced at the house before spreading her wings a little. "Just know, this is Yuki''s house, and she''s letting us stay, so don''t go and do crazy stuff like you used to back at Master''s house, like trying to cook." Stated Alexander seriously as he eyed Talis, who cawed before looking away, causing him to lightly hit the back of her head. "Hmph, fine." Muttered Talis through her grumbling while Alexander finally relented. Opening the gate, I entered the front yard and walked across the stone pathway before arriving at the front door, yet before I was even given a chance to open it, the door opened by itself, and standing before me was Yuki, wearing her armor. "Eh, Alexander?" Remarked Yuki in a deep voice as she looked at Alexander before taking off her helmet. "Yes, it''s me, Yuki; who else would it be? Also, why are you wearing your armor? Do you intend to do a quest or job at night?" Questioned Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow as he nodded and looked up at Yuki, who sighed in relief before dropping her arms and backing away. "Haa, when I woke up from that nap, I saw the note you left, but as it started to get dark, I got worried, so I was about to go out and look for you." Said Yuki in relief as she glanced at Alexander before shifting her eyes to Talis and lightly waving her hand, causing her to chirp while waving her wing. "Ahh, yeah, sorry about that; I went out to the market to get a lot of items, food, and cooking tools before remembering about Talis. Speaking of the Market, you know I spent a total of six silver? SIX silver coins, that''s a little less than a fourth of my total wealth; haa, and I thought I was rich." Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he recounted the events while leaving out what transpired with the snake demi-human before finally sporting an expression of pain. "Oh, okay; though, how the hell did you end up spending six silver coins? That''s a lot of money wasted in a single night." Asked Yuki with a nod as she slightly widened her eyes while giving Alexander a weird look, only for him to glare at her. "Well, I wouldn''t have been forced to spend so much money if you actually had a usable kitchen. Other than a pan, a pot, chicken, and rice, you literally have nothing else in your kitchen, not to mention I have to feed a gluttonous Oni such as yourself. If it were just me and Talis, I probably would''ve spent at most one and a half silver, but I''ve also got to feed you." Stated Alexander with a slight frown and an admonishing look as he folded his arms, eying Yuki, who was wearing massive armor while towering more than three feet over him, an amusing scene from Talis''s perspective. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Ah? If that''s the cause, you should''ve let me pay for my share; you''ve only been here for a little over one month, and you must not have much money left." Said Yuki in an apologetic tone as she looked at Alexander, who dismissively waved his hand. "It''s fine. I still got roughly 19 silver to my name, so I''m not broke, though if I have to keep buying food like this, it won''t be long until I''m left with nothing." Replied Alexander lightly as he shook his head, something Yuki didn''t seem to like. "But that''s not fair, Alexander; we''re roommates now, so I also have to pitch in my fair share." Remarked Yuki as she reached into her breast armor pocket, which was rather small given her large breasts, before grabbing her space pouch, only for Alexander to swiftly snatch it out of her hand. "Life''s not fair, Yuki; besides, didn''t you say we''re friends? Friends help each other out, or did you forget that already? That''s how you preceded me to live with you, after all." Declared Alexander as he held Yuki''s space pouch in his hand while lifting his hand into the air and wiggling his finger, though even on his toes, he could barely touch Yuki''s chin. "So stop worrying. We may be roommates, but we''re friends, not to mention you''re still the master of the house, and you''re graciously letting me stay over. Think of this as part of my first rent payment." Added Alexander with a smirk as he backed away and stood normally before tossing Yuki''s space pouch to her. "Fine, Alexander." Said Yuki with a nod as she sighed to herself and stuffed her pouch back into her breast pocket. "Now then, let''s go and change our clothes. Also, do you care which room Talis and I sleep in?" Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he walked upstairs while Yuki followed behind. "No, whichever room you like." Replied Yuki with a nod as she entered her room, not even bothering to close the door while she started removing her armor. Entering the room closest to Yuki''s, I closed the door and started placing my belongings around the place, which weren''t much, to begin with, and after hanging Talis''s bird nest from the ceiling, I reached into my space pouch and grabbed a picture of Master and I, setting it right down on the nightstand beside the bed. "Haa, I miss you, Master." Muttered Alexander softly as he wiped a few tears while looking at Lavender and him peacefully sleeping together, which, funnily enough, wasn''t even taken that long ago. "Alex, I''m hungry." Said Talis while sitting in her birdnest as she eyed Alexander, her words prompting him to put the picture back down. "Can''t even give me a second to myself; I''ll make something, so relax; just give me a second to check something." Replied Alexander lightly with a shake of his head while Talis chirped happily before flying out of the room, down the stairs, and toward the kitchen. ''Now then, I can finally check what happened with my Status Panel.'' Mused Alexander as he summoned his status panel, only to be astonished by the large change. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Species: High-Human Age: 16 years Tier: 1 Level: 49¡ú 62( Available Status points; 624) Experience: [24%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Botanist(Rare)[Endurance / Intelligence] Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Member of the Gypsies(Rare)+, Apprentice Chef(Uncommon), Apprentice Mage(Uncommon), Swordsmen(Uncommon) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 12,823/12,910¡ú 22,296/22,296 Vigor: 601¡ú 1,167 Endurance: 692¡ú 1,231 Agility: 455¡ú 1,001 Dexterity: 460¡ú 1,012 Intelligence: 1,174(1,291)¡ú 2,087(2,296) Perception: 734(807)¡ú 1,561(1,717) Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare), Nature''s Friend (Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl3(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl3¡ü(Mythical), Lightning Cloak¨Clvl2(Epic), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl9(*Rare), Shrink¨Clvl10(Rare), Expand¨Clvl10(Rare), Blink¨Clvl8¡ü(Rare), Firestorm¨Clvl7¡ü(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl5¡ü(**Rare), Fire Breath¨Clvl2(**Rare), Wind armor¨Clvl3(*Rare), Fire Ball¨Clvl5(**Rare), Fire Shot¨Clvl2(**Rare), Wind Blade¨Clvl4(**Rare), Wind Shot¨Clvl2(**Rare), Wind Step-lvl4(**Rare), Cook¨Clvl8¡ü(**Rare), Meditation¨Clvl4(*Rare), Teleport¨Clvl2(Rare), Void Slash¨Clvl3(Rare), Mana Regen¨Clvl10¡ü(Uncommon), Air-Jump¨Clvl5(Uncommon), Strength Augmentation¨Clvl9(Uncommon), Speed Augmentation¨Clvl9(Uncommon), Lightning Bolt¨Clvl3(Uncommon), Mana Enhancement¨Clvl5(Uncommon) Condition: N/A //////////////////// "Well, that''s a massive change, not so much in my skills or traits, but by my stats; I''ve gotten much stronger. No wonder I felt that massive power boost from earlier, and I still got skill points to use." Remarked Alexander as he viewed his status panel before hearing the heavy footsteps of Yuki passing by his room. "Alexander, can you make some more food? I''m a little hungry." Asked Yuki softly as she peeked her head into the room, glancing at Alexander, who gave her a blank look. ''Haa, I''m going broke; I can already see it.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh as he nodded, causing Yuki to jump in joy, shaking the entire second floor. Chapter 106: ED Cured!? Allocating about half of my available status points into my stats; I saved the rest for later once my body got accustomed to my new strength before leaving the room and turning the light off as I walked downstairs, only to see both Yuki and Talis lazily lying on the couch. ¡®I could understand Talis being tired; she probably spent most of today flying around, yet what did Yuki do to be this lazy?¡¯ Mused Alexander, with a shake of his head, stood still and gazed at the two before sighing to himself and heading to the kitchen. Grabbing my pouch, I wore my one and only apron, though just when I was about to start cooking, I remembered I still hadn¡¯t stored any of the food, and it was still sitting, or floating, in my space pouch. ¡°Yuki, can you- you know what, never mind. I have a feeling you¡¯ll just make things more difficult.¡± Remarked Alexander as he reached into his pouch, retrieving the sacks of spices, herbs, vegetables, fruits, meat, and other ingredients. ¡°Eh, okay.¡± Said Yuki in slight confusion before shrugging her shoulders and dismissively waving her arm above the couch. Thankfully, the cabinet and pantry space in Yuki¡¯s kitchen was quite exceptional, so despite having bought close to two hundred pounds of stuff, I managed to make it all fit, along with some room to space; her fridge, on the other hand, was a different story. I had things stacked on top of each other at weird angles just to get things to fit, and I barely managed that. ¡®Haa, that took some time, but finally, the organization is done. Now, to actually start cooking, best to use meat and rice Yuki already had, lest they go bad.¡¯ Thought Alexander, his hands on his hips with a satisfied smile as he gazed at the kitchen before nodding and grabbing the necessary ingredients. Setting all the ingredients onto the island, I grabbed two pans, a pot, a large glass bowl, and a cutting board, summoning Zartha this time instead of Trina; I was about to start cutting the onions, but before I did, she shook aggressively. ¡®You bought knives, Master.¡¯ Said Zartha calmly as she did her best to stop Alexander from turning her into a kitchen knife, though since she had chosen him as her Master, she couldn¡¯t truly disobey his words. ¡°Oh yeah, I nearly forgot; heh, looks like you got saved this time, Zartha.¡± Muttered Alexander with slightly widened eyes as he looked at his dagger-sized greatsword before absorbing it back into his body. ¡®Tch, Master was so close, too.¡¯ Commented Trina quietly from a distance as she watched Zartha with her arms folded while kicking the ocean in annoyance. Grabbing one of the knives from the draw, I quickly chopped various vegetables and herbs; even fruits were included, though only a few. Placing them all into the glass bowl, I added all the various spices and started mixing them around, thoroughly evening out the spices among the chopped-up ingredients; once I finished that, I set the bowl to the side and grabbed a pack of meat before freeing it from its package. ¡°Hmm, smells like venison.¡± Muttered Alexander with a nod as he placed the meat on the chopping board, though he wasn¡¯t chopping it. Grabbing a small handful from the large glass bowl, I slathered the various spices along with chopped-up fruits, herbs, and vegetables onto the meat before placing it on a long skillet; doing the same thing multiple times, I put them all on the stove and turned the fire on, letting them cook. Since all the chicken was carrying the flavor, I didn¡¯t need to add anything to the rice, and while I could, I¡¯ve learned that too much flavor isn¡¯t always a good thing, so I only added some salt and into the water-filled pot, and dumped twelve cups of rice into the pot, just to be on the safe side since I¡¯m feeding Yuki, who could arguably eat just as much food as I eat in a week in one meal. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Covering the pot with a lid, I turned the stove on, and now, really, all I had to do was wait; sometimes, I¡¯d check the venison, seeing if it was ready to be flipped over or if I needed to add some more seasoning. However, it seemed Yuki must¡¯ve smelled what I was cooking since I heard her enter the kitchen, only to turn around and see her practically salivating. ¡°W-What are you cooking, Alexander?¡± Asked Yuki as she approached Alexander while drooling, her eyes fixedly staring at the skillet of venison with hunger. ¡°Don¡¯t know, decided to try something new since today is a special day; I hope it tastes good.¡± Replied Alexander lightly as he gave Yuki a slightly reproachful look before shaking his head while rubbing his finger across the skillet and sucking on it, tasting the seasoning. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not half-bad.¡± Muttered Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he nodded to himself before he suddenly saw four large bluish hands reach toward the skillet. Seeing Yuki reach toward the skillet, I smacked her hands away, requiring to use a decent amount of strength since one thing I¡¯ve learned from being Yuki¡¯s friend is she was strong, very strong, and equally robust, though she moved just how you think a modern tank would: slow, at least until she gets up to speed. ¡°No tasting; the food is not ready.¡± Stated Alexander with a slight frown as he eyed Yuki, who looked quite annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s not fair; you just tasted it; why can¡¯t I taste it?¡± Asked Yuki with a frown as she folded her arms and glared at Alexander, who wasn¡¯t the least bit intimidated, hard to be, considering whenever he looked up, all he saw were a pair of giant breasts. ¡°Because I¡¯m the chef; that¡¯s how it works. As the chef, I must taste the unfinished food to ensure it¡¯s cooked correctly; you wouldn''t want me to hand you raw food, would you?¡± Remarked Alexander lightly as he pointed to himself before gesturing to the food, causing Yuki¡¯s frown to deepen. ¡°But aren¡¯t I the one eating it? So I should also get a taste to see whether I¡¯ll like it.¡± Stated Yuki with a nod as she firmly stood her ground. Looking at Yuki¡¯s firm stance on the matter, I grabbed my head in frustration before quickly slapping away her hands again. ¡°You¡¯ll eat it when it¡¯s done; now leave the kitchen. I can¡¯t let you stay here; you¡¯ll ruin something.¡± Said Alexander as he put his hands on Yuki¡¯s rock-hard, toned abdomen before pushing her away, though because she resisted, they ended up falling. Falling on top of Yuki, my head landed on her large, soft, yet firm breasts that honestly rivaled any pillow I¡¯ve ever slept on; however, while lying there, inhaling her womanly scent. For the first time in over a month, I was aroused, which surprised me. Ever since Master had passed away, I haven¡¯t been aroused in the slightest, not even whenever Lily tried to sleep with me, though I¡¯m pretty confident that¡¯s because she wasn¡¯t trying her hardest; either way, I still resisted the lure of an experienced Succubus. So, to be finally aroused really made me happy; it¡¯s not like I intended to go around and sleep with random women or anything, but what man likes the feeling of being impotent? ¡°Alexander, stop rubbing your finger on me; that tickles.¡± Said Yuki lightly as she reached down and pushed Alexander off him, not knowing she was actually referring to his erect manhood. ¡°S-Sorry.¡± Replied Alexander with a blush of embarrassment and shame as he hid his erection before quickly standing up and helping Yuki up. ¡°Y-You okay?¡± Asked Alexander as he awkwardly looked away, finding it too shameful to look Yuki in the eye after having practically just rubbed his crotch on her. ¡°Hmm? Yeah, I¡¯m fine; anyways, I¡¯ll leave the kitchen for now, but if the food¡¯s not done in ten minutes, I¡¯m coming back and tasting it.¡± Replied Yuki as she tilted her head in confusion before nodding and giving Alexander a serious glare while returning to the couch. Seeing her leave, I turned back around and sighed to myself as I looked down at my crotch, which was erect beyond belief. ¡®Haa, to think the penis I disliked for being so big was merely a finger to Yuki; I suppose everyone''s perception is different. Still, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally active again; it seems like I¡¯ll be spending a little bit longer in the bathroom now.¡¯ Mused Alexander with a depressed sigh before shaking his head and smiling as he patted his penis, which took quite a while to calm down. By the time my crotch had returned to its usual flaccid state, dinner was finally done, which turned out to be a real hassle as I had to stop Yuki two more times; there were a lot of things I¡¯d caved on, but breaking that rule wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Foods, finished!¡± Yelled Alexander from the kitchen, his words prompting both Yuki and Talis to instantly stand up as they swiftly arrived at the dining table. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to eat Alex¡¯s cooking after so long!¡± Said Talis in excitement as she stood on the table, eagerly tapping her talons. ¡°C¡¯mon, hurry, Alexander; I¡¯m starving!¡± Declared Yuki aggressively as she sat down while eying Alexander like he was an enemy. ¡°Calm down, you two; it¡¯s coming; just give me a minute to put it on a plate.¡± Remarked Alexander lightly as he waved his hands and grabbed three plates, two normal and one jumbo-sized. Chapter 107: Peaceful Night Carrying the plates of food, I approached Talis and Yuki, who were both sitting at the table and gently set down their plates, though Yuki''s plate was at least three the size of either Talis''s or mine. The instant I removed my hand from underneath Yuki''s plate, she didn''t hesitate for a second and started stuffing her mouth full of food; seeing her eat like someone who had stared for three full days, I sighed and shook my head. Thankfully, Talis, despite being a beast, had much better manners and merely pecked her plate, taking small bites while making hardly any mess, which both Master and I had forced her to practice since she can easily be messy. "Thanks, Alex." Said Talis with a cheerful chirp as she pecked at her plate before looking at Alexander, who sat down to her right. "You''re welcome, Talis; at least someone has enough manners to say thanks." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he gave Yuki a side glance, though she was far too absorbed with eating to hear anything else. Clicking my tongue, the three of us silently ate, well, mostly silent; Yuki made a lot of noise while eating, and despite staring at her and calling her name several times, she didn''t react, so I just gave up and waited until she finished eating, which didn''t take that long even with the massive amount of food I gave her. "Ahh, that was the greatest dish I''ve ever eaten in my life!" Stated Yuki with a large grin as she set her empty plate down and patted her stomach, which looked exactly the same despite eating roughly seven pounds of food. "Haa, I''m glad you enjoyed it, Yuki, but I''m going to have to teach you some manners; you can''t be eating like this all the time; you could''ve made a large mess." Said Alexander with a slight smirk before frowning and pointing at Yuki with his fork, prompting her to look around herself. "Eh? I didn''t make a mess, so what''s the big deal?" Asked Yuki, giving Alexander a look of confusion while he grabbed his head and shook it. "Yeah, you didn''t make a mess because I had created a wind dome around you that caught any of the food that threatened to spill and guided them back to your plate; if not for that, you probably would''ve spilled at least a pound of food, if not more." Declared Alexander as he eyed Yuki while taking a bite of the venison and rice, which tasted delicious together. "Hmm, but since we''re living together, it doesn''t matter then, does it? I can just continue to do that while I eat; I don''t see the problem." Said Yuki as she tilted her head and looked at Alexander, whose face couldn''t help but twitch at her lackadaisical attitude. "Well, for starters, Yuki, we''re not always going to eat together, so what happens then? Actually, now that you mention that, how did you eat before? I find it somewhat hard to imagine you actually cleaned up after yourself." Remarked Alexander as he set his fork down and raised one finger before giving Yuki a curious yet suspicious look. "I''m not dirty after I wake up from my naps; I''ll clean my table; now, speaking of naps, I need to go and take one right about now." Stated Yuki as she furrowed her brows while glancing at Alexander before suddenly standing up and heading to the living room, only to plop on the couch and fall asleep in a matter of a few seconds. "Haa, unbelievable, she ate seven pounds of food like it was nothing; no wonder she eats only meat and rice; she can''t afford anything else." Muttered Alexander with a sigh of disbelief as he rubbed his temples while looking at his plate in distress. ''At this rate, I''m going to go broke before it''s even my birthday, and it''s only three months away; I need to start making some real money.'' Thought Alexander as he shook his head and continued eating, with Talis finishing second and him last. Grabbing the plates and utensils, I carried them to the sink and washed them while rethinking my decision to stay with Yuki as I had a feeling I was going to be the housemaid. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ''Well, it''s not all bad; I do enjoy Yuki''s presence, and she''s beautiful, so that''s a plus. Now that I think about it, how old is she?'' Mused Alexander with a curious expression as he glanced at Yuki, though her figure was hidden behind the back of the couch. Putting the dishes away after drying them, I headed into the living room and looked at Yuk, who was sleeping on the couch without a care in the world while using [Heroes Gaze]; I wasn''t checking her status panel, but for her age instead, and to my surprise she was in her late thirties. ''Well, Oni''s aren''t human, so they will age differently compared to us, though I will say, for someone in their late thirties, she doesn''t look nor act like one.'' Thought Alexander with raised eyebrows as the glow in his eyes vanished and returned to their normal luster. I didn''t see Talis anywhere, but she was probably upstairs sleeping; ever since we started living in Hyphen, her entire sleeping schedule has changed; she now wakes up early and goes to sleep early, a change I never thought I''d see. Since I didn''t have anything I needed to do, I sat beside Yuki, only to be quickly consumed with boredom, as there was nothing to do. "Times like these are when I wished TV existed in this world." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he stared blankly at the wall before closing his eyes and relaxing, only to suddenly remember something. ''Oh yeah, I''ve still got that guy''s skeleton in my space pouch; haa, I should probably go and get rid of them.'' Thought Alexander as he reluctantly stood up and headed for the backdoor, entering the backyard in the midst of a late evening. Not knowing what else to do with his skeleton, I scooped out dirt and piled it in the divot, turning it into a makeshift burial; once they were all in there, I covered it with dirt and dusted my hands off before entering the house. For now, it''ll serve as a decent place to hide the skeleton, at least until I find a better spot. "I''ve got something important to ask of Yuki tomorrow, so I might as well go to sleep." Said Alexander as he walked upstairs and entered his room beside Yuki''s, spotting Talis resting in her nest from the ceiling. Taking my clothes off, I hopped into bed, which felt so empty, and drifted to sleep after an hour or so of lying there; the absence of Master''s presence made it difficult for me to sleep. "Good night, Lavender." Muttered Alexander as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, drifting into dreamland, which was the only time he got to see Lavender again. ____________________________________________________________________________ While Alexander was peacefully sleeping, dreaming about a possible life with his lovely Master not too far away, the Firemania party was having a little discussion, if one could even call it that. ___ ___ "Tch, the hell is taking Orcus so long!?" Asked a man with an annoyed expression as he sat on a bed. "How the hell am I supposed to know, fool?" Replied another man as he looked up from his sword and glanced at the man, who was glaring daggers at him. "I wasn''t fucking asking you! Call me a fool one more time, and I''ll use that sword of yours to slit your throat!" Declared the man angrily as he stood up and glared at the man sitting opposite of him, who merely frowned at his threat. "You''ll kill me with my own sword? Don''t you know after Orcus and Verde, you''re the weakest one in the group? So why don''t you think twice before you do something stupid and end up dying?" Remarked the man as he finished polishing his sword and held the blade, which was shiny enough to reflect his appearance, into the air. "That''s it! I''m killing you fucking bastard!" Yelled the man in a fit of rage as he unsheathed his sword, though just as he was about to slash down, the door opened with Lucy entering. "What did I say about fighting each other? Don''t make me punish you; you know what happened to the last member who defied my orders." Stated Lucy with a frown as she stood with her staff in hand and eyed the attacking man, causing him to freeze before sheathing his sword and sitting down. "I apologize, leader; it won''t happen again." Said the previous angry man as he calmed down like a puppy meeting its owner. "Where''s Orcus? I had sent him out to capture that disrespectful brat, so why hasn''t he returned?" Questioned Lucy with a frown, which only deepened as she glanced between the unresponsive duo. "Tsk, he''s got into midnight; if he''s not back, he better not show his face again, or I''ll burn him from the inside out." Added Lucy with an ugly expression as she slapped the butt of her staff onto the floor before turning around and leaving the room. "Hmph, finally, Orcus has always been very weak; if it weren''t for his poison, he''d long since been kicked out." Remarked the man with a frown as he huffed in annoyance while the other person merely gave him a look before ignoring him and sheathing his maintained blade. "If the kid isn''t already dead, we''ll be dealing with him eventually." Said the second man as he lay in the bed and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep. Chapter 108: Meeting Neighbors With the flutter of my eyelids, I slowly awoke from my sleep, and although I haven''t been sleeping that well since Master''s passing, today was probably one of my best ones yet; it was either because I was sleeping in an actual house, my ED was cured, or simply time. However, I didn''t delve into it for too long and got out of bed while doing some light stretches, the absence of my morning blowjob being rather heartbreaking if you ask me. "So, how''s the view of the city from here? Well, not that good; I suppose everything can''t be great." Muttered Alexander curiously as he opened the curtains and looked out the window, only to look directly at another house, specifically a window. The view was rather lame and gave little privacy, but it wasn''t the worst thing I could think of; while I was taking in the sights, I saw the curtains blocking the other window move out the way, only to see a beautiful older Elven woman. Like any good neighbor, I waved at her, but for some reason, she blushed intensely and gave a slightly hungry look, the kind Lily would give me, which caused me to tilt my head in confusion as I looked at her. ''Is she okay?'' Thought Alexander curiously as he looked at the Elven woman before shaking his head after a few seconds. I had no idea why she was giving me the same look as Lily, but I just assumed she thought I was handsome, which did make me quite happy; it''s not every day you get a compliment, after all, so after giving her a friendly wave I turned around and left the room, making sure I was quite as Talis was still sleeping. Leaving the door cracked, I heard the sound of Yuki''s door opening and turned to glance at her; knowing how loud and careless she could be, I motioned her to be quiet. "Shh, Talis is still sleeping, so try to be a little quiet." Said Alexander softly as he covered his mouth with his finger while pointing at his door, prompting Yuki to nod. "Okay, but can I ask why you''re not wearing any clothes? Are you about to take a shower?" Asked Yuki as she gently walked toward Alexander while giving him a weird look, though other than that, she didn''t seem bothered by the fact that he was walking around her house in the nude. "Huh? What do you mean I''m no-Eeek!?" Questioned Alexander curiously as he gave Yuki a confused glance before looking down at his body, only to notice his schlong dangling freely, causing him to squeal in both fear and embarrassment. Reacting almost instantly, I quickly covered my genitals with my hands, though thanks to a certain Succubus for enlarging my member, my hands weren''t doing much, especially since I was already halfway erect. Not caring whether I made noise, I entered my room and slammed the door shut while leaning against it; my cheeks were burning bright red in embarrassment as I covered my face in shame. "I-I''m sorry, Yuki, c-can you please forget you ever saw that?" Asked Alexander with a crimson face while Yuki stood outside the door, confused about the whole thing. "Um, sure; just be careful when showering; the handle is fragile. I''ve broken it several times." Replied Yuki with a nod while still speaking quietly before Alexander''s door and walking down the stairs, practically tip-toeing to be quiet. Only after a minute or so did I finally compose myself enough that I removed my hands from my face, though it might''ve been better to have kept my eyes covered since, in my fit of embarrassment and shame, I failed to realize the window was placed directly opposite the door; so this entire time, my penis, which was fully erect by now, was being seen by the older Elven woman in the other house, who looked to be taking pictures. Seeing that, I couldn''t lie to myself and say I wasn''t slightly aroused, but I quickly responded and closed the curtain, blocking my room from being seen by anyone. Now, I didn''t know much about homeowners associations and whatnot, but I at first was worried that the woman was going to show pictures to the neighbors and then I was going to be labeled as a pervert and creep; I definitely didn''t want that, but I was worried this might affect Yuki more than anything. I wouldn''t say I was okay with it, but I would much rather be labeled as a creep than possibly make things difficult for Yuki on my first day of living with her. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Ugh, I''m going to need to talk with her." Muttered Alexander solemnly with crimson cheeks as he quickly put on his slime clothes, which did next to nothing to hide his massive erection. Hiding my erection behind the waistband of my pants, I looked at Talis, who was somehow still sleeping through all of this, and quickly left the room, though not before grabbing my space pouch just in case I needed to bribe the woman''s silence. "Yuki, I''ll be right back; I''m just going to talk with the neighbors!" Yelled Alexander as he ran down the stairs and headed towards the house''s entrance while passing the living room, which was where Yuki was. "Eh?" Remarked Yuki as she lifted her head from the couch and glanced at Alexander, who swiftly exited the house while she looked confused before shrugging her shoulders. Leaving the house, I hopped over the gate to the front yard and walked toward the other house; having left the house so quickly, I wasn''t even wearing any shoes, not like I had any other than the boots I wear with my armor. Opening the small gate to the neighbor''s front yard, I entered and quickly walked to the front door before knocking. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing the woman I had just seen taking pictures of me, and boy, was it awkward and embarrassing. "Y-Yes, what can I-I do for you, young man?" Asked the older woman meekly with a slight smile and tinted cheeks as she looked up at Alexander before glancing at his crotch, easily spotting his erection. "N-Nice to meet you, Mrs; my name''s Alexander, and I apologize for intruding so early in the day, but I needed to urgently speak to you about what happened a little earlier." Said Alexander as he swiftly calmed himself, thanks to one of his traits, and spoke respectfully to the woman, who was looking at him like he was a piece of meat. "O-Oh, is that so, Alexander? Well, p-please enter then; it''s quite cold outside. I wouldn''t want a young man getting sick." Replied the older woman softly with raised eyebrows as she nodded before backing away and further opening the door, gesturing for Alexander to enter, which he did after a bit of hesitation. "T-Thank you, Mrs?" Asked Alexander as he stepped into the house and looked around, noticing the layout was very similar to Yuki''s house, except it was much more decorated and lived in. "M-Michelle, you can just call me Michelle, A-Alexander." Said Michelle with a faint smile amidst her blushed cheeks as she closed the door behind her and locked it, causing Alexander to get a weird premonition. Nodding to Michelle, she walked forward a little and entered the living room, which I followed her into before sitting down on one of the couches after gesturing for me to. "So, I''m assuming you''d like to speak about this, Alexander?" Asked Michelle as she took a deep, calming breath before reaching into her pocket and placing several photos on the coffee table, which were all of Alexander, causing him to wince and nod. "Yes, Michelle. I''d like to say before anything I''m rather new here. I''ve been living in Hyphen for about a month. I only moved in with my friend, Yuki, yesterday, and it hasn''t even been a full day. It''s just that my mother and I used to live in the same house, and she was very free-spirited, so I obviously took after her, and I had forgotten I wasn''t wearing anything." Stated Alexander seriously as he looked at Michelle while trying to excuse his behavior somewhat, though it didn''t look like she was fully believing it. "Hmm. I understand, and I sympathize with you, Alexander, but I can''t just allow a possible nudist to go unpunished when this neighborhood is filled with children. I also have a young girl, and what if she was the one who had seen you in all your glory instead of me?" Remarked Michelle with a nod before hardening her gaze at Alexander and gesturing to a picture hanging on the wall of a cute young girl with brown hair similar to herself. Sighing to myself, I rubbed my face in frustration, not at Michelle but at myself, since she was right, and I couldn''t confidently refute her; if I were Michelle, I would also be upset. "I-I can promise you I won''t ever do that again, so is there any way we can keep this a secret; please? I''ve got silver." Said Alexander desperately as he grabbed his pouch and poured some silver coins onto the table, though Michelle was hardly moved. "I don''t wish to make such a young man''s life difficult, but I must look out for my family, and my little girl comes first; a few coins aren''t going to change my decision, Alexander." Declared Michelle firmly as she grabbed the pictures of Alexander, only for him to grab her hand. "Please, there must be something I can do to keep this quiet; I''ll do anything, Michelle!" Said Alexander almost pleadingly as he looked at Michelle, who subtly smirked in response. "A-Anything?" Asked Michelle meekly with blushed cheeks as she looked at Alexander while her eyes lowered to his erection. Chapter 109: Alexander Blackmailed (Note: Image of Michelle on my discord; forgot to post it last chapter????) After speaking with Michelle and pleading with her, she finally agreed to a deal; speaking of said deal, I was currently upholding my end of the bargain, and despite what my body was saying, I wasn''t comfortable in the slightest, but I also couldn''t bring myself to trouble Yuki, so I suppressed my shame and did as I was told. ''Now that I actually think about it, she''s blackmailing me, isn''t she?'' Thought Alexander with a wry smile as he looked down at Michelle, who was lying on her guest bed on the second floor. "Ahh, right there, yes, ahh, you''re so good at this, Alexander; have you done this before?" Asked Michelle lightly with a pleasurable sigh as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who nodded. "Yes, I used to massage my Maser occasionally, so I''ve got some experience in this line of work, though I''m far from calling myself a professional." Replied Alexander as he looked at Michelle while gently massaging her back, which she enjoyed. "Hmm, I see, though I''m sure you''re having a much better time massaging a woman like me rather than an old man." Said Michelle confidently as she looked at Alexander''s body while hungrily licking her lips. "Eh, no, my Master was a woman and a beautiful one at that; till this day, I''ve only laid eyes upon one woman I could confidently say is more beautiful than her." Stated Alexander with a shake of his head while displaying an expression of love, one that Michelle didn''t see, nor would she care, at least not yet. "Well then, she must be a lucky woman to be massaged by such a young, handsome, strong, and very well-endowed man like yourself." Declared Michelle with a lustful grin as she reached forward and rubbed her hand atop Alexander''s thighs, only for him to stop massaging. "Michelle, you promised me you wouldn''t touch." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Michelle through furrowed brows, causing her to frown lightly as she removed her hand from his thigh, prompting him to continue where I left off. Now, I''m sure you''re wondering what the deal Michelle and I agreed upon; well, it''s simple actually: all I had to do was relieve her stress from being a stay-at-home Mom whose husband was rarely ever home, given his profession. Obviously, I at first thought this would be easy; I''ve lived with Master and Talis for multiple years, and I was more than capable of assisting a mother and wife, but what I wasn''t prepared for was her unreasonable demand, which was, whenever I was in her house, I was required to be naked, entirely naked. So, currently, I was massaging Michelle while wearing absolutely nothing; my fully erect penis was on full display for Michelle to see. Now, if she were a single woman, I honestly wouldn''t mind this development at all, but I didn''t feel comfortable walking around naked before a woman who was also married. This was borderline cheating, if I''m being honest, and I wanted to vehemently refuse her request initially, but then she brought up the topic of spreading those images around the neighborhood, and I caved into her demands. I was tempted to burn those photos; in fact, not only was I tempted, I had actually even done so; however, she pulled out more pictures of me from her cleavage, and that dampened my spirit a little, not to mention my little stunt worsened our deal, and I''m required to visit her on the weekdays, while her daughter is at school. ''Haa, she''s definitely blackmailing me.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh before shaking his head and focusing on the massage. Eventually, I finished massaging her back, which caused me to sigh in relief as I removed my hands and backed away. "I''ve finished your massage, Michelle; if there is anything that still feels stiff, just tell me." Said Alexander as he backed away and grabbed his space pouch off the nightstand while Michelle sat upright and stretched her back. "Ahh, my back feels so much better, Alexander, thank you." Replied Michelle with a satisfied sigh as she nodded and gave Alexander an appreciative look. "You''re welcome, Michelle; now, if you''ll excuse me, I''ll be leaving." Remarked Alexander lightly as he grabbed his clothes from his pouch and started putting them on, though Michelle wasn''t about to let him. "Hmm? What do you think you''re doing, Alexander? I didn''t say you could leave." Stated Michelle with a raised eyebrow as she folded her legs and leaned back on the bed while eyeing Alexander. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "It''s already been nearly thirty minutes, Michelle; enough time hasn''t passed yet?" Said Alexander while frowning as he stopped and gave Michelle an annoyed look. "Well, it''s been some time, and since today is a Sunday, my daughter will awaken soon, so I suppose that''ll be it for today." Remarked Michelle with a nod as she tapped her cheek, causing Alexander to sigh in relief, only to freeze once more. "Only after you do one more thing for me. Pleasure yourself." Added Michelle with a smirk and a hungry gaze as she eyed Alexander''s crotch, which twitched at her words. Furrowing my brows, I looked intently at Michelle, whose expression remained impassive, and despite her heart saying otherwise, I wasn''t willing to risk those photos being spread about, so sighing in defeat, as I knew I wouldn''t be able to change her mind at least not easily; besides, I was at her mercy; I was lucky enough she kept her hands to herself. "Haa, okay, I''ll do it." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he took off his pants and stood before Michelle while shamefully displaying his erection. "Here, I''ll even give you some m-motivation." Said Michelle boldly as she lifted her shirt and unhooked her bra, allowing her enormous, firm breasts to spill forth, causing Alexander''s shaft to twitch once more. Although her large breasts were beautiful, it didn''t make this situation any less uncomfortable; grabbing my shaft, and like I used to do before Master and I started to make love, I stroked it while looking at Michelle. Yet, just as I predicted, even after ten minutes, nothing happened; my ED may have been cured, but I still can''t orgasm unless it''s by a woman, and the person I have to blame for this is Master. "Um, Michelle, as awkward as this is, I won''t be able to ejaculate by myself; I''ve pretty much lost that ability ever since I lost my virginity." Stated Alexander awkwardly as he stopped stroking and looked at Michelle, who frowned before grinning. "Then let me do it for you; I can''t have a horny young man unsatisfied; you might go around and force yourself onto other women; let me satisfy you, Alexander." Remarked Michelle as she stood up and approached Alexander, grabbing his shaft and pressing her large breasts against his chest while looking up at him with her lustful brown eyes, though internally, she wanted to hide herself in a hole for her shameful actions. "M-Michelle, you don''t need to; I''m more than capable of containing my lust; besides, I don''t feel comfortable doing it with a married woman." Said Alexander seriously as he placed his hands on Michelle and tried pushing her away, only to freeze when she showed him pictures of himself. "Don''t forget; I''m the one who calls the shots, Alexander; it''s fine if you don''t wish to follow my words, but do understand; I''ll have these pictures plastered to every door in the neighborhood by tomorrow morning." Declared Michelle with a frown, which she used to hide her true emotions as she tightly gripped Alexander''s shaft while he gritted his teeth before sighing in defeat. "Haa, alright, just make it quick, please." Replied Alexander, prompting Michelle to smirk while inwardly sighing in relief as she turned and pushed him onto the bed before kneeling in front of him. Sitting down with my legs spread open, I watched how Michelle stroked my shaft, giving me a handjob with one hand while her other was down below as she rubbed herself; the feeling of having a woman touch my member in over a month was fantastic, and while she couldn''t even begin to compare to Lily, I could already feel myself close to bursting. Leaning back, I suppressed my grunts of pleasure, only until I felt her tongue caress the head of my shaft, causing the dam, I''d been trying to hold back, finally, release as I started cumming, and I could already tell it was going to be one my biggest ones to date. "~Urgh~, I-I''m cumming!" Stated Alexander as he spurted copious amounts of semen onto Michelle, staining her face and clothes in cum. Once I finally finished, I opened my eyes and looked at Michelle, only to see her staring at my shaft with a massive blush while she dripped with cum, and I wasn''t even exaggerating; I had literally painted her white in my semen. I was a horny young man like anyone else, so seeing a woman practically drowning in your cum, was a satisfying feeling, though as I realized I''d just done it with a married woman no less, honestly, I was feeling somewhat ashamed, mainly at the fact because I did feel satisfied when I saw her. "I-I need to go, Michelle." Said Alexander quickly as he stood up and swiftly put on his clothes before grabbing his pouch and exiting the room, leaving an embarrassed Michelle alone. Exiting the house, I quickly returned to Yuki''s home and swiftly entered. "Ah, Alexander, I''m getting hungry?" Said Yuki with a smile as she looked at Alexander, who ignored her and ran up the stairs while sporting a troubled expression, confusing her. Entering my room, I made the curtains were closed before flopping onto my bed and covering my face; after what I had just done, I needed some time to reflect upon my actions. ___ ___ Cleaning the semen off my face with a wet rag, I looked at myself in the mirror, and I couldn''t be more embarrassed of myself; in a state of heightened lust, I had actually blackmailed a young man. "Ugh, I-I can''t believe I had done that; what had come over me? I-I know I haven''t done it since my daughter was born, but still." Muttered Michelle with a deep blush of embarrassment as she looked at herself in the mirror before looking down at her breasts, followed by her lightly touching her wet crotch. "B-But, h-he really d-did help relieve some of m-my stress, s-so I-I suppose i-it''ll be f-fine to continue t-this for a little bit longer. Y-Yeah, it should be fine, b-besides, I-I don''t plan to actually spread t-those photos, w-well, I-I might show my friends, b-but that''s different." Said Michelle meekly with a crimson blush as she looked at herself in the mirror while trying to justify her actions, only for her to take her clothes off and take a quick shower. Chapter 110: Zartha & Trina After mulling over what I¡¯d just done with Michelle, which only took a few minutes, I sighed before exiting my room and heading back downstairs; walking to the living room, I sat down next to Yuki, who was just lying on the couch, doing nothing. ¡°Hm, what¡¯s wrong with you, Alexander?¡± Asked Yuki as she lifted her head and gave Alexander a curious look, though he merely shook his head. ¡°Haa, nothing; just spoke with the neighbor about a few things, that¡¯s all.¡± Replied Alexander lightly with a slight frown as he folded his arms and closed his eyes. ¡®Well, on the bright side, I at least know she¡¯ll keep her end of the bargain.¡¯ Mused Alexander with a nod before thinking back to what Michelle had just done to him, causing him to get aroused once more. ¡°Okay. So, can you make dinner now? I¡¯m getting hungry!¡± Asked Yuki as she sat upright and leaned closer to Alexander, which wasn¡¯t helping his situation. ¡°Y-Yeah, I¡¯ll make some food.¡± Said Alexander with a frown as he nodded and quickly stood up, walking straight for the kitchen while Yuki laid back on the couch. ¡°Have I always been this horny?¡± Muttered Alexander, looking down at his semi-erect crotch as he thought back to whenever he first hit puberty. Actually, now that I took a second to think about it, I¡¯ve always been very horny and easily stimulated; even before Master and I started doing it, I¡¯d spend a minimum of two hours in the bathroom a day, just relieving myself. Then Master and I started making love nearly every night for several hours on end, not to mention, a lot of times, we¡¯d do it in the middle of the day because I couldn¡¯t wait until nighttime. ¡®Haa, yeah, I suppose I¡¯ve always been this horny.¡¯ Thought Alexander while sighing and shaking his head as he grabbed his apron from his space pouch and started cooking. Since Talis must''ve left while I was ¡®talking¡¯ with Michelle, I didn¡¯t need to make food for her, only for Yuki and me; if I had more time, I would make proper breakfast, but I really just didn¡¯t feel like doing it, so I just cooked some meat and rice; besides, I need to get rid of them before they spoil. ¡°Breakfast is ready, Yuki!¡± Said Alexander loudly as he scooped some rice onto his plate, along with three slabs of meat, and placed it on the table before grabbing the pot and pan off the stove. ¡°I¡¯m here! Eh, where¡¯s my plate?¡± Remarked Yuki eagerly as she ran into the kitchen, only to furrow her brows in confusion when she noticed only one plate. ¡°No need to dirty a plate if you¡¯re just going to eat everything; here, just eat out the pot and pan.¡± Replied Alexander as he placed the pot and pan on the table before sitting in his seat. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s smart.¡± Muttered Yuki with a nod before sitting down and practically stuffing her face while Alexander watched in annoyance. ¡°Haa, ridiculous.¡± Said Alexander softly as he waved his hand, creating a wind barrier around Yuki, which caught all of her spilled food before bringing it back to either the pot or pan. ___ ___ ¡°So, no napping this time, Yuki?¡± Asked Alexander curiously as he picked up all the dishes from the table and glanced at Yuki, who shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got work to do.¡± Replied Yuki with a slight frown as she stood up from the table and left the kitchen, heading upstairs. Seeing Yuki leave, I left the dishes in the sink and followed after, though she was already in her room by the time I arrived on the second floor. Figuring I¡¯d just talk to her after she left, I entered my room and took off my apron, which I threw onto the bed and started putting on my armor, which, honestly, only served as more of a decorative piece if it weren''t for my skill, [Mana Enhancement]. ¡®Yeah, really need some better armor.¡¯ Thought Alexander as he opened the wardrobe and looked in the mirror, only to shake his head. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Summoning Trinza and Zartha, I crossed their blades and put them on my back. I couldn¡¯t just bring them out of my body if I happened to get into a fight; that would arouse a whole lot of suspicion, which isn¡¯t something I need nor want right now. ¡°Hmm, what do you two think? For my future armor, should the main color be purple or black?¡± Questioned Alexander as he once again looked in the mirror while tying his white hair into a small ponytail. ¡®Um, I don¡¯t know; I think you¡¯d look good in both colors, Master.¡¯ Said Trinza with a thoughtful expression while sitting beside Zartha with her arms crossed as she looked at Alexander. ¡°Thank you, Trina; I bet you also look pretty cute. Speaking of that, can¡¯t I enter that ocean dimensions or whatever, now that I¡¯ve spoken Zartha¡¯s name?¡± Remarked Alexander with a smile as he rubbed Trina¡¯s hilt before rubbing his chin, intently thinking. ¡®Black, it¡¯s much easier to clean, and yes, Master.¡¯ Declared Zartha with a somewhat cold tone as she nodded, while Trina was sporting a silly smile from Alexander¡¯s compliment. ¡°Cool, how do I do that? I¡¯ve never seen what you guys actually look like, and I¡¯m curious.¡± Asked Alexander as he grabbed his swords off his back and held them before him. ¡®Simple, just focus on us, and your mind will be sent into our dimension; just know, your body will be completely vulnerable whenever you do it, Master.¡¯ Replied Zartha as she leaned back into her chair and closed her eyes while Alexander attempted to enter their dimension. Sighing in relief that one of the two actually knows how to explain things properly, I closed my eyes and focused on my two greatswords, and after some time passed, I felt a sudden shift, prompting me to open my eyes, yet I was no longer within my room. Looking around, I was back in that place where I first met Zartha and Trina; it was a sunny day with no clouds in sight, and the ground was actually a crystal clear ocean. ¡°Yeap, just as I remember.¡± Muttered Alexander with a nod as he started walking in a specific direction, seemingly knowing exactly where to go. After walking for some time, off in the distance, I spotted a small island, and in front of that small island were two people; once I got neared the two, I stood before them with all three of us looking at each other. The woman, or I should say girl, had long purple hair, bright red eyes, slightly pointy ears, and a lithe body figure befitting of a young girl in the beginning stages of puberty; I will add she was incredibly adorable and carried with her an energetic aura. She wore a beautiful black dress, one that I personally thought was a little too revealing for a girl her age, but everything was indeed properly covered up, so I didn¡¯t question her. Now, the woman to my right had long black hair, light blue eyes, slightly pointy ears, and a voluptuous body like no other; she wore a small greenish cape on her shoulders and slightly see-through clothes while keeping just all of her important parts properly covered, though she seemed to be showing as much as possible in the process as well. ¡°Master, who''s who?¡± Asked Trina, the young, adorable little girl, as she ran up to Alexander and grabbed his hand while smiling. ¡°Well, I already know both of your voices, so the moment you spoke, this game lost its meaning; besides, It isn¡¯t hard to realize who is who, especially when Zartha¡¯s expression is just how she sounds. I can¡¯t tell if this is her normal expression or she is genuinely disgusted with me.¡± Replied Alexander softly as he reached down and patted Trina¡¯s head before glancing at Zartha, who gave him a disgusted look. ¡°No, this is just how I look, Master. If I were disgusted with you, I would tell you; if anything, I actually quite like you.¡± Stated Zartha coldly as she eyed Alexander from her seat before closing her eyes. ¡°You know, if it weren¡¯t because I could see through people''s lies, I wouldn¡¯t believe you, Zartha.¡± Said Alexander with a soft chuckle before focusing back on Trina. ¡°Heh, well, I was right about earlier; you¡¯re exceptionally cute, Trina.¡± Added Alexander, causing Trina to smile cutely while Alexander leaned down and rubbed her head. ¡°Hehe, thanks, Master!¡± Replied Trina enthusiastically, chuckling with a silly smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll just put this out there, Master; we¡¯re spirit artifacts and have no physical form, so don¡¯t think you can use us to vent your lust.¡± Stated Zartha, her words causing Alexander to recoil while Trina quickly backed away from him. ¡°Eh, why would you even bring that up, Zartha? I had no intention of ever doing such; besides, I already know that. Master has told me about spirit artifacts.¡± Replied Alexander with a slight frown as he looked at Zartha before glancing at Trina, who was now hiding behind Zartha. ¡°Really, Master?¡± Asked Zartha lightly with a raised eyebrow as she glanced at Alexander, who coughed and looked away awkwardly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll admit, when I saw you, the thought might¡¯ve crossed my mind, but I mean, look what you¡¯re wearing, Zartha; that¡¯s not really fair to me.¡± Remarked Alexander in protest as he eyed Zartha, though all he got were blank looks. ¡°I know Master is horny, but I didn¡¯t realize you were such a pervert.¡± Said Trina with a slight frown as she looked at Alexander, who blushed slightly in embarrassment. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Stated Alexander with a huff as he turned around and walked away before his figure eventually vanished, prompting Zartha to smirk while Trina chuckled. (Note: pictures will be posted on discord) Chapter 111: Best Friend Or Potential Lover? Returning to my physical body after being teased by my two spirit artifacts for my abnormal levels of lust, which really wasn''t fair when you think about it; I mean, not mentioning Trina since she looks like a young girl, Zartha was very sexy, plus the clothes she was wearing, it''s like she was purposely tempting me if I''m being honest. ''You do understand we can hear your thoughts, Master.'' Said Zartha coldly yet calmly, while Trina just looked to the sky with a disapproving look. ''Hmph, Master''s a super pervert.'' Added Trina with a huff as she folded her arms while eyeing the sky. "Tsk, stop listening to my thoughts; those are my thoughts for a reason!" Said Alexander loudly with a slight shameful blush at getting caught as he retorted, causing both Zartha and Trina''s presence to vanish from his mind. Once I sensed they were finally gone from my mind, I sighed in relief at being alone again; I no longer needed to worry about them listening to my thoughts, which caused my thoughts to drift back to Zartha. ''Alright, stop being so horny, Alexander; you''ve got things to do!'' Thought Alexander as he placed his greatswords on his back and lightly slapped his face before closing the wardrobe and exiting his room, coincidently at the same exact time as Yuki. Seeing Yuki donning such massive armor was, how should I put it, always made her look a little fierce, especially given her canines sticking out from her mouth, though that feeling completely vanished when I saw her smile; now she just looked like a giant lovable teddy bear if I''m being honest. "Hmm, do you also have work to do, Alexander?" Asked Yuki with a slight smile, looking down at Alexander as she held her helmet in one hand while using two others to carry her massive great shields "Eh, kind of; there was something I wanted to ask of you, Yuki." Replied Alexander with a nod as he looked up at the massive figure called Yuki, who tilted her head while giving him a confused look. "Ask away!" Said Yuki with a friendly grin, displaying her fangs and sharp teeth while using her last free arm to pat Alexander''s shoulder, though, unlike a certain Lion demi-human, she wasn''t strong enough to dislocate his shoulder. "It''s nothing serious, at least I don''t think it''s serious, but I''d like to join you in entering the dungeon. Although I''m just an F-rank Adventurer, I''m confident in keeping myself out of harm''s way, so you don''t need to constantly worry about me, and if you think it''s too much, we could always turn-" Stated Alexander earnestly with a cough as he attempted to persuade Yuki, though she didn''t even give him a chance to finish speaking before once again patting his shoulder. "That''s wonderful!" Yelled Yuki eagerly as she eyed Alexander, who was slightly taken aback by how quickly she agreed. "Eh, that quickly? I thought it would require more persuading on my end." Muttered Alexander in slight surprise as he glanced at Yuki, who couldn''t be more excited. "This couldn''t be better! With the two of us together, we can finally properly hunt Monsters! C''mon, let''s go; I don''t want to wait a second longer!" Remarked Yuki with an excited grin as she put on her helmet before picking up Alexander, carrying him in her arm like a wood log. ''Out of all the ways she could''ve carried me, she carried me like this? This might be even more shameful than a princess carry.'' Mused Alexander with a twitching expression while tagging along as Yuki ran down the stairs and exited the house, though not before locking the door. Once Yuki exited the front yard, she turned left instead of right, and in doing so, we ran right into Michelle, our, or more like Yuki''s neighbor, and the one who was blackmailing me, though not only was it that, her half-Elven daughter was there as well, which only made me feel a little worse. "H-Hello, Michelle." Said Alexander with a wry smile as he waved at Michelle and her daughter, who was currently hiding behind her in fear of Yuki. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "H-Hi." Said Yuki softly while slightly waving her hand, though thanks to the helmet deepening her voice, it caused the young girl to hide behind Michelle further. "H-Hello, there, Sir, and A-A-Alexander. S-Say hi to them, Chloe." Remarked Michelle with a soft blush as she looked at Yuki and then Alexander, who was in her arms, before moving out of the way and pushing the little girl to the forefront. "H-H-Hello." Said Chloe meekly as she finally gathered enough courage to look up at Yuki, though, it instantly dissipated when she saw her piercing yellow eyes, causing her to freeze in place. Seeing Chloe just stand there frozen in fear from Yuki''s appearance, I lightly shook my head; forcefully freeing myself from Yuki''s hold, I approached the girl while softly smiling as I squatted down and gently patting her head, causing all the fear in her eyes to vanish. "No, need to be so scared, Chloe, she''s not going to do anything to; she''s all bark and no bite." Remarked Alexander gently as he rubbed Chloe''s head, ruffling her long brown hair while she stared into his purple crystal-like eyes. "Anyways, my name''s Alexander Vestalis, though you can just call me Alex; what''s your name, Chloe?" Added Alexander softly as he removed his hand, causing Chloe to pout slightly before tilting her head in confusion. "Um, Chloe?" Replied Chloe in uncertainty as she looked up at Alexander, whose mere presence relieved her of her fear. "Well, then, Chloe, it''s nice to meet you; I must add, you''re incredibly cute too." Said Alexander with a slight smirk as he grabbed Chloe''s hand and shook it while she blushed slightly at his compliment. "T-Thank you, Alex, you''re, um, also cute." Stated Chloe shyly, looking up at Alexander, who smiled before gently poking her nose while Michelle watched everything with a slightly astonished expression. "Thanks, that means a lot coming from you; now, I''d love to play with you, Chloe, but I''ve got something to do, and it seems like you and your Mother also do too. I live right next door, so if you ever want to play, just knock on the door." Declared Alexander with a happy smile as he stood up before glancing at Michelle, causing his smile to falter slightly. "Y-Yes, Chloe and I are going to a playdate with some of my friends and their children; if we delay any longer, we will be late. C''mon, say bye to them." Said Michelle with a surprised smile and a deep blush as she looked between Chloe and Alexander before reaching forward and grabbing her small hand. "B-Bye, Alex." Said Chloe with a sad face as she waved at Alexander while she and Michelle walked down the stone path, completely forgetting about Yuki, as ironic as that was. "Bye, Chloe! See you later, Michelle." Remarked Alexander as he waved back at Chloe before glancing at Michelle, watching the two walk away while Chloe constantly looked back. When the two turned the corner, I glanced at Yuki, who was silently standing there, seemingly looking slightly depressed from her stance, which caused me to elbow her in the gut. "C''mon, Yuki, what''s got you so down?" Asked Alexander curiously as he started walking forward, prompting Yuki to sigh while doing the same. "Everyone is always afraid of me; that''s why, even after a decade of living here, you''re the only friend I''ve made." Replied Yuki sadly as she hung her head while her armor rattled with each step. "Well, for starters, you''re wearing massive armor, let alone a little girl; even grown men are frightened of you. Secondly, compared to most species, you''re utterly massive; take me, for example, Yuki; I''m a 6''6, 250-pound human, bigger than most people I''ve come across, yet you? You make me look like a child whenever I stand next to you; I''m not even up to your chest, and combined with the armor that deepens your voice, it makes sense you''ve got no friends." Stated Alexander seriously as he turned around and walked backward while gazing at Yuki, who intently listened to his words.?? "Well, I can''t change my height, and this armor was my Mother''s, so I don''t want to get rid of it." Said Yuki softly as she raised two of her hands before looking up at Alexander. "I''m not saying you should get rid of your armor or anything; just maybe take off your helmet whenever you eat at the guild or something similar. Always wearing your armor makes you seem very distanced from everyone else''s perspective." Remarked Alexander lightly while shaking his head as he slowed down and walked beside Yuki, tapping her great shield. "A-Are you sure that''ll work, Alexander?" Asked Yuki skeptically as she looked down to her right at Alexander, who shrugged his arms, causing her face to twitch. "Don''t know, but it''s something and better than nothing; besides, if it doesn''t end up working, you''ve still got me, your very first friend." Said Alexander with a slight smirk as he playfully pushed Yuki to the side, causing her to smile softly underneath her helmet. "No, you''re not just my first friend; you''re also my best friend." Remarked Yuki earnestly, causing Alexander to smile, only for her to use a little too much strength when pushing him as he was flung a few meters before skidding across the ground. ''Yeap, that''s definitely how friends behave. Though, Talis is my Best friend, so you unfortunately can''t be mine.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he lay on the ground, looking at the morning sky. ''Maker her your lover then, Master; she should be able to help control your lust.'' Said Zartha indifferently, causing Alexander to blush lightly while glaring at her. "Zartha!" Muttered Alexander aggressively as he grabbed one of his greatswords off his back and eyed it. Chapter 112: Graveyard Dungeon It''s been some time since we first left the house and our interaction with Michelle and her daughter Chloe; currently, we were standing at the center of the city while observing the large hill, which was actually the entrance to this city''s dungeon. "What was this dungeon called again, Yuki?" Asked Alexander curiously as he stood beside Yuki, whose large figure parted the sea of people. "It''s called the Graveyard, and it''s a Rare-tier dungeon, so it''s quite big and is filled with strong monsters." Replied Yuki with a nod as the two approached the large hill, passing numerous adventurers who had just exited from the dungeon. "Big? How big? Do you know how many floors? The only dungeon I''ve been in was a Common-iter, so it only had five floors." Questioned Alexander with a raised eyebrow while glancing at the various adventurers as he followed Yuki. "25 floors, which is the lower end for a Rare dungeon, though it makes up for the low amount of floors you need to traverse through with the monsters being stronger than average; however, besides the number of floors, I can''t be completely sure about everything else, I usually don''t even enter the fifth floor." Stated Yuki seriously, furrowing her brows while nearing the dungeon''s entrance, which gave off an eerie mana. Nodding to Yuki, we stopped before the entrance of the dungeon, which was being guarded by a few guards yet after showing them our adventurer licenses, they let us through, though I noticed some of them gave me pitying looks, which slightly weirded me out, but I didn''t think much of it. So after they gave my license back, I followed Yuki as we entered the dungeon, which, I will add, didn''t feel pleasant at all; the instant I stepped into the dungeon, I felt ominous, and the deeper we went, the stronger it became. "Yuki, can you see in the dark?" Asked Alexander curiously while following Yuki down the path, which was poorly lit with mana torches. Getting a nod from Yuki, I used [Heroes Gaze], though when I did, I saw a fog of inky blackness floating in the sky, causing me to frown as I realized where the ominous feeling originated from. ''This is the same mana I see floating around corpses; it must be death mana, though I''ve never seen so much of it, not to mention it''s far darker.'' Thought Alexander with furrowed brows as he looked around him, seeing nothing but a haze of death mana wafting through the passageway. From what Master told me about death mana, despite all the negatives associated with it, it''s not really that dangerous, though that''s so long as you''re strong enough to resist the aging effects it has on living beings. Given how various creatures kill every day, I''m assuming you''d need a large amount of death mana for it to be discernible by the naked eye or for a short time period. However, while I was looking at my surroundings, not paying attention to what was happening in front of me, I walked right into Yuki, and like a brick wall, she didn''t even budge. "We''ve officially entered the dungeon. Be careful, Alexander; the monsters here wield death mana, so any attacks are devastating for living beings like us." Stated Yuki seriously, her gaze hardening as she grasped both of her great shields from off her back and protectively held them in front of her while warily walking forward. "Copy that, Leader." Said Alexander solemnly as he leaped onto his two feet and wielded his greatswords in each hand while closely following behind Yuki, covering her back. Now that we were actually inside the dungeon and not just the passageway, I kept my guard up and cautiously eyed our surroundings, ensuring no monster crept on us from behind; however, while I was doing that, I was also using this as a chance to obverse the dungeon, and I didn''t know whether to be impressed or unimpressed. So far, the dungeon looked very similar to the dungeon back in the forest, the only difference being that this one was much larger, and there weren''t numerous holes in the wall. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "So, what monsters am I to expect? Skeletons, zombies, dullahans, Lichs?" Asked Alexander quietly, keeping his ears perked for any sound that didn''t originate from either Yuki or himself, though there was nothing besides the constant sound of faint screams and their footsteps. "Eh, how did you know all of that? Did you already do your research on this dungeon?" questioned Yuki in slight surprise as she raised her eyebrows, though her guard didn''t once waver. "No, it''s really just random knowledge I had." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head while Yuki nodded. "Yes, all of the above, along with a few other monsters such as gargoyles, wendigos, and Death Knights, though among those, the only one I''ve never fought is a Death Knight. However, I have heard rumors that Death Knights are only seen on floors 21-25." Remarked Yuki lightly as they came to a crossroads, though she didn''t hesitate and took a right. "By that logic, they must be the strong monster; I hope we don''t meet them any time soon." Muttered Alexander lightly, only to suddenly frown at the sound of numerous soft groans and grunts in the distance and the shuffling of feet. "I''m no genius, but I think I''ve seen enough zombie movies to know what we''re about to encounter." Added Alexander as he turned around and peeked from behind Yuki''s massive figure, only to see a large gathering of walking corpses far in the distance. "Yes, it''s zombies, and they aren''t much of a threat; they''re very weak, about as strong as your average human man, though their massive numbers make them more tedious than dangerous to deal with." Said Yuki as she peered through the slits in the helmet, eyeing the tens of zombies who were walking toward them rather slowly. ''Hmm, they seem unnaturally weak to be in a Rare-tier dungeon.'' Mused Alexander as he cautiously eyed the zombies. Just as I was about to ask Yuki what to do, she suddenly yelled and clanged her shields together before charging toward them, surprising me since I wasn''t expecting that, though I quickly followed after her. Once she reached the crowd of zombies, she smashed through them like a rhino; it was actually quite gruesome since they were practically like paper mache before her; their bodies were broken and crushed while blood, guts, and bone littered the ground, leaving behind a pungent scent. "Ugh, that''s fucking terrible, even worse than the centipedes." Muttered Alexander in utter disgust as he plugged his nose and followed behind Yuki, killing any zombies with a swing of his greatswords that somehow still managed to survive. ''Language, Master.'' Said Zartha lightly, causing Alexander to roll his eyes while inwardly apologizing. One thing I did notice about the zombies was they didn''t have any sex, no female or male reproductive organs, and they also had brown blood, just like the centipedes from the other dungeon. "Well, that''s anti-climatic; they literally aren''t even a threat." Said Alexander as he looked at the carnage Yuki had created before glancing at a single zombie that somehow managed to survive unscathed. Watching the last remaining zombie shuffle toward me, I simply swung Zartha at him, aiming for the neck since it''s widely believed you can only truly kill a zombie by either decapitating them or destroying their heads, and right after slicing through his neck, he collapsed onto the ground, though his disgusting blood stained my face. ''Oh, I''m so thankful my mouth was closed.'' Thought Alexander as he quickly wiped the blood off his face. "Oh yeah, nearly forget, the blood of zombies is very poisonous, so try not to get any on your skin-" Remarked Yuki lightly as she turned around and looked at Alexander, who was wiping the blood off, only to freeze and blankly stare at her. "That would''ve been helpful to know before I was stained in its blood, don''t you think, Yuki? Anyway, you don''t need to worry about me. I''ve got a strong resistance to poison, so I''ll be fine; just try to tell me something important like that before we engage in a fight." Declared Alexander blandly with a twitching expression before sighing and shaking his head as he finished cleaning his face. "S-Sorry, I usually forget about it, given my armor, but are you sure you''ll be okay? I''ve got an antidote just in case." Said Yuki apologetically as she quickly neared Alexander while rummaging through her space pouch. "Trust me, Yuki, I''m fine; poison is one of the last things I''m afraid of. Now, let''s continue exploring the dungeon; I''d like to at least make it to the fifth floor today since that seems to be where you usually stop." Replied Alexander with a smile while dismissively waving his hand before passing Yuki and taking the lead. "If you say so, but let me take the lead; I know this place like the back of my hand, and I''m the tank." Remarked Yuki with a nod as she stored her space pouch away before chasing after Alexander, who stopped and let her take the lead. With Yuki in the lead, we encountered several more hordes of zombies, each one consisting of at least one hundred or so, though from what she said, this is considered relatively small, and some of them can even reach upwards of one thousand, which isn''t even really a threat when you take into account their strength, it''s just tedious. Chapter 113: First Floor Guardian Slicing through the head of a few zombies approaching me from behind, I turned back around, gutting the remaining zombies in front of me before stomping on their heads, crushing through skulls, and killing them. Just when I was about to check up on Yuki, I saw a pair of dull eyes looking at me from the ceiling, causing me to instantly bring Zartha before my face, protecting, just in time, too, as I was hit with a decently strong blow which forced me back a little. Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I leaped into the air, and using [Air Jump] to gain even more height, I slashed at the monster once I arrived near the ceiling, yet the monster, knowing it would die, dodged out of the way, causing me to groan. This wasn''t the first time I''d dealt with this monster, and if anything, it wasn''t that strong; it was suited for sneak attacks; the only dangerous thing about it was its tongue, which was what it had just tried to hit me with. Other than its initial sneak attack, it does with its tongue; it''s not too dangerous, and its only strength is its impressive agility that allows it to evade sure-kill attacks. Watching the monster land on the ground on all fours, I used [Air Jump] once more, pushing myself back toward the ground right for it, though while doing so, I saw it reel its head back, a sign that it was about to fire its tongue. Slowing down my perception of time by using [Hereos Gaze], I watched how it opened its mouth, launching its several-meter-long, pointed tongue right at me, though I titled my head out of the way and absorbed Zartha back into my body as I grabbed the extended tongue with my left hand. Tightly holding the disgusting, slimy tongue of the undead, I pulled my close to it while slashing down at it with Trina, and though it did try to evade, it couldn''t as I was grabbing its tongue, so with a swift slash, I sliced the monster''s head, and a third of its body in half, causing it to lifeless collapse on the ground beside the rest of the defeated zombies. ''What was that? The sixth one I''ve encountered already?'' Pondered Alexander curiously as he let go of the tongue while rubbing the slime on his armor before following the sound of heavy footsteps, grunts, and metal clanging together. Turning the corner, I saw Yuki in the distance fighting against numerous zombies while a few of those lickers, the monster I had just killed, were attacking her from a distance; to be honest, she was completely fine, the licker''s only left dents on her armor, and harmless bounce off her shield. The only problem was they were too fast for her to catch, well I should say more agile; at her top speed, Yuki is most likely faster, but just like any large and fast animal, she''s not going to turn on a dime, not like the licker''s, so right before they get crushed to death, they''ll move out of the way unless she corners them. ''Heh, now I know why Yuki was so excited for me to tag along.'' Mused Alexander with a slight smirk as he raised Trina into the air, causing the surrounding air to tremble before he slashed at each licker attacking Yuki. Launching three [Wind Blade] at the unsuspecting monsters, when the blades of air reached them, I saw their bodies suddenly tense as they prepared to dodge, but they were too slow, and almost simultaneously, the licker''s heads were cut off; with their heads rolling on the ground while their bodies collapsed, Yuki turned and glanced at me, causing me to smirk as I winked at her. Yuki then raised her two shields in the air before suddenly slamming them together, causing a ripple to travel through the air with her at the center that destroyed every zombie it came in contact with, though it also continued heading right for me and just when I was about to back away, it dissipated, and all that hit me was a soft gust of wind. Sighing in relief, I summoned Zartha when Yuki wasn''t looking and sheathed both of my greatswords onto my back, even though I don''t really have a sheathe; as I approached Yuki, who was killing any zombie that happened to survive her initial attack. "So, which floor are we on now, Yuki? This is the fourth, right?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he outstretched his hand, bombarding Yuki with a powerful gust of wind that blew chunks of zombies off her armor. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Yes, we''re actually near the first guardian room as well. Thanks for your help earlier; those lickers are so annoying to deal with, always so fast and slippery." Replied Yuki with a nod as she killed the final zombie before glancing at Alexander, who smiled, only for her to stomp her foot on a licker''s head. "You''re welcome, and that''s what partners are for, though; maybe if you weren''t so chunky, Yuki, you''d have caught them." Said Alexander with a smirk as he nudged Yuki with his elbow while she looked down at herself. "Eh, am I too chunky? Last I checked, I was about 754 pounds without my armor; maybe I am getting a little too heavy." Muttered Yuki with a slight frown as she patted her armor while Alexander''s expression twitched at her absurd weight. ''She weighs roughly three times as much as me, ridiculous.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at Yuki, who was checking herself out, before shaking his head. "I was merely joking, Yuki; you''re perfect the way you are." Stated Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, specifically her large breasts, before coughing while looking away. "Anyways, since we''re close to the first guardian, do you suggest we stop here, or should we go for it? I''m following your orders; you''re the senior here; I''m just the rookie." Added Alexander curiously as he looked at the pathway ahead before glancing back at Yuki, who took a step forward without any hesitation. "Now that there''s two of us, we take down that first guardian!" Declared Yuki eagerly as she lightly clanged her shields together and started walking down the pathway, heading right for the first guardian while Alexander followed right behind her. "Is the boss or guardian difficult, Yuki?" Asked Alexander with furrowed brows as he looked at Yuki, who quickly shook her head. "No, the only problem is, the boss directly counters me, so I can never beat it in a one-on-one." Replied Yuki with a slight frown of annoyance as she inspected her body once more, while Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Directly counters you? Is it too agile for you to catch? Or is it immune to physical attacks? If it''s the latter, while I can help, I''m no mage; I''m a magic swordsman." Questioned Alexander curiously before frowning at the thought of fighting someone physically untouchable. "No, it''s too agile for me; I can damage it, but whenever I''m about to land a killing blow, it always manages to evade at the last second. I mean, I have beaten it one-on-one, but it takes so excruciatingly long that I''d rather not fight it at all unless I have someone to help me." Remarked Yuki with an ugly expression, reflecting on her twelve-hour fight a few years back. Nodding to Yuki, we walked for about another minute before the path we were on suddenly expanded into a cavern, roughly the same sized as the one where the centipede guardian resides, which led me to assume the monster wouldn''t be any bigger than that schoolbus of a centipede. Wielding Zartha and Trina, I slowly followed Yuki''s steps as we entered deeper into the cavern; not seeing anything that screamed monster, I used [Heroes Gaze], scanning the surroundings for any sign of life, and then, on the side of the wall, I noticed an abnormal along of life force. Just like the centipede dungeon, this dungeon also had veins of life force flowing through its body, and I will add, they''re much more potent, though while the amount of life I sensed was even comparable to the amount I could find in just one floor, it was concentrated in a small area, and I would be a fool, to not be suspicious of it. "Yuki, what guardian will we have to fight?" Asked Alexander with a slight frown as he warily eyed the stone wall while Yuki intently observed her surroundings. "The guardian is a Gargoyle; be careful, its first attack is always a sneak attack." Replied Yuki seriously as her piercing yellow eyes scanned the cavern''s walls, looking for any signs of protrusion. Just as I was about to say something, the stone wall I was looking at suddenly opened its eyes and spread its wings as a stone gargoyle launched itself off the wall and lunged toward Yuki from behind while powerfully flapping its wings. Seeing that, I filled my body with mana and moved right behind her as I crossed my two greatswords, blocking the gargoyle''s claws before pushing the monster off me, flinging it back several meters. ''This monster is much stronger than that centipede.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he eyed the gargoyle, while Yuki instantly turned around when she heard the clash. "Good news, found the monster, Yuki; so, how do you want to handle this?" Asked Alexander, lowering his swords and sidestepping as he dodged the monster, allowing Yuki to stop its lunge with her mighty shield. "I''ll keep it occupied; you kill it!" Declared Yuki in a deep voice as she flung the gargoyle away before charging toward it, while Alexander nodded. "Sounds good." Chapter 114: First Guardian Defeated! Following behind Yuki, who acted as an impenetrable wall, protecting me from the Gargoyle''s relentless attacks, I snaked around her side and sliced down at the monster that was attacking Yuki, though since I didn''t aim for anything vital as I didn''t want the monster to evade, I slashed at one of its wings, cutting through half of it, yet it moved too fast for me to cut through the rest of it; however, that still seemed to hamper his speed, just not by substantial amount. "Just like that, Alexander! Whittle the monster down while it''s focused on me. ARGHHHH!" Yelled Yuki seriously with a faint smile as she eyed the monster, which had just changed its attention to Alexander, prompting her to release a ferocious roar. Wincing slightly at Yuki''s voice, I saw a wave of mana emit from her mouth, causing me to remember the skill or, actually, trait the centipede guardian used on me that had stunned me for a moment; however, when the wave of mana reached the monster, I saw it''s expression scrunch up into something similar to anger, followed by it ignoring me and lunging at Yuki, slashing it''s stone claws at her, though they merely left slight scratches on her massive shields. While I was slightly confused about what skill Yuki had used, I decided to think about it later and dashed toward the monster attacking Yuki, using this opportunity to inspect its status, which I''d been holding off on doing as I didn''t want it to direct its attention to me, but I don''t think that''s going to be a problem right now. //////////////////// Species: Gargoyle (Rare) Age: 4 days Tier: 2 Level: 187 Experience: [96%] Class: Elite-Monster Lifeforce: [94%] Mana: 1,450/1,450 Vigor: 1,256 Endurance: 1,250 Agility: 1,008 Dexterity: 449 Intelligence: 145 Perception: 454 Traits: Soul Sense(Rare), Stone Body(Rare), Flight(Uncommon), Claw Slash(Rare) Condition: //////////////////// Examining its status, I couldn''t help but inwardly whistle while slashing down at the monster''s back, leaving behind a large gash, but not one deep enough to kill it, though I did notice it didn''t seem to be bleeding. The Gargoyle was significantly stronger than that stone centipede boss I fought, not to mention its stats were a little more balanced as well, though it did focus more on its physical capabilities, which was reasonable; if anything, I''d be worried if a mindless monster had extremely high intelligence, since that either means, it''s not actually mindless, or the monster''s physical stat''s are just that incredibly high. Either way, the monster''s stats, excluding intelligence, of course, while pretty high, were roughly the same as mine, with only his vigor being a little bit higher; its traits were rather weak, if I''m being honest, not really noteworthy, except maybe [Stone Body], I''m sure that would make it difficult for people with bladed weapons to inflict substantial harm, though, I doubt Zarth or Trina even noticed. ''This monster isn''t anything special; just from its status alone, I''m pretty confident I could kill it without using any mana.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he raised his two greatswords into the air and slashed them both down, launching two blades of wind at the monster, aiming directly for its already broken wing. With both attacks aiming for the weak spot of its wings, the first one didn''t manage to slash right through it fully, but the second finished the job and cleanly sliced the wing off, causing the stone wing to hit the ground and crumble into tiny bits while any vitality within it instantly dissipated, returning to normal stone. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Almost instantly, after the wing crumbled, the monster stopped attacking Yuki and glared at me; just when he was about to lunge, Yuki powerfully stomped her food on the ground, causing the entire area to shake while the monster lost its balance and fell, prompting her to charge into the monster, though it must''ve sensed it''s death as it dodged out the way, yet it wasn''t fast enough since it''s second wing crumpled against Yuki''s shield. "Nice job, Yuki!" Yelled Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Yuki''s charging figure while lunging at the monster, which was doing the same. Once the of us got within striking distance, the monster rapidly slashed at me, its one-thousand points into agility being put to good use; however, mine was the same, and with my slowed perception, it couldn''t land a single hit on me, not to mention, mana was coursing through my body, greatly enhancing all of my physical capabilities. Slicing the monster''s hand off, I concentred a decent amount of mana in my throat as I used [Fire Breath]; opening my mouth, I spewed out blazing hot flames directly at the monster, forcing it to take a step back while it''s body slowly took on a slight reddish glow. Adding wind mana to the mix, the fire-spewing from my mouth suddenly jumped in ferocity as its reddish flames turned orangish, which forced the monster back even further while its whole body started to glow from the intense heat; however, my flames weren''t hot enough for the monster to start melting, I''m sure if I added more mana, I could achieve it, but I didn''t need to, after all, I had a partner. Suddenly closing my mouth, stopping the torrent of flames, I leaped into the air while doing a backflip over Yuki, who charged right at the monster; the monster tried to move, but, thanks to its scorching body, its actions were much slower, allowing Yuki''s shield to smash right into it while it''s body practically crumpled into numerous pieces as was strewn across the floor. Landing on both of my feet, earning a perfect ten from both Zartha and Trina, I sheathed them on my back and warily approached the pile of rocks since I wasn''t trying to be sneak attacked, as I could still see signs of life in the biggest piece of stone. "It''s still alive, Yuki; mind doing the honors? You did give the finishing blow after all." Asked Alexander as he turned and glanced at Yuki while reaching down, picking up the biggest stone, which happened to be half of the face of the monster that tried biting him. "No, it''s fine, you should have it. It''s your first time killing this guardian, and you performed exceptionally, much better than I predicted, honestly." Said Yuki with a slight smile as she removed her helmet, causing her words to resound through the cavern in her beautiful feminine voice while she shook her head. "Heh, well, I did tell you I wasn''t just an average F-rank adventurer. I do those gathering quests mainly because I like the peace, though are you sure you don''t mind, Yuki? We''re not in a party, so I''ll get all the experience, and that''s not really fair when you did a lot of work as well." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he moved some of his white hair before frowning and outstretching the hand holding the monster''s head to Yuki, who pushed it back to him. "It''s fine; I''ve killed that monster numerous times before; besides, it was on the weak side this time, so it won''t provide nearly as much experience. Though thanks, it''s rather rare for someone to offer up experience so willingly; that stuff is usually seen as more precious than gold to us Adventurers." Stated Yuki lightly as she glanced at the stone head in Alexander''s hand before smiling, displaying her four canines and sharp teeth, a sight that would frighten the average person, though to Alexander, that smile looked beautiful. "Alright, if you say, Yuki, just don''t come crying to me later." Said Alexander with a nod as he squinted his eyes at Yuki and turned around, whale protectively holding the stone head, causing her to laugh. Tossing the head into the air, I grabbed Zartha off my back and cleanly sliced right through its stone head, causing it to crumple and disintegrate into dust right as it touched the ground, along with the rest of the body. Putting Zartha away, I opened my status panel, curious to see if I had leveled up, and while I did, it was only four times, not nearly as much as I was hoping for, nor was it as much when I killed Orcus. ''Tsk, those leeches, taking all of my experience.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he looked at his party members, inwardly cruising to himself. Making a mental note to call Marlin so he could kick me out of the Gypsies since, right before Master''s passing, she gave leadership to Marlin, and as a member, there are only three ways for me to leave a party I''m part of. One, I die, which isn''t something I''ll ever plan on doing; two, I join another party, which will automatically kick me out of my current one, and I don''t really want to do that either; and lastly, the leader of said party kicks me out. Closing my status panel, I looked back at Yuki, curious if we would head deeper since I was still feeling quite good. "So, Ms. Leader, should we head deeper or not? We''re both feeling quite good and have no injuries." Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he approached Yuki and stood beside her, looking up at her side profile, which he found quite stunning. "Sure, but we''re not going to the tenth floor. I''ve fought the second guardian a few times before, but let''s just take it easy for today; this is your first time in this dungeon, after all." Replied Yuki with a nod as she put on her helmet and glanced at Alexander, who smirked, before turning and heading down the opening opposite where they entered from. Chapter 115: Monster Horde Walking beside Yuki, we took the pathway leading down to the sixth floor, and just like the previous floors, minus the fifth one, we were first met with a fork in the dungeon with several different paths to take, though Yuki didn''t think much about it and took the rightmost path, while I followed along. After a little bit of time had passed, the dungeon corridors were even larger than the previous flowers, causing me to raise an eye as my first thought was we''d be forced to face more enemies, though before I could ask Yuki, through the use of my [Heroes Gaze], I saw a gargoyle emerging from the wall to my left. It was a good deal smaller than the one Yuki and I just fought and also much slower, so when it arrived within striking distance, I swiftly unholstered Trina and slashed at the monster''s neck with such speed the gargoyle wasn''t even given enough time to dodge; however, considering how the gargoyle we previously fought was still alive after being destroyed into tiny bits, it might not have been a death blow. Either way, it seems my assumption was wrong since after I decapitated the gargoyle, its entire body crumbled into small stones right before my feet, alerting Yuki, who quickly looked behind her with her shields. "It''s fine; I just took care of it; though it did surprise me, I wasn''t expecting to start facing gargoyles." Remarked Alexander lightly as he looked at the stones at his feet before glancing at Yuki, unholstering Zartha, preparing for battle. "Gargoyle? They''re a rare find on the sixth floor, though they became increasingly more common the further we descend." Said Yuki with furrowed brows as she glanced at the dead monster before ignoring it and continuing forward while warily eyeing their surroundings. "Speaking of that, is it normal for us not to have encountered any other adventurers? There is almost always a small line outside the dungeon entrance every time I see it, so I expected to come across a few people, yet it''s been just you and I this entire time." Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Yuki while spotting a licker stalking them from above, only for him to launch a wind blade at it, yet to his surprise, it managed to leap out of the way. ''Eh, that''s weird.'' Mused Alexander as he attacked again with a wind blade by swinging one of his greatswords, yet the monster managed to dodge again. Confused as to why this licker was dodging something it shouldn''t have been able to, I inspected its status, only to stupidly hit my head as I launched a third [Wind Blade] at it, though, unlike the previous two times, I used more strength, causing it to try and dodge, but it wasn''t fast enough. ''Haa, I''m stupid; we''ve just beaten a guardian; of course, the monsters would receive a jump in strength. If I had to guess, it''s roughly 50% stronger than the lickers on the previous floors, still weaker than the gargoyle, but that''s still a massive jump in strength.'' Thought Alexander with furrowed brows as he eyed the monster''s corpse, which had fallen to the ground, before catching back up with Yuki. "I wouldn''t say normal, but it''s not uncommon to have an expedition into a dungeon and not encounter anyone; you''ve seen all the different pathways there are to take; like most dungeons, this place is like a labyrinthine, the only thing that''s stopping people from getting lost is that this dungeon is linear. If it weren''t for that, navigating this dungeon would be way hell of a lot harder and much more dangerous." Remarked Yuki seriously as she spotted a gargoyle lunge right at her, waiting for it to get close before powerfully swinging her shield at it, turning it into a pile of rocks instantly. "That''s good to know; my last dungeon was similar to this one, though it was significantly smaller, so there is that." Said Alexander with a nod as his ear twitched at the sound of shuffling feet and groaning around the tight corner. Turning the corner with Yuki, we instantly came to a halt as we were met with a wall of zombies blocking the path forward; given our statures, Yuki and I could see over them, but that didn''t help much since the horde of zombies seemed to continue for as far as the eye could see, not to mention numerous lickers were scaling the ceiling, along with even a few gargoyles lining the walls of the dungeons. To top it all off, there were a couple of massive zombies, and after a quick inspection of their status, I concluded they were elite monsters, which was the first time I''d seen any of them inside this dungeon. "Ugh, a monster horde, what luck." Said Yuki with a grunt of annoyance as she eyed the hundreds, possibly thousands of enemies, granted the zombies made up about ninety-six percent of them. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Mind telling me what a Monster horde is, Yuki?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he watched as the zombies, elite zombies, and lickers headed straight for them while the gargoyles waited until they were closer. "A Monster horde is simply a large group of various monsters that wander the floors between each floor guardian until they''re defeated; they''re rare to encounter and are very dangerous. If a small group like ours were to encounter one, it''s heavily recommended that they retreat and inform the Adventurer guild. However, this one is a small one, which most likely just formed, and it''s filled with only a few elite-class monsters; considering how we dealt with that floor guardian without sustaining a single injury, I think we can deal with this." Declared Yuki solemnly, slightly lowering her stance while flexing her muscles, causing them to push against her armor as she held her shields before her. "Sounds good to me; I was still holding back when I fought against that guardian; I didn''t use any of my really strong skills." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he injected mana into his greatswords, causing them to grow double in size, turning them into weapons befitting of a giant. Since it looked like it might be a tough fight, I used [Mana Enhancement] on my armor, which isn''t something I usually do, mainly because I haven''t fought against anything that''s forced me to use it yet, but now it seems like a pretty good time given the large number of enemies; following that, I infused mana into the rest of my body, significantly strengthening it as I glanced at Yuki, waiting for her to start the charge, which she did after a loud yell. Seeing her charge directly into the horde of monsters, I followed right behind her and slashed at her sides, killing several monsters with each swing of my greatswords. Passing by an elite zombie, I already knew of its powerful strength, so I used a good deal of my strength to slice right through its tough body, which was probably on par with the floor guardian; slicing its leg off, it fell to the ground while attacking me, prompting me to leap into the air while positioning Trina above me to block the attacks coming from the lickers. In the air, I swung Zartha down at the zombie''s neck, killing it as its large body lifelessly fell to the ground. "Eh, wait up, Yuki!" Yelled Alexander as he saw Yuki charging through the horde, leaving behind mangled bodies while he chased after her, killing everything that got in his way. ___ ___ While Alexander and Yuki were engaging in battle with a monster horde, their neighbor, Michelle, and her daughter, Chloe, had just arrived at a park within Hyphen, where their friends were waiting for them. ___ ___ "Alright, go off and play, dear, though be careful." Said Michelle lightly as she gently pushed Chloe, who nodded before running towards a group of children playing by the swings. Glancing at my daughter, I softly smiled, seeing her happy, before approaching the other mothers sitting at the bench, though when I arrived, I heard them talking about something that piqued my interest. "Oh, you should''ve seen him; he was so handsome and young, though most importantly, his member down there, even through clothes. Jacky and I saw it while he ran through the streets." Stated an older woman with a slightly perverted expression and a face of yearning as she glanced at the few other women. "The best part was, it was definitely not erect; I can''t imagine how massive it must be when standing proud. Oh, hey Michelle, you''ve arrived just in time. We''re talking about this young hunk Susan and I saw yesterday evening." Said Jacky, the woman sitting beside Susan, as she looked at the rest of the women, who all widened their eyes before glancing at Michelle sitting opposite her. "Oh my, a hunk? He''s probably not as good as the man I found, but what did he look like?" Asked Michelle with a faint smile as she and everyone else slightly leaned closer while looking at Susan with interest. "Jacky and I only got a brief look at him, but he was tall with darker skin, had shoulder-length white hair, broad shoulders, a muscular stature, and his manhood; never seen a human with such a big thing, it''s easily bigger than my husbands." Declared Susan with a smirk, her words causing the other woman to droll at their imagination while Michelle couldn''t help but frown. "Did you happen to see the color of his eyes?" Asked Michelle as she leaned back and opened her purse while Jacky responded. "Yeah, they were a mesmerizing purple; oh, I would love to see those eyes every day I woke up after I received a good pounding from him." "Heh, aren''t you a married woman, Jacky? You''re such a slut." "What? It''s not my fault my husband can no longer get it up; I''m still trying to see some action, and cheating a few times isn''t enough to satisfy me. I want a young, strong man to turn me into his bitch." Said Jacky defensively as she raised her hands into the air before lightly blushing with a perverted expression, causing the other woman to roll their eyes. "Anyways, you said you''ve found a hunk, Michelle. Do you mind telling us?" Added Jacky curiously as she and everyone else looked at Michelle. Rummaging through my purse, I looked through all the pictures I had of Alexander, as I had intended to show these to my friends, but ever since he met Chloe, I''ve been on the fence about the whole thing. "Huh? Oh, I was merely exaggerating; I didn''t expect you to find such a handsome young man. The person I found can''t even compare; you know, I like my men with a darker skin tone." Remarked Michelle with a fake expression, closing her purse and leaving the pictures of Alexander as she brushed aside her brown hair, revealing her pointy elven ears. Chapter 116: Eventful Day At The Office Punching a lunging Gargoyle in the chest, I flung the monster back and followed up with a [Void Slash], cutting it in half, while Yuki slammed her shield into it, finishing the job as its corpse crumbled into small rocks on the ground. With the last monster having been defeated, I flung all the grotesque bits of flesh off of my greatswords and burned the blood before holstering them on my back while approaching Yuki, who looked a little worse for wear. She wasn''t injured too much, her armor proving to be rather strong since even without infusing mana into it, it only sustains a few cuts; granted, there were a lot of dents from all the attacks she received from those elite zombies and gargoyles. "Haa, that was a good fight." Said Yuki in slight exhaustion while nodding as she leaned against the side of the wall and removed her helmet, displaying her sweaty face with a smile on it. "Yeah, I''m not someone who greatly enjoys partaking in battle, but that was quite fun. I wouldn''t mind doing that again; I could use the exercise." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Yuki before leaning against the wall beside her. "Exercise? You still look rather fine to me; I can''t spot a single bead of sweat on your face. How high must your endurance be not to be phased after such a battle?" Asked Yuki in curiosity as she turned and looked at Alexander, who mischievously smirked. "Heh, that''s my little secret, Yuki; though, maybe one day you''ll find out." Said Alexander as he made a shushing motion while Yuki just grunted before looking away, causing him to chuckle. "It must be in the thousands at the very minimum; I''ve got nearly 3,500 points in endurance, so you must have at least double mine. Not only that, you''re quite strong, pretty fast, and seem to have a great deal of mana to boot; you''re not a normal E-rank adventurer." Stated Yuki with a thoughtful expression as she inspected Alexander, who looked like he had just seen something incredible. "Hmm, what is it, Alexander?" Asked Yuki in confusion as she looked at Alexander''s astonished expression before turning around and eyeing the wall, only to spot nothing. "You said something intelligent, Yuki; I can''t believe it! Over the few weeks I''ve known you, I always assumed you were the strong yet stupid type; it seems I was mistaken." Remarked Alexander in fake shock as he looked at Yuki, who grunted in annoyance before suddenly charging him with her shield while he did something stupid and tried to stop it. Outstretching my arms, I used all of my strength, filled my body to the brim with mana, and even went so far as to use [Strength Augumentation], further increasing my strength as I attempted to stop Yuki''s charge, partly curious to see what it''s like on the receiving end of her charge, and well, let''s just, that was a mistake¡ªusing everything that could enhance my physical strength, except for [Lightning Cloak], which probably put my strength at around twice the norm, though that was pushing it a little in my opinion, It was probably around eighty percent, but I''ve never bothered to test it. The instant my hands came in contact with Yuki''s shield, it felt like I was trying to stop a freaking train. I could barely hold on for a second before she overpowered me and slammed me into the wall behind her. However, it barely hurt, mainly because she slowed down right before the impact; after all, she wasn''t actually trying to hurt me; if she were, I wouldn''t have dared to do something stupid like attempt to stop her charge. "Hehe, I yield, Yuki." Said Alexander with a slight chuckle while being squished between Yuki''s shield and the wall, though he stayed there for a few seconds longer despite his words. "Hmph, I''m not dumb; I often just don''t like to think deeply about things. If I were dumb, I probably would''ve been killed by now; every adventurer has to have at least some level of intelligence; otherwise, they''ll join a shady group for a dungeon expedition and not return alive. It nearly happened to me once, though I was lucky enough to notice something was off just before we entered the dungeon; unfortunately, the other person wasn''t so lucky." Declared Yuki with a huff as she released Alexander and glared at him, using this chance to teach him in a more indirect way, something he was able to discern. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Heh, well, thanks for the little lesson, Yuki, but I know. My Master was an adventurer, and she''s warned me many times that as an adventure, the most dangerous enemy isn''t your opponent, but you''re supposed ally." Remarked Alexander with a slight smile as he stretched his shoulders before approaching Yuki and knocking on her shields. "Hmm, I''ve heard you say many good things about this Master of your Alexander; I''m curious about meeting her someday to see if she''s really as amazing as you say." Said Yuki with a curious look as she glanced at Alexander, noticing his stiff expression, which became somewhat somber. "Oh, she''s far more amazing than I could ever describe her, though unfortunately, you''re a little bit too late; she passed away not too long ago; if not, you would''ve seen her right beside me, or we never would''ve met." Stated Alexander lightly while shaking his head, feeling rather downcasted. "I-I''m sorry, Alexander; I didn''t mean to bring up such a painful memory." Remarked Yuki apologetically as she looked at Alexander, patting him on the shoulder, slightly cheering him. "It''s fine; everyone has lost someone they''ve loved; similar to whenever you mentioned your Mother, I''ll always notice your eyes darken for a split second before they regain that dumb look in them." Replied Alexander with a small smile as he rested his hand on Yuki''s while looking up at her, only to smirk toward the end. "Hmph." Watching Yuki turn around and walk away, I couldn''t help but chuckle to myself; the pain about Master''s death was still there and will forever be there, but Talis, and now Yuki''s presence helped dampen it; for that, I''m thankful. ''I wonder, was that the reason why my heart wanted me to go to Hyphen? Was it for Yuki?'' Mused Alexander curiously as he tilted his head and looked at Yuki while walking right beside her, causing her to eye him in annoyance. While I was curious, I didn''t dwell on it for much longer; whether I was right or wrong wouldn''t change anything. "So, Yuki, are we still continuing?" Asked Alexander curiously as he placed his hands behind his head and glanced at Yuki, who snorted but still responded. "Yeah, why not; the biggest threat, the monster horde, has been dealt with, so the rest of the sixth floor will be relatively empty, with only a few monsters remaining; we might as well push forward, though we can''t exhaust ourselves too much. If the floor guardian happens to return, we''ll be forced to fight it; otherwise, we''ll be stuck down here." Replied Yuki with a nod as she put her helmet back on, causing her beautiful voice to turn deep halfway through her speech. ''Oh yeah, completely forget about the fact the floor guardian will be rebirthed or whatever. Eh, it was a pretty easy guardian, so we should be fine.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he shrugged his shoulders before unholstering his two greatswords. ___ ___ Entering the house after a pretty long day of fighting, I closed the door behind me and yawned, which prompted Yuki to do the same a few moments later. After defeating the monster horde, we went down to floor seven, and to our insane luck, we happened to encounter a second monster horde; I didn''t know exactly how rare they were, so I thought we were just unlucky, but apparently, monster hordes, in this dungeon at least, occur on average less than ten times a year. So yeah, we were incredibly unlucky to encounter not one but two monster hordes on the same day, and not only that, this monster horde was decently bigger than the previous one. Now, did we fight it? Yes. Should we have retreated? Yes. We happened to face not only numerous elite zombies, which weren''t too much of a threat, but we were also forced to fight elite lickers, and I''ll tell you what, they are far faster and decently stronger than their normal counterparts, only saving grace about his whole thing, was, there were no elite gargoyles, which would probably be as strong as the floor guardian, which wouldn''t have been good. In the end, after a long, arduous battle that lasted for nearly an hour, we emerged victorious, though we were looking pretty worse for wear; I was fine, all the harm I sustained had healed, and I did ensure to destroy any evidence of my blood, and thankfully, Yuki didn''t find out. I wouldn''t have killed her if she found out, but I''d prefer if that were to be kept secret. Yuki, on the other hand, also wasn''t too damaged, thanks to her impressive armor, though she was indeed incredibly exhausted, and I had to help her out of the dungeon. "Ugh, finally! I-I''m hungry, but I don''t even want to eat; I just want to sleep." Said Yuki wearily as she dropped her two great shields on the ground and flopped onto the bed, or she was, but Alexander caught her. "Your armor is stained in blood, Yuki; go change, and I''ll make something quick, okay?" Stated Alexander as he picked Yuki up and placed her on her feet, causing her to grumble; nonetheless, she followed his words and slowly walked upstairs. Chapter 117: Time Flies Believe it or not, but it''s been a few months since my first expedition within the graveyard dungeon with Yuki, and sometimes I still wake up from sleep thinking I''m in the forest, finding it a little hard to come to terms with what''s happened over the several months. Shortly after my first dungeon experience, I talked to Marlin, and although it was a little saddening, he removed me from the party, which meant all the experience I get for killing monsters would go solely to me, though now I was also no longer in a party; I had asked Yuki about creating one, but for some reason, she was against it, though I could tell it wasn''t because of me, which was a little relieving. Anyways, since Yuki refused and seemed to have a personal reason, I didn''t try to pressure her, not to mention neither of us knows how to create a party; I''ll probably need to call Marlin since he''s definitely the most knowledgeable person I know, after Master of course. ''So, we do not exist, Master?'' Remarked Trina with a frown as she folded her arms and looked at the sky while standing beside Zartha. "My apologies, oh great spirit artifact." Replied Alexander respectfully in a sarcastic tone as he rolled his eyes, one that Trina didn''t catch onto. ''Hmph, so long as you know, Master.'' Said Trina with a proud expression as she nodded while Zartha just shook her head, ignoring her sister''s antics. As it''s been a few months, my birthday happened to pass not too long ago; as a matter of fact, it occurred nine days ago; however, no one besides Talis and my two greatswords knew about it. I personally never cared whether my birthday was celebrated or not, but now, I''d probably like to forget it as it was the day when Master and I no longer had a simple master and disciple relationship, so it brought pleasant memories, which quickly turned into bitter ones with the passing of Master. Moving away from the sad stuff, I''ve gotten decently stronger ever since our expeditions into the dungeon, which we do on average about four or five times a week, depending on how Yuki is feeling really, since, well, I heal from most wounds almost immediately. Speaking of the Dungeon, the two of us ended up defeating the second-floor guardian on the tenth floor, which turned out to be a licker, which just happened to be several times stronger than normal ones; it was substantially stronger than the first one, and while I wouldn''t it was a life and death battle, it was challenging. I still do think I could''ve beaten it on my own, considering when I fought alongside Yuki, I never bothered to use my strongest offensive skill, [Lightning Cloak], since I didn''t think I needed to, but even if I fought the Licker, I have a feeling it would be a pretty close battle, and I wouldn''t be surprised if I lost a limb or two during the battle, which would be fine as [Rebirth], was no longer on cooldown, so even if I ended up dying, I''d come back at peak condition. ''Haa, that''s really a cheat skill, though I''m glad I have it.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smile as he lay in bed, glancing at Talis sleeping in her hanging bird nest before quietly leaving. I hadn''t had a run-in with the Firemania, thankfully, and it seems no one even bothered to question the disappearance of their member, which led me to believe they didn''t care since they most definitely knew he died. However, I have seen their party a few times, and every time, the leader always gave Yuki and I an angry glare; this entire time, I''ve really just been waiting for them to do so something as I knew they would; their intentions can''t escape my eyes. ''I just hope it''s nothing crazy, and it''s at most a fight; with Rebirth off cooldown, I''m no longer scared to confront them in battle, but I''d still prefer not to.'' Thought Alexander as he put on clothes from his wardrobe before silently leaving the room and quietly heading downstairs. Oh, another good thing about exploring dungeons is the money we get from selling monster materials; it''s quite a lot of money, and with Yuki and I, it''s enough to buy food without worrying about going bankrupt, though, I still take the occasionally gathering quest, simply because I do enjoy the peace and tranquility it provides. Stolen novel; please report. "Besides, I like to spend some quality time with Talis." Muttered Alexander with a small smile as he entered the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. It was still relatively early in the morning, but it was Saturday, so everyone slept in a little bit more than usual, which meant I could take my time and not rush as I cooked nearly eight pounds of food. Once I finished cooking eggs, bacon, and waffles, I left the stove on to keep it warm as I left the house since, unfortunately, Michelle was still blackmailing me, and her Husband wasn''t home today. Regarding our relationship, I''ve been trying to improve it to the point where she''ll stop blackmailing me into being her personal prostitute, but I don''t know whether that''s been working or not; though, I''d be lying to myself if I said I wasn''t as against being sexually intimate with her compared to before. I''ve had the opportunity to meet her Husband once, and let''s just say he wasn''t the nicest man by a mile; he and Michelle also seem to argue a lot whenever they''re home, usually about him going to brothels and whatnot, but it never did get physical between them, so that''s good. ''Which is slightly confusing to me. I know Michelle isn''t the most gorgeous-looking woman, but she''s definitely beautiful, not to mention her plump and voluptuous body.'' Thought Alexander as he walked toward Michelle''s house, entering her front yard. Michelle was an Elf, yet despite them usually having a rather lithe body, she was the complete opposite; her body was the definition of a genuine milf. She had large yet firm breasts despite them being so big and perky pink nipples, which I''ve gotten the pleasure to play with; her waist is slim yet is also slightly pudgy, something I find to be incredibly arousing since you can firmly grasp her waist. Her butt was also large, just like her breasts, and her thighs were unbelievably meaty, and if I''m being honest, probably the sexiest thing about her. Add all that together and coupled with her bashful demeanor, she''s one of the sexiest women I''ve laid eyes on, and as the days go by, it''s getting harder and harder to keep my hands to myself, after every session with her, I go home to try and release all my pent up lust, but that never works; I simply can''t cum if it''s not from a woman. "I think I lean more towards butts than breasts, but as a man, I love them both." Muttered Alexander with a nod while smiling as he knocked on the door, patiently waiting. ''We know, Master; we can see everything you see, including all the disturbing acts you''ve done with your Master.'' Said Zartha coldly as she opened her eyes and looked towards the sky while Trina nodded in agreement. ''Hmph, I''ve got nothing to be ashamed about, Zartha; I did all those things with Master because I loved everything about her; besides, her whole body tasted good, so what would you expect.'' Remarked Alexander with a huff as he crossed his arms, standing firmly on his decision while Zartha merely rolled her eyes in silence. A few minutes later, Michelle opened the door, though I could tell with one look that she seemed quite exhausted, not physically, but mentally. "Ah, Alexander, you''re here; perfect timing; I could use something to relieve the tension." Said Michelle with a slightly forced smile as she grabbed Alexander''s hand and pulled him inside, quickly taking him upstairs to her room. "Yeah, I could imagine; I could hear you and your Husband arguing last night before he stormed out of the house. Did you catch him cheating again?" Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he closed and locked the door behind him. "Chloe isn''t here, so you don''t need to lock the door, and yes, yesterday I caught him entering a brothel. Though it''s happened so many times I hardly even care anymore, I was more angry at the fact that he spent the day at the brothel rather than with his own daughter, whom he hadn''t seen in over a month!" Remarked Michelle, sitting on the bed with a defeated expression, which quickly turned into anger as she glanced at a picture of her and her Husband, only to scoff right after. "I''m not a relationship expert, but have you tried speaking with him rather than arguing?" Asked Alexander in uncertainty as he sat beside Michelle and looked at her, his words prompting her to snort in anger. "Yes, though it doesn''t work since he''ll just go ahead and do what he wants the next day. I''ve never even loved him from the beginning since our parents arranged our marriage, so I wouldn''t mind if he were a terrible husband, but he should at least be a good father." Stated Michelle with a nod as she reached forward and grabbed a picture of her and her Husband on their wedding day before handing it to Alexander. ''Yeap, the two are definitely faking smiles.'' Mused Alexander as he looked at the picture, in which the Husband looked much younger while Michelle looked precisely the same. Chapter 118: A Date? "Well, at least you look good in this picture; you don''t look to have aged a day." Remarked Alexander lightly as he set the photo back on the nightstand before glancing at Michelle, who faintly smiled. "I''m an Elf; we have a much longer lifespan than you humans; it''ll take more than some years to notice a change in my appearance, though, thanks." Replied Michelle with a nod as she brushed her brown hair aside, revealing her pointy ears, an Elves sensitive spot. "You''re welcome, Michelle; though, if you believe your husband is being a terrible father, why not divorce him? At least that way, you can leave him and hopefully find another man who will at least treat you and Chloe better." Asked Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow, while Michelle crossed her arms underneath her large breasts before sighing. "I''ve been thinking about it, but as I''ve said before, my daughter comes first, and my ''husband'' provides the necessary money for her to live comfortably. If I were to divorce him, we''d be kicked out onto the street and have nowhere to stay; if that happened, we wouldn''t be able to live in Hyphen; it''s too expensive for someone like me, who is only good at farming and being a housewife." Remarked Michelle with a frustrated expression as she sarcastically referred to her husband, before sighing again. "Besides, I can''t just divorce him so easily; my husband''s father was an adventurer, and he happened to save my parent''s life a few decades ago, and although he''s now dead, my parents won''t allow me to divorce him so easily." Added Michelle with an unsightly expression while rubbing her head. "A few decades ago? Well, your husband is in his mid 40''s." Said Alexander before nodding in understanding. "So, you''re essentially stuck between a rock and a hard place?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Michelle, who sighed again before nodding. "Yes, and that''s why your timing is perfect; I need someone to relieve my pent-up stress. My husband never bothers to touch me, always saying I''m too fat and ugly, though that doesn''t seem to be the case for you, Alexander; you always get rock-hard without even needing to do anything." Remarked Michelle with a bashful smirk as she leaned onto Alexander, pressing her large breasts against his chest while placing her hand on his crotch, which started to harden quickly. "W-Well, I can''t really help it. Your husband may call you fat, but I think your curves are splendid; I''m honestly always a little confused as to why your husband chooses to sleep with those prostitutes over you. When I learned your husband never has sex with you, I thought he was impotent." Replied Alexander with a small smile as he deeply inhaled Michelle''s womanly scent, further increasing his lust while he tried to retrain himself, though he was already softly groping her large breasts through her clothes. "~Ahh~, it seems like a young man such as yourself can see the charm of a housewife." Said Michelle with a deep blush, greedily licking her lips while rubbing Alexander''s massive shaft through his clothes as he softly fondled her breasts, only to suddenly stand up and retreat. Seeing Michelle retreat, I quickly composed myself after I realized I was getting a little too into it, but I couldn''t help but give her a confused look since I''m almost always the one who backs away when things get a little too intimate. "It''s a Saturday, and Chloe is sleeping over at one of her friends'' houses, and you usually don''t do anything on Saturday, so I''ve prepared something nice for us. Return in 15 minutes, and make sure you''re wearing something decently nice." Stated Michelle with a smirk as she grabbed Alexander''s hand and led him out of the room before closing the door and flashing one last smile. Standing outside Michelle''s room, I was confused about what the heck had just happened, but after a few seconds, I shrugged my shoulders and decided not to think about it too much as I turned around and walked down the stairs while trying to suppress my raging lust, which is proving difficult. ''Ugh, why am I so lustful? Tsk, stupid High-Human.'' Thought Alexander in frustration and annoyance as he grumbled under his breath before exiting the house and heading towards Yuki''s. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Entering Yuki''s house, I saw her sitting at the dining table, eating, while Talis was nowhere to be found, though she was either already flying outside or still sleeping, one or the other. "Where were you at, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at Alexander while stuffing her face full of food, something he''d gotten very used to after living with her for a couple of months. "I was just visiting the neighbors, you know, like the usual." Replied Alexander lightly as he stretched a little while walking up the stairs, though his words caused Yuki to frown slightly before shrugging her shoulders and continuing to eat. Entering my room, I spotted Talis still sleeping in her birdnest, which made me as quiet as possible as I searched through my wardrobe, grabbing some of my nicer looking clothes, which were really just jeans, a white T-shirt, and a jean-jacket, not that nice, but the nicest clothes I''ve got. Tying my hair into a small ponytail, I looked at myself in the mirror, and I couldn''t help but whistle in awe at what I saw. "I''m not narcissistic, but I''m pretty freaking sexy; what do you two think?" Asked Alexander softly as she stared at himself in the mirror while two strands of his white hair hung from his sides. ''Yeap, Master is super handsome!'' Said Trina with heart-shaped eyes and a lovely expression as she gazed at the clear sky, looking through Alexander''s eyes. ''If I had a physical body, I''d sleep with you.'' Stated Zartha practically emotionlessly as she faintly smirked before closing her eyes. "Thanks, Trina, and I appreciate the directness, Zartha. I, too, wish you had a physical body." Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he slightly shook his head; was that from Zartha''s words or pity at the fact that she didn''t have a physical body? "Haa, w-where are you going, Alex?" Asked Talis with a yawn as she woke from her slumber, standing up and spreading her wings before floating to Alexander''s shoulder. "Don''t know, I''m just planning to head out; nice sleep?" Said Alexander as he left the room and headed downstairs, causing Talis to snap her eyes open at the delicious smell wafting through the air. "Did you cook breakfast?" Asked Talis with a hungry expression as she looked at the kitchen, eyeing Yuki while Alexander nodded. "Yes, eggs, bacon, and waffles; you better get some before Yuki eats everything. You know she will." Remarked Alexander with a slight smirk, prompting Talis to swiftly fly toward Yuki. "Hey! That''s my food, Talis; get your own; there''s some right there!" Yelled Yuki angrily as she protectively covered her plate while glaring at Talis. "There''s barely anything left! I''m also hungry!" Replied Talis furiously as she stared at Yuki, who only heard loud, aggressive chirps. "No! Stop snatching my food! Come back here, you stupid bird!" Yelled Yuki angrily as she ran after Talis, who was flying through the house after stealing some of her food. Watching those two behave, I had two options: try to stop them or leave this house and pretend I didn''t see anything. ''That''s a no-brainer; hopefully, the place isn''t destroyed when I return.'' Mused Alexander with a nod as he turned around and left the house without looking back, the sound of chirping and yelling resounding through the house. Leaving the house, I headed over to Michelle''s house, entered inside as it was already unlocked, and patiently waited in the living room for her to come downstairs, which took longer than it should''ve; an extra fifteen minutes before I heard the door open. Looking at the stairs, when I saw Michelle walk down, I was a little taken aback by how stunning she looked; I''d only ever seen her in house clothes or with fewer clothes on, so seeing her wear a blue dress that hugged her body and flowers in her hair, wasn''t what I had expected. ''My goodness, her thighs.'' Thought Alexander, audibly gulping while eyeing Michelle''s juicy thighs as she walked down the stairs. "How do I look, Alexander?" Asked Michelle bashfully as she brushed her hair to one side while rolling up her dress, giving Alexander a better view of her thighs, something she''s learned he loves. "Gorgeous; so, where are you going? On a date or something?" Questioned Alexander with a nod as he stood up and approached Michelle, who fixed her appearance. "Yes, we''ll be going on a date, and you''ll be posing as my lover, so make sure to treat me as such." Stated Michelle with a faint smile as she walked towards the exit while Alexander followed her. "Well, I''m going to go on ahead; I don''t want the other neighbors to know of our relationship." Said Alexander emphasising the word relationship while eyeing Michelle, who simply smiled. Exiting the house first, I looked around and dashed away, hopping over the fence before leaving the narrow street while passing a few people; once I arrived at the end, I just waited for Michelle, which took a few minutes, but she eventually arrived. "Dear, aren''t you looking lovely today?" Said Alexander with a happy tone as he held his arm out for Michelle, causing her to chuckle with a smile. "Fufu, and you as well; so where are we going?" Remarked Michelle with a smile as she placed Alexander''s arm between her large breasts and leaned into his side, truly looking like a pair of lovers while they walked down the street. Chapter 118: A Date? "Well, at least you look good in this picture; you don''t look to have aged a day." Remarked Alexander lightly as he set the photo back on the nightstand before glancing at Michelle, who faintly smiled. "I''m an Elf; we have a much longer lifespan than you humans; it''ll take more than some years to notice a change in my appearance, though, thanks." Replied Michelle with a nod as she brushed her brown hair aside, revealing her pointy ears, an Elves sensitive spot. "You''re welcome, Michelle; though, if you believe your husband is being a terrible father, why not divorce him? At least that way, you can leave him and hopefully find another man who will at least treat you and Chloe better." Asked Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow, while Michelle crossed her arms underneath her large breasts before sighing. "I''ve been thinking about it, but as I''ve said before, my daughter comes first, and my ''husband'' provides the necessary money for her to live comfortably. If I were to divorce him, we''d be kicked out onto the street and have nowhere to stay; if that happened, we wouldn''t be able to live in Hyphen; it''s too expensive for someone like me, who is only good at farming and being a housewife." Remarked Michelle with a frustrated expression as she sarcastically referred to her husband, before sighing again. "Besides, I can''t just divorce him so easily; my husband''s father was an adventurer, and he happened to save my parent''s life a few decades ago, and although he''s now dead, my parents won''t allow me to divorce him so easily." Added Michelle with an unsightly expression while rubbing her head. "A few decades ago? Well, your husband is in his mid 40''s." Said Alexander before nodding in understanding. "So, you''re essentially stuck between a rock and a hard place?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Michelle, who sighed again before nodding. "Yes, and that''s why your timing is perfect; I need someone to relieve my pent-up stress. My husband never bothers to touch me, always saying I''m too fat and ugly, though that doesn''t seem to be the case for you, Alexander; you always get rock-hard without even needing to do anything." Remarked Michelle with a bashful smirk as she leaned onto Alexander, pressing her large breasts against his chest while placing her hand on his crotch, which started to harden quickly. "W-Well, I can''t really help it. Your husband may call you fat, but I think your curves are splendid; I''m honestly always a little confused as to why your husband chooses to sleep with those prostitutes over you. When I learned your husband never has sex with you, I thought he was impotent." Replied Alexander with a small smile as he deeply inhaled Michelle''s womanly scent, further increasing his lust while he tried to retrain himself, though he was already softly groping her large breasts through her clothes. "~Ahh~, it seems like a young man such as yourself can see the charm of a housewife." Said Michelle with a deep blush, greedily licking her lips while rubbing Alexander''s massive shaft through his clothes as he softly fondled her breasts, only to suddenly stand up and retreat. Seeing Michelle retreat, I quickly composed myself after I realized I was getting a little too into it, but I couldn''t help but give her a confused look since I''m almost always the one who backs away when things get a little too intimate. "It''s a Saturday, and Chloe is sleeping over at one of her friends'' houses, and you usually don''t do anything on Saturday, so I''ve prepared something nice for us. Return in 15 minutes, and make sure you''re wearing something decently nice." Stated Michelle with a smirk as she grabbed Alexander''s hand and led him out of the room before closing the door and flashing one last smile. Standing outside Michelle''s room, I was confused about what the heck had just happened, but after a few seconds, I shrugged my shoulders and decided not to think about it too much as I turned around and walked down the stairs while trying to suppress my raging lust, which is proving difficult. ''Ugh, why am I so lustful? Tsk, stupid High-Human.'' Thought Alexander in frustration and annoyance as he grumbled under his breath before exiting the house and heading towards Yuki''s. Stolen novel; please report. Entering Yuki''s house, I saw her sitting at the dining table, eating, while Talis was nowhere to be found, though she was either already flying outside or still sleeping, one or the other. "Where were you at, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at Alexander while stuffing her face full of food, something he''d gotten very used to after living with her for a couple of months. "I was just visiting the neighbors, you know, like the usual." Replied Alexander lightly as he stretched a little while walking up the stairs, though his words caused Yuki to frown slightly before shrugging her shoulders and continuing to eat. Entering my room, I spotted Talis still sleeping in her birdnest, which made me as quiet as possible as I searched through my wardrobe, grabbing some of my nicer looking clothes, which were really just jeans, a white T-shirt, and a jean-jacket, not that nice, but the nicest clothes I''ve got. Tying my hair into a small ponytail, I looked at myself in the mirror, and I couldn''t help but whistle in awe at what I saw. "I''m not narcissistic, but I''m pretty freaking sexy; what do you two think?" Asked Alexander softly as she stared at himself in the mirror while two strands of his white hair hung from his sides. ''Yeap, Master is super handsome!'' Said Trina with heart-shaped eyes and a lovely expression as she gazed at the clear sky, looking through Alexander''s eyes. ''If I had a physical body, I''d sleep with you.'' Stated Zartha practically emotionlessly as she faintly smirked before closing her eyes. "Thanks, Trina, and I appreciate the directness, Zartha. I, too, wish you had a physical body." Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he slightly shook his head; was that from Zartha''s words or pity at the fact that she didn''t have a physical body? "Haa, w-where are you going, Alex?" Asked Talis with a yawn as she woke from her slumber, standing up and spreading her wings before floating to Alexander''s shoulder. "Don''t know, I''m just planning to head out; nice sleep?" Said Alexander as he left the room and headed downstairs, causing Talis to snap her eyes open at the delicious smell wafting through the air. "Did you cook breakfast?" Asked Talis with a hungry expression as she looked at the kitchen, eyeing Yuki while Alexander nodded. "Yes, eggs, bacon, and waffles; you better get some before Yuki eats everything. You know she will." Remarked Alexander with a slight smirk, prompting Talis to swiftly fly toward Yuki. "Hey! That''s my food, Talis; get your own; there''s some right there!" Yelled Yuki angrily as she protectively covered her plate while glaring at Talis. "There''s barely anything left! I''m also hungry!" Replied Talis furiously as she stared at Yuki, who only heard loud, aggressive chirps. "No! Stop snatching my food! Come back here, you stupid bird!" Yelled Yuki angrily as she ran after Talis, who was flying through the house after stealing some of her food. Watching those two behave, I had two options: try to stop them or leave this house and pretend I didn''t see anything. ''That''s a no-brainer; hopefully, the place isn''t destroyed when I return.'' Mused Alexander with a nod as he turned around and left the house without looking back, the sound of chirping and yelling resounding through the house. Leaving the house, I headed over to Michelle''s house, entered inside as it was already unlocked, and patiently waited in the living room for her to come downstairs, which took longer than it should''ve; an extra fifteen minutes before I heard the door open. Looking at the stairs, when I saw Michelle walk down, I was a little taken aback by how stunning she looked; I''d only ever seen her in house clothes or with fewer clothes on, so seeing her wear a blue dress that hugged her body and flowers in her hair, wasn''t what I had expected. ''My goodness, her thighs.'' Thought Alexander, audibly gulping while eyeing Michelle''s juicy thighs as she walked down the stairs. "How do I look, Alexander?" Asked Michelle bashfully as she brushed her hair to one side while rolling up her dress, giving Alexander a better view of her thighs, something she''s learned he loves. "Gorgeous; so, where are you going? On a date or something?" Questioned Alexander with a nod as he stood up and approached Michelle, who fixed her appearance. "Yes, we''ll be going on a date, and you''ll be posing as my lover, so make sure to treat me as such." Stated Michelle with a faint smile as she walked towards the exit while Alexander followed her. "Well, I''m going to go on ahead; I don''t want the other neighbors to know of our relationship." Said Alexander emphasising the word relationship while eyeing Michelle, who simply smiled. Exiting the house first, I looked around and dashed away, hopping over the fence before leaving the narrow street while passing a few people; once I arrived at the end, I just waited for Michelle, which took a few minutes, but she eventually arrived. "Dear, aren''t you looking lovely today?" Said Alexander with a happy tone as he held his arm out for Michelle, causing her to chuckle with a smile. "Fufu, and you as well; so where are we going?" Remarked Michelle with a smile as she placed Alexander''s arm between her large breasts and leaned into his side, truly looking like a pair of lovers while they walked down the street. Chapter 119: Mimosa Restaurant ¡°Hmm? Where are we going? Why are you asking me that? You¡¯re the one who orchestrated this date; I was expecting you to have a general idea already.¡± Replied Alexander with a curious expression as he looked down at Michelle to his right, enjoying the feeling of her large breasts suffocating his arm. ¡°True, but aren¡¯t you a man, Alexander? I may be the one in charge, but act dominant for once, will you? Lead me around like the man you are; after all, you¡¯re very nice, so you must have a more aggressive, dominant side to you; show it for once, will you?¡± Remarked Michelle lightly with a nod, staring at Alexander before leaning onto him, resting her head against his muscular arm while he sighed. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re so eager to see my dominant side, I¡¯ll humor you, Michelle.¡± Said Alexander as he begrudgingly nodded, only to remove his arm from the heaven that was called Michelle¡¯s cleavage before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and hugging her tighter than before while her breasts squished up against his torso. ¡°Heh, there, how about that Michelle? Is this better?¡± Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he boldly rested his hand atop her breasts while publicly walking through the street, garnering a couple of glances at their intimacy. ¡°Oh my, so bold, but yes, I quite like this.¡± Stated Michelle with a slight blush of embarrassment while she nestled right beside his warm body. ¡°Since I¡¯m now the one running the date, let¡¯s go somewhere; I¡¯ve been interested. I was planning on taking Yuki instead, but I can use this as a test run.¡± Remarked Alexander with a small smile as he suddenly took a left while walking down the main street, taking a minor street as he headed west toward the commercial district. ¡°Ho? You¡¯re on a date with me, and you¡¯re talking about another woman, also intending to take her on a date no less; I don¡¯t know whether to be impressed or annoyed at your boldness.¡± Said Michelle with a fake angry expression as she pinched Alexander''s waist, while he just rolled his eyes before groping her breast through the dress she was wearing, causing her to release a soft squeal. ¡°First off, it wasn¡¯t meant to be as a date, merely a friendly outing between, and we just so happened to be a man and woman; besides, we¡¯ve been living together for a couple of months, if something were going to happen, it would¡¯ve happened by now. Secondly, why can¡¯t I speak about another woman? You wanted to be dominant, so tell me, what¡¯s more dominant than a man with multiple women?¡± Stated Alexander with a shake of his head while gently squeezing Michelle¡¯s breast before suddenly smirking as he released his hand, causing it to return to its previous position of resting atop her breast. ¡°Haa, y-you¡¯re not wrong, but could you really call yourself a man with multiple women without having at least a three-some?¡± Asked Michelle with a nod and a blushed face as she sighed in relief while she fixed her dress before looking up at Alexander, only to see his smirk deepen. ¡°Been there, done that; just because I¡¯m young and don''t wish to do it with a married woman doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m inexperienced. I wouldn¡¯t arrogantly proclaim I¡¯m some sort of veteran, not when I know Lily, but I¡¯ve been around the block several times, so I¡¯m pretty confident.¡± Declared Alexander proudly as he held his head up high, causing Michelle to softly scoff while shaking her head. ¡°Okay, fair, but you just mentioned Yuki. Who is this Lily?¡± Asked Michelle curiously while walking through the bustling street, in awe at how easily and unhindered they were moving. ¡°She¡¯s my Master Aunt or Aunt Master; she¡¯s pretty much the sister of my Master. I happened to do it with her and a very close friend of hers, and let¡¯s just say we didn¡¯t leave the room for two full days. Oh, and did I add she was a Succubus?¡± Replied Alexander as he dismissively waved his hand while smiling before suddenly smirking towards the end, causing Michelle to slightly widen her eyes, looking at him in a new light. ¡°A Succubus? Tell me, what was it like?¡± Asked Michelle in intrigue as she gazed up at Alexander, causing him to cough awkwardly while looking away. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It was great, amazing even; so wonderful that I may or may not have passed out almost immediately after we started having sex.¡± Said Alexander as he awkwardly looked away while Michelle just looked up at him in disbelief. ¡°You have the audacity to say you¡¯ve had a three-some, yet you didn¡¯t even get to actually experience it; ridiculous.¡± Remarked Michelle as she shook her head in disappointment while Alexander tried his best to regain his dignity. ¡°Hey, my body experienced it; it just made the decision that it was too amazing for my mind and forced me to sleep, a defensive mechanism.¡± Stated Alexander as he looked down at Michelle, who ignored his words and hummed a melody, causing him to groan in defeat. ¡®Hmph, it was still a three-some.¡¯ Mused Alexander as he nodded to himself, causing Zartha to roll her eyes while Trina just sighed at Alexander¡¯s antics ___ ___ Standing in front of the two-story tall restaurant, Michelle and I looked up at the sign while inhaling the smell wafting out from the building whenever someone left. ¡°Mimosa Restaurant? This is where you planned to take us?¡± Asked Michelle as she looked at the sign, which was written in cursive, before glancing at Alexander, who nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard from a few colleagues that this place was pretty good; it apparently has the best noodles in all of Hyphen. Why? Don¡¯t like it?¡± Replied Alexander with a slight smile as he observed the restaurant using his magnificent eyes before curiously glancing at Michelle, who shook her head. ¡°No, just a little curious, though I¡¯ve heard this place is pretty expensive. I know you¡¯re an Adventurer, but do you have enough money? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got some spare coins lying somewhere in this purse.¡± Said Michelle before giving Alexander a look of concern as she opened her purse, rummaging around though it was promptly taken from her hands. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got enough money, and you¡¯re not paying, Michelle. What man would allow their woman to pay for their meals?¡± Declared Alexander with a slightly stern expression as he eyed Michelle, who blushed and meekly nodded while he wore her purse on his shoulder. ¡°However, if we happen to ever go as friends, you¡¯re paying.¡± Added Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Michelle while walking toward the restaurant, causing her to chuckle softly in amusement. Entering the building, we were met with a red carpet that led right toward a small lobby, which was precisely where we went; seeing the desk was empty, I was about to knock on it, but before I could, someone came. ¡°Sorry about that, sir, ma''am; I was taking a bathroom break. Anyways, welcome to Mimosa; I assume you two want a table rather than making a reservation?¡± Stated the beautiful young elven woman as she looked at Alexander and Michelle. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ms; though yes, we¡¯d like a table.¡± Replied Alexander with a slight smile as he nodded and looked at the elven woman, who adorned a faint blush while looking at him, causing Michelle to subtly frown. ¡°Alright, Sir. However, would you like a table upstairs?¡± Asked the young woman with a slight smile as she moved from behind the desk and started walking deeper into the restaurant while Alexander and Michelle followed from behind. Hearing the woman, I used [Heroes Gaze] and looked up, looking through the ceiling and eyeing the second floor; what I saw was much nicer and less compacted than the first floor, not like it was either of those, to begin with. Though each table was much more isolated, and considering we¡¯re on a date, that seems like the better option. ¡®Probably more expensive as well, but that should be fine; thanks to all those dungeon expeditions, I¡¯ve made quite a good chunk of money, so I don¡¯t mind splurging a little. Especially if it means I can finally get my hands on those photos she has of me.¡¯ Thought Alexander with a nod as he looked back at the woman while his eyes returned to normal. ¡°Yes, please; she¡¯s not the best in public settings.¡± Replied Alexander with a nod while rubbing Michelle''s shoulder, causing her to roll her eyes though she stayed quiet. ¡°Hehe, I understand; right this way, please.¡± Said the woman with a slight chuckle as she continued walking before making a left and heading up a flight of stairs. Following behind the woman, we arrived at the second floor before she eventually led us to our table, which was in the corner of the room, very isolated from everyone else, while also giving us a window to look out into the street below. ¡°Thank you, Ms.¡± Said Alexander with a slight smile as he sat down while Michelle nodded before sitting opposite of him. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, and a chef shall be with you shortly.¡± Said the woman while smiling as she glanced at Michelle before looking at Alexander, doing so for a little longer, though she eventually left. ¡°Heh, seems you¡¯re considered quite handsome among the masses.¡± Remarked Michelle with a raised eyebrow as she watched the woman disappear before folding her arms and looking at Alexander, who was smirking. ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s all natural.¡± Replied Alexander with a fake narcissistic smirk as he flipped his shoulder-length white hair, causing Michelle to shake her head. Chapter 121: Chef Vestalis & Chef Pou "Eh, only pretty good? Are you sure we ate the same food?" Asked Michelle skeptically as she glanced at Alexander, yet before he could respond, a certain chef walked right past the table they were sitting at. Nodding, I was about to respond, but before I could, one of the chefs happened to walk by our table, only to suddenly freeze as he mechanically turned and eyed me like a robot; it was a little weird if I was being honest. "What did you say, young man?" Asked the Chef as he dropped the tray he was carrying, which had a few plates of food, onto the ground before walking forward and leaning on the table while intently eyeing Alexander. "U-Um, I-I said the food was good, not great?" Replied Alexander lightly with an uncertain tone while slightly confused as he leaned back a little, glancing at the older-looking Chef My response didn''t seem to please him, as he glanced at the empty bowls on our table before looking back at me, his gaze hardening. "Lean Pou Noodles; who prepared your dish?" Asked the CChef sternly as he intensely glared at Alexander, slightly freaking him out. "Chef Lamick." Said Alexander as he observed the Chef, whose frown only intensified. "Chef Lamick is one of my best Chefs and prepared Lean Pou Noodles second only to me." Remarked the Chef with furrowed brows as he looked at Alexander before glancing at the empty bowls, constantly switching his gaze between the two. "Um, excuse me, sir or Chef, but who are you?" Asked Michelle lightly as she tapped Chef''s shoulder, causing him to straighten his appearance while introducing himself with a pose. "I''m Chef Pou, owner of Mimosa Restaurant and the creator of the Lean Pou Noodles." Declared Pou with a proud expression, his words slightly shocking the two. "You''re the creator of Lean Pou Noodles? Well, I''d like to formally thank you for creating such a tasty dish, Sir Pou; one of the best, if not the very best, dish I''ve ever had." Stated Michelle respectfully with a smile as she shook hands with Pou, who reciprocated with a faint smile. "My pleasure, as a Chef, it''s always a welcome sight to see customers enjoying my dishes; however, it seems you''re partner doesn''t think the same." Said Pou with a nod as he shook hands with Michelle before frowning and glaring at Alexander, who wryly smiled in response. "I never said that, Chef Pou; the dish was good; it just wasn''t as good as it could be." Declared Alexander lightly with an awkward smile, though his words didn''t please Pou one bit; if anything, it only angered him further. "Hmph, if that''s how you truly think; wait right here, I''ll personally cook a bowl of Lean Pou Noodles." Stated Pou with a stern expression as he glared at Alexander before walking away, completely ignoring the mess he had made earlier. I was going to stop him, as I saw no need to do that, but I eventually didn''t; not only was he walking away rather fast, but as a Chef myself, I knew I had just challenged his dignity as a chef, and it would be rude not to allow him the opportunity to prove himself. ''Haa, that''s thirty silver down the drain; fuck my life.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he sighed to himself while resting his head on his hands, which were propped up on the table. ''Language, Master.'' Said Trina seriously as she placed her hands on her hips while staring at the sky, her childish voice slightly amusing Alexander. "If we get banned from this restaurant because of you, I''ll spread those pictures across Hyphen, Alexander." Stated Michelle seriously as she glared at Alexander, who just rolled his eyes, not even bothering to respond. Ignoring Michelle''s fake threat, the two of us quietly waited for about another twenty or so minutes, and during that time, someone did happen to finally come and clean up that mess, which kind of made me annoyed with Chef Pou since so much food was just wasted. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ''If Talis were here, she''d gladly eat that; hell, I wouldn''t even put it past Yuki to do that; she''s really like a vacuum. Actually, now that I think about it, I don''t think I''ve ever seen her get full.'' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression while looking at the ceiling, only for his nose to twitch at the scent of something delicious. Looking to my right, I saw Chef Pou walk towards our table while holding a small bowl of steaming hot Lean Pou Noodles, and just from the scent alone, I knew I was dealing with a truly experienced Chef. "One serving of Lean Pou Noodles, made personally by Chef Pou himself. Enjoy." Stated Chef Pou pridefully as he placed the bowl on the table, causing Michelle to lick her lips hungrily. "I was just full, but I think I''ve made a little more room in my stomach." Muttered Michelle with a small smile as she grabbed her fork, dipping it in the bowl and twisting it, only to remove the utensil, which was covered in hot noodles. Both Chef Pou and I watched as Michelle blew on her fork a few times before placing it in her mouth, only for her eyes to widen while she released a soft, pleasurable moan. "Ahh, so delicious; this is even better than the previous bowl. This is definitely the tastiest dish I''ve ever tasted!" Declared Michelle with an immensely satisfied smile, causing Chef Pou to smile before turning and eyeing Alexander, his friendly expression instantly vanishing. Seeing Chef Pou look at me, I grabbed my fork and did the same; taking a bite of the Lean Pou Noodles, I let it savor in my mouth for a few seconds before actually chewing. I didn''t immediately say anything and just continued to eat while Michelle took a few more bites before eventually stopping since she was actually full. Once I took the last bite of noodles, I drank the broth before wiping my face with my napkin as I looked up at Chef Puo, giving him my honest thoughts. "Your Lean Pou Noodles is great, much better than the one Chef Lamick made." Said Alexander solemnly with a nod as he glanced between the three bowls, his praise causing Pou to raise his head proudly. "However, unlike Chef Lamick, who simply needed to improve his technique, there is something missing in your dish." Added Alexander, his words causing Pou to frown, yet instead of getting angry, he just curiously looked at Alexander. "You say there is something missing from my dish? Please, do tell me what could possibly be missing from my dish." Asked Pou with furrowed brows as he eyed Alexander, slightly skeptical about his claim, though he gave him a chance to explain. "Hmm, what is the word I''m looking for; it''s too bland? There isn''t anything unique about it? Ahh, I got it; your dish hasn''t enough personality." Replied Alexander with a slight frown and a thoughtful expression before snapping his fingers and pointing at Pou while nodding. "Personality? What do you mean by that? Please enlighten me." Questioned Pou with a pondering expression before shaking his head and looking at Alexander. "It''s kind of hard to explain from the taste alone. If you don''t mind, could I watch how you prepare Lean Pou Noodles? I can promise, on my pride as a Chef, I won''t steal or disclose any secretive information regarding Lean Pou Noodles." Alexander stated lightly as he rubbed his chin before glancing at Pou with a solemn expression, even raising his hand like he was uttering an oath. "Chef? You''re a Chef as well?" Asked Pou with a raised eyebrow in slight surprise as he gave Alexander once over. "Yes, well, self-proclaimed Chef; however, I started seriously cooking when I was 11, so for about six years now. Not nearly as long as you, but I''ve got my fair share of experience." Replied Alexander with a nod as he stood up, towering over Pou before extending his hand toward him, which he took, his tone sounding much more friendly than before. "I see; that explains why you called me Chef Pou. What''s your name, Chef?" Asked Pou with a nod as he looked up at Alexander, who reached into his space pouch only to grab and wear his personal apron. "Alexander Vestalis." Said Alexander, uttering his last name with pride while both Michelle and Pou looked at his apron with raised eyebrows. "Well then, right this way, Chef Vestalis." Declared Pou with a nod as he turned and walked towards the door in the distance while Alexander followed behind him. "U-Um, c-can I come too?" Asked Michelle lightly, her words prompting Pou and Alexander to turn and glance at her, the two of them completely forgetting about her, though the former nodded in agreement. With Pou allowing Michelle to tag along, the two of us followed behind him as we walked through a door, entering the busy kitchen, which, I will say, was, without a doubt, the most impressive kitchen I''ve ever laid eyes on. ''Now, this is a kitchen.'' Mused Alexander with a nod as he glanced at all the chefs, even spotting Lamick in the back multitasking. Walking towards an empty spot in the large kitchen, Pou grabbed numerous ingredients, some of which I didn''t even know existed, while others were common, like onions and garlic. "One order of Lean Pou Noodles coming up." Said Pou with a serious expression as he grabbed a knife and started cooking while Alexander and Michelle watched from the sides. Chapter 122: Passion! Folding my arms, I stood beside Michelle as the two of us watched how Chef Pou prepared his signature dish, Lean Pou Noodles; now, I''ve never taken a cooking class or anything like that, but as I watched him, I couldn''t help but nod. All of his actions were smooth, fluid, and precise, just like an experienced chef as he diced the various vegetables; once he finished cutting the vegetables, he would then put each diced ingredient on a scale, and he''d either remove or add more until he got his desired weight, which caused me to furrow my brows, but I didn''t see anything wrong with that. After that, he placed all the diced vegetables inside a singular pot along with a unique thermometer that precisely gauged the pot temperature, something Chef Pou kept a close eye on, constantly turning the dial to either increase or lessen the fire''s intensity. Once he got the desired temperature, precisely three-hundred twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit, he grabbed another pot while using a measuring cup to fill it with exactly three cups of water before placing it on the stove along with a second thermometer. When the water reached its boiling point, Chef Pou added one-hundred-twenty-five noodles; how do I know it''s exactly that much? Well, I watched as he counted the noddles. While the two pots were cooking, he then grabbed some greens meant to slightly spice and enhance the dish''s flavor before adding them to the pot filled with diced vegetables, which he stirred in a specific pattern. After that, the three of us just stood still while patiently waiting several minutes before Chef Pou carefully dumped the pot of diced vegetables and greens into the pot full of boiling noodles. Sitting the pot in a specific pattern, he added several different spices into the mix while continuing to stir slowly for a few minutes, glancing at the clock several times before grabbing a small bowl off on the side, only to pour the contents of the pot into a said bowl. Chef Pou added a final pink petal atop the noodles before handing the bowl to me, which I took without any hesitation, though I didn''t immediately eat it; I first smelled it and closely inspected it before finally taking a bite. "Your dish is great, Chef Pou, even slightly better than the one you previously made, but in the end, it''s still missing its personality, and after watching you cook, I believe I''ve figured out why." Stated Alexander as he took a bite using a fork, causing him to nod while Pou furrowed his brows with an inquisitive gaze. "What do you believe is the reason for that, Chef Vestalis?" Asked Pou curiously as he looked at Alexander, who attempted to feed Michelle, though she was too full despite the hungry look in her eyes. "Your movements are too precise, too detailed, and you don''t allow any room for freedom, which inhibits your ability to allow your passion to flow into your dish. A Chef who makes dishes because he has to will one day reach a ceiling, but a Chef who makes a dish because he wants to will have limitless growth, and while I can tell that you, Chef Pou, have a passion for cooking, your strict movements are not allowing it to flow properly." Stated Alexander seriously as he handed Michelle the bowl of noodles, while Pou''s eyes slightly widened at this revelation. "Passion? I understand what you''re referring to, Chef Vestalis, but as a Chef, is it not our duty to make a perfect dish everyone will enjoy?" Questioned Pou with a curious look as he gazed at Alexander, who shook his head, which confused him. "No, such a thing is impossible, Chef Pou; the way I see it, cooking is an art and is therefore subjective, which means it''s impossible for everyone to enjoy your dish. Even if you make a dish that the gods themselves praise, it''ll be impossible for everyone in existence to feel the same as everyone has different tastes." Declared Alexander lightly as he looked at Pou, who nodded in understanding, using this chance to learn and further refine his culinary knowledge. "I see." Muttered Pou hesitantly with furrowed brows and a slightly confused expression, causing Alexander to roll up his sleeves and step forward. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Here, I think it''ll be easier to show you, Chef Pou." Said Alexander as he tied his hair back into a ponytail before beginning to cook while Pou and Michelle stood beside each other, wordlessly watching. I cooked the same exact dish as Chef Pou, using the same exact ingredients, except I wasn''t nearly as strict with the servings; in fact, I didn''t even bother to check anything; I moved purely based on instinct. If it looked to be the right amount, then I''d add it to the dish, and while you could say it might''ve been a little sloppy, I''ve been doing this for multiple years; I wasn''t exactly new to this. Besides, I had tasted the dish three times, so I got an idea, though I always made sure to taste the dish, something I noticed Chef Pou never did. Once I finished cooking, I grabbed a second bowl and poured the contents of the pot into it before placing a single-pink petal on top, only to stab a fork right beside it. "One Serving of Lean Pou Noodles!" Said Alexander with a slight smile as he handed the bowl to Pou, who took it and closely inspected it before finally grabbing the fork and taking a bite. "Ahh, I can taste it; I finally understand what you mean, Chef Vestalis. Your dish is truly splendid; mine can''t compare!" Declared Pou with a smile as he released a satisfied sigh while eating Alexander''s Lean Pou Noodles before happily yelling toward the ceiling, garnering looks from everyone in the kitchen before they continued what they were previously doing. "I appreciate the praise, Chef Pou, but I wouldn''t dare go that far; even if my dish is better, it''s only by a small amount. I''ve got no doubt after this, your Lean Pou Noodles dish will be superior to mine." Stated Alexander with a wry smile as he took off his apron and stuffed it back in this space pouch, only for Pou to shake his head. "You''re too humble, young Chef Vestalis; your culinary talent is impressive! You''re already able to best an old man like me." Said Pou seriously with a grin while continuing to devour the bowl as if he had been starved for weeks. "Thank you for the compliment, Chef Pou; it means quite a lot from such an experienced Chef like yourself, and while I''d love to continue to cook, I''m currently in the middle of a date. I can''t keep her waiting for too long." Remarked Alexander with a smile while rubbing his head before gesturing to Michelle, who was standing right beside Pou. "Oh, I see; my apologies; we Chefs get very riled up when it comes to cooking. I won''t hold you any longer, but you must come and visit when you have time to spare." Said Pou with a nod in a much more friendly and respectful voice as he set his bowl down and headed toward the door from which they had initially entered. "I can assure you, I''ll do so; I wouldn''t wish to pass on the chance to use such a nice kitchen, not to mention learn from an experienced Chef like yourself." Replied Alexander with a nod as he wrapped his arm around Michelle''s shoulder while following Pou, leading them out of the kitchen and back into the dining portion of the restaurant. "I also wouldn''t wish to pass the chance to learn from such a talented young Chef like yourself. Now, as the owner of this restaurant, I shall grant the two of you lifetime passes; you can come and eat here for free whenever you wish." Declared Pou with a grin as he stopped and glanced at Alexander and Michelle, the latter widening her eyes in astonishment. "E-Eh, are you sure, Chef Pou? I intend to come here with a friend, and she eats a lot, and I mean a LOT." Asked Alexander hesitantly as he looked at Pou while Michelle was clenching her fist in joy. "Nonsense, you helped me see the errors of my ways, Chef Vestalis; this is the least I can do; besides, as a Chef, you should know there is no better glory than seeing a customer leave with a full belly and a satisfied expression." Said Pou sternly as he looked up at Alexander before patting his shoulder, causing him to begrudgingly nod in agreement. "Haa, you''re not wrong. Just know, if she eats you out of business, I warned you." Replied Alexander as he looked at Pou, who merely laughed before going behind him and pushing. "I''m more than ready for such a challenge; now, go and enjoy your date. You may be a Chef, but you''re still a young man." Remarked Pou, smiling as he stood on the steps, waving down at them. Waving at Chef Pou, Michelle and I returned to the first floor and headed towards the front entrance; while doing so, the young Elven woman at the front gave me a friendly wave, which I reciprocated, which earned me a huff from Michelle, though I ignored that. "So, where are we going now, Chef Vestalis?" Asked Michelle curiously as she glanced at Alexander while leaning into his embrace. "Eh, no idea; we''ve already had brunch, so why not walk around a little?" Replied Alexander as he shrugged his shoulders and continued walking down the street with Michelle, who nodded in agreement. Chapter 123: Adventurer Tour While walking around Hyphen with Michelle leaned against me as I embraced her with one arm, we visited a few decently romantic spots, such as parks, fountains, and whatnot, though as it was the middle of the day, it wasn''t that romantic, but it was decently. "So, Alexander, I''m curious; how is the life of an Adventurer?" Asked Michelle from seemingly nowhere as she rested her head against Alexander''s shoulder while his hand lightly rested atop her ample breast. "Eh? Where did that question come from?" Replied Alexander curiously as he glanced down at Michelle, who shrugged her shoulder while walking past a group of kids playing in the dirt. "Well, you''re the only adventurer I know of; I''ve heard it''s a prominent and lucrative job, so I was curious." Said Michelle lightly as she looked up at Alexander''s purple, crystal-like eyes before yawning. "You''re right about that; it''s pretty lucrative; the monster corpses I can sell to the Adventurer guild are worth quite a lot despite how many there are. However, it''s also incredibly dangerous; not too long ago, Yuki and I happened to run into a group decently deep in the dungeon, and they were about to be killed by the monsters; we managed to save them, but unfortunately, not all of their group survived." Stated Alexander with a nod and a slight smirk before frowning as he thought back to a month ago, only to shake his head and sigh. "I-I see; I don''t know much about Adventurers and whatnot; I know it''s dangerous, I just don''t know how dangerous." Remarked Michelle awkwardly with a slight frown as she nodded in a downcasted mood, which was promptly dispersed by Alexander affectionately rubbing her shoulder. "But there are numerous other perks that make being an Adventurer worth it; otherwise, it wouldn''t be a popular job, no?" Replied Alexander with a small smile as the two exited the park and walked along a minor street. "Hmm, like what?" Asked Michelle curiously as she looked up at Alexander, who sported a thoughtful expression before snapping his fingers while smiling. "Heh, instead of telling you, I think it would be better to show you; c''mon, Michelle, I''m about to show you something cool." Stated Alexander with a grin as he took a left once they made it to the main road, heading towards the center district of the city while Michelle''s interest was properly piqued. Walking through the busy street, though as it were a weekend, it wasn''t as bustling, still, there were quite a number of people present, especially once we actually made it to the center district. Tightly hugging Michelle, lest she gets pushed around by all adventurers, we passed by the dungeon, though eventually, after several minutes of walking, we arrived at our destination. "Eh, the Adventurer Guild?" Muttered Michelle in surprise and confusion as she looked up at the three-story building before glancing at Alexander, who was smirking. "Yeap, the Adventurer Guild; c''mon, let''s go inside. I''ll give you a little tour; not like there is much to show you in the first place." Declared Alexander as he rubbed Michelle''s shoulder before walking forward, approaching the entrance door, which several adventurers walked in and out of every minute. "Inside? Are you sure, Alexander? I''m not an Adventurer; am I even allowed to go inside? I don''t want to possibly get you in trouble." Questioned Michelle hesitantly as she reluctantly walked alongside Alexander, who wasn''t the least bit concerned. "Yeah, it''s fine; non-adventurers always enter this building; you''re worrying too much, Michelle." Replied Alexander confidently with a nod as he continued walking, not stopping once, which did serve to help soothe Michelle''s worries. "Well, if you say so." Muttered Michelle skeptically, walking alongside Alexander as the two entered the building, only for her to instantly grab her nose. "Hehe, disgusting, right?" Asked Alexander with a soft chuckle as he looked down at Michelle, who wordlessly nodded while observing the place, eyeing the numerous adventurers pummeling each other with a smile on their faces. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Don''t need to worry about them; it''s a common occurrence." Added Alexander lightly as he glanced at the adventurers punching each other only to grin and wave his hand. "Yo, it''s Alex! Alex is here? Yeah, I''m surprised, too; he''s usually not here on the weekends. Oh damn, you see the Elven woman he is with!? She''s sexy as hell! Lucky Bastard!" Yelled the adventurers respectively in a friendly banter as they glanced at Alexander, lifting their cups of alcohol, only to down whatever was remaining. "Heh, I''m only here on a date; also, it''s a skill, not luck, CP!" Remarked Alexander with a grin as he eyed the adventurers before eying a large adventurer, who was half-human, half-Orc. "Haa, sure it is, Alex! Tell us, woman, does he satisfy you in bed, or is he just a pretty face?" Said CP with a scoff as he looked at Alexander before standing up and approaching him while glancing at Michelle, who was slightly nervous and embarrassed. Rolling my eyes at CP''s question, I was going to shoo him away, but before I did, Michelle actually responded. "I usually pass out in the middle." Stated Michelle softly with a blushed face as she looked up at CP, her words causing him to freeze while the other adventurers started laughing in the distance. "Hahaha, look at that fool CP! Dumbaass! Still, I didn''t think Alex was packing like that; we need to start putting some more respect for him. Fuck no, over my dead body! Hahaha, I second that!" Yelled the Adventurers, respectively, as they laughed while CP angrily turned around and glared at them. "Alright, who''s the dead fool who called me a Dumbass!?" Exclaimed CP angrily while cracking his fist as he looked at the group of Adventurers, who all moved out of the way before pointing at an older dwarf. "Oh, so it was you, old man Jankins? I''m about to fuck you up!" Added CP as he charged towards the dwarf that he completely towered over. "Tsk, not if I fuck you up first!" Yelled old man Jankins as he dropped his cup and fearlessly charged at CP''s large figure, which was slightly bigger than Alexander''s. Watching CP and Jankins fight while everyone else cheered them on from the sidelines, I just shook my head before pulling Michelle with me as we ignored them and headed toward my favorite secretary. "S-Should you not stop them, Alexander? T-They might end up hurting each other." Asked Michelle worriedly as she looked behind her, watching the two fight, causing quite a mess. "Nah, it''s fine; they do this almost every day; thanks for having my back, though why did you say that?" Replied Alexander dismissively, shaking his head before glancing at Michelle, who blushed slightly. "I thought if I didn''t say anything, they''d make fun of you or something; should I have stayed quiet?" Said Michelle bashfully as she looked away, causing Alexander to smile slightly. "No, it''s fine, though; you''re right about the first part; if you had stayed quiet, they definitely would''ve made fun of me." Remarked Alexander with a nod before approaching the only empty desk, only to spot a cat demi-human woman. "Yo, Cath, how''s it going? I see you get no business like usual." Said Alexander as he leaned on the desk while Michelle quietly stood to his side, glancing at Cath, who rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it. It''s been like this for multiple years. I honestly don''t even know how I still have this job." Replied Cath in exhaustion as she glanced at Alexander before looking at her colleagues, eyeing their tight clothes and exposed cleavages, causing her to click her tongue. "Well, have you thought of giving it a try? I''d be much more inclined to visit you if you dressed like her." Remarked Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he gestured toward a woman with horns who wore a normal top, though only when she stood up did they get to view her large butt, which was covered with a tiny skirt and a thong. Looking at the woman''s large butt, I glanced back at Cath, only to see her blankly staring at me, same with Michelle, who was at my side, but I opted to ignore it. "Tsk, don''t tell me Jackal is rubbing off on you; you used to be so kind, and now you''re turning lecherous just like him." Stated Cath with a foul expression as she eyed Alexander, who chuckled before shaking his head. "Speaking of Jackal, where is he? Out flirting with some more woman?" Questioned Alexander curiously while Cath shrugged her shoulders. "You actually just missed him; he was here a few minutes ago, but you''re probably right. Though you''re not one to talk, Alexander, look at you bringing in a gorgeous woman; is she your date?" Replied Cath with a frown before smirking as she glanced at Michelle to the right of Alexander, who rolled his eyes. "Yeah, though, if you want, we can make it a double date; want to tag along?" Asked Alexander with a sly smirk, causing Cath to crumple a piece of paper and throw it at him. "Hehe, I''ll take that as a no, Cath; anyways, I just came to show Michelle what it''s like in the Adventurer Guild, but we''ll be leaving now. I don''t think she''ll be able to withstand the smell of this place. Anyways, see ya!" Added Alexander with a chuckle as he wrapped his arm around Michelle before turning around and waving his hand, causing Cath to do the same while watching them exit the building. Chapter 124: Nightly Confession It''s been quite some time since Michelle and I left the Adventurer Guild; in fact, it''s in the middle of dusk, and the darkness was slowly overtaking the night sky, though right now, we were enjoying a walk through the forest. Of course, we weren''t too deep, and we were close by Hyphen just in case something were to happen; Michelle may have been blackmailing me, but I didn''t want any harm to come to her, especially considering she hadn''t really done anything bad to me as of yet, she''s merely just made my life slightly more inconvenient over the past few months. "So, as a fake lover, how was the date? I''m pretty confident I scored pretty well." Asked Alexander curiously with his hands in his pockets as he walked beside Michelle, who was completely in her element within the forest. "Hmm, you did quite well, and I loved how straightforward and dominant you were, ordering my own food and introducing me to your Adventurer friends; they were little things, but I liked how you instantly took control. It made me feel at ease and safe like I always had a shoulder to lean on." Replied Michelle lightly with a small smile as she brushed her hands around the vegetation before looking at Alexander with a slight blush. "Well, you''re welcome, Michelle; though, it''s getting rather late, so we should probably head back; you''ve still got to pick up your daughter, don''t you?" Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked up at the sky before grabbing Michelle''s hand and turning around, heading back towards the Hyphen. "No, I''m getting her tomorrow afternoon, so we can stay out here a little longer. It''s been several years since I''ve gotten the chance to enjoy nature." Said Michelle with a shake of her head before pulling Alexander back, forcefully turning him around as the two continued deeper into the forest. "Several years? The forest is only about a kilometer walk from Hyphen; it''s only a ten-minute walk at most; how come you''ve never bothered to visit?" Asked Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow as he held Michelle''s hand while looking at her, causing her to sigh while shaking her head once more. "Well, the first two years were spent getting used to Hyphen after I moved here following my arranged marriage with my husband; after those two years, I eventually got pregnant and gave birth to Chloe, and the last six years have been raising her, all on my own I will add. It''s not easy trying to be both a Father and a Mother when I''ve got no clue what I''m doing; though, thankfully, I met some experienced mothers who helped me." Remarked Michelle lightly with a frown as she held a dying leaf in her hand, a sight that caused Alexander to be filled with grief for a few seconds before he shook his head and returned to normal. "However, I''m also a little scared; I may be an Elf, but the forest isn''t our home; it''s our natural habitat; there is a difference, so if I''m not careful, I could end up dead, and my mediocre bow skills aren''t going to save me if I came face-to-face with a predator especially since I don''t have a bow or any arrows." Added Michelle with a slightly bashful expression as she looked away, causing Alexander to wrap his arm around her shoulder protectively. "Well, with me, you don''t need to worry about anything harming you; I''ve been in this forest many times before, so I know what kinds of beasts roam around. Besides, I''m pretty fast, so I could carry you and flee; that''s not a problem." Stated Alexander with a warm smile as he looked down at Michelle, filling her with a sense of assurance and safety. "I know, that''s why I dared to follow you out here, Alexander." Replied Michelle with a smile as she leaned into Alexander''s embrace and rested her head against his torso while closing her eyes, soaking up the touch of his soothing embrace. As we descended into silence while walking deeper into the forest, basing in the tranquility of nature, I saw movement coming from the top of a tree, and the next thing I knew, a large feline had pounced down and growled at us, scaring Michelle as she swiftly hid behind me. "Calm down, Michelle; she''s merely warning us to exit her territory." Said Alexander as he slowly approached the large feline with his arms raised, causing her to growl louder. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I apologize about entering your territory, girl, but we mean no harm; we''re just passing through; you''ll allow that, right?" Asked Alexander softly with a smile as he squatted down right before the feline, who lightly growled in response, causing him to nod. "I understand; how about some scratches to compensate for it?" Replied Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he slowly brought his hand forth, causing the feline to warily eye it before leaning forward and rubbing the top of her head. ''Hehe, got you.'' Mused Alexander with a smirk as he gently rubbed the feline, quickly turning the scary predator into nothing but a harmless house cat while she rolled about on the ground, releasing pleasant purrs. "Aren''t you a beautiful girl? Michelle, come here and rub her.'' Remarked Alexander with a smile as he used both hands to rub the feline''s belly before glancing at Michelle, who was looking with widened eyes, absolutely shocked at what she was witnessing. "E-Eh, a-are you sure? I-I don''t want to lose my hand." Asked Michelle fearfully as she kept her distance while eyeing Alexander playing with the feline, who suddenly bit his arm, causing her to nearly scream in fear. "Hehe, trust me; come and rub her; she''s merely playing." Said Alexander confidently as he shook his arm while the feline was playfully latched onto, causing Michelle to approach them hesitantly. Seeing Michelle get closer, I grabbed her hand before suddenly yanking her closer, causing her to nearly fall atop the feline, freaking them both out in the process. "Calm down, you two." Added Alexander as he gently rubbed underneath the feline''s mouth while holding Michelle''s hand, successfully calming the two women down. Once the two calmed down, I grabbed the top of Michelle''s hand and slowly brought it forward since I knew from the fear I could see in her heart she would never take the initiative. The instant her hand touched the feline''s body, I saw her body tense in fear, though after a few seconds of no aggressive reaction, Michelle began to come down, and eventually, I released her hand, allowing her to brush the feline by herself. "See, I told you, Michelle, you had nothing to worry about; just don''t do anything stupid to her." Said Alexander with a smile as he scratched behind the feline''s ear, causing her to purr in delight while Michelle began to scratch her enthusiastically as well. "Her fur, it''s so soft." Muttered Michelle with a smile as he rubbed the feline, who suddenly pounced on Alexander, pinning him to the ground and biting his shoulder. "Hehe, you want to play like that?" Remarked Alexander with a playful smirk as he flipped their positions and bit the feline leg, wrestling while Michelle watched with a smile ___ ___ Taking my pants off, I created a strong gust of wind, cleaning all the dirt off from my playtime with the feline before wearing my pants and walking over to Michelle. "Do you not wear underwear?" Asked Michelle with blushed cheeks as she looked at Alexander''s crotch. "Nah, but it''s a habit I need to fix, same with not wearing any shoes." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head before looking down at his feet. Stretching my body a little from that rough play, I turned to look at Michelle after hearing her rummage through her purse, only to see her handing me pictures of myself, causing me to raise an eyebrow as I took them out of her hand. "T-Those are all the pictures I have of you, and this is the camera." Said Michelle lightly as she handed Alexander a camera. I could tell she was telling the truth, and before I could allow her to take it back, I erupted them both into a blazing fire using my mana, causing the pictures to burn to ashes while the camera was quickly melted and destroyed into something unrecognizable. ''Haa, I''m finally free! I don''t need to worry about Yuki getting kicked out of her house!'' Thought Alexander in excitement while smiling before confusion overtook him as he looked at Michelle, tilting his head. "Why?" Asked Alexander, his words causing Michelle to take a deep breath before an expression of determination emerged. "I had initially taken those pictures to blackmail you into having sex with me, but I-I was too scared to actually follow through, so I settled with just touching; however, over the course of the past few months and this date. I-I''ve come to develop feelings for you, Alexander; I-I like you, Alexander. Though I know after what I did you probably won''t want anything to do with me, but I-I just wanted to get this off my che-" Stated Michelle seriously with a deep blush as she gathered her courage and looked into Alexander''s purple, crystal-like eyes, only to to be interrupted by a pair of lips. "I quite like you as well, Michelle, and I''m too mad about the blackmail thing; I knew you were never going to actually follow through with exposing me. Though I am annoyed." Remarked Alexander lightly with a smile as he retracted his lips from Michelle, causing her blush to deepen while she pressed herself into his embrace, only for him to push her back. "However, like I''ve said before, even if you and your husband are on terrible terms, I won''t be doing anything sexually intimate with you, Michelle, not willingly, at least. It''s the principle of the matter that you''re married, not who you''re married to, Michelle." Added Alexander seriously, shaking his head while holding Michelle''s shoulders, keeping her at arm''s length. Chapter 125: Dead Husband? Michelle didn''t seem to be really fond of my words or decision as she sported an annoyed expression while looking at me, but I was standing firm on the decision. I may like her, but I wasn''t going to go against my morals, which I''ve already been forced to do by her several times; however, it seemed she eventually caved in and accepted it as she nodded. "Haa, I understand, Alexander. I-I''ll divorce my husband." Remarked Michelle begrudgingly as she nodded, only for Alexander to lightly chop her head. "That''s not what I meant when I said that, Michelle; I wasn''t trying to force you to divorce your husband. I mean, if you wish to, I won''t talk you out of it, but you did say it yourself. Without the money your husband provides, how do you intend to raise Chloe without the money your husband provides? You may garner feelings for me, but I don''t think they should ever supersede your daughter; she should always come first. You can worry about me afterward; after all, that''s the price of being a parent; your well-being is now second to your children''s." Declared Alexander solemnly with a shake of his head as he looked at Michelle, who sighed but nodded again. "Haa, you''re right; I-I suppose I was just in the moment; thanks for reminding me, Alexander. But can we truly not do anything so long as I''m married?" Replied Michelle with a nod and a faint smile before shaking her head, only to grab Alexander''s hand while looking up at his purple, crystal-like eyes. "I''m sorry, Michelle, but if it weren''t for you blackmailing me, I''d never have done those things to you, no matter how much I liked you; that''s just how I am. However, if you ever decide to divorce your husband and he kicks you out of the house, I''ll help with the money; I''ve got a decent pile of silver coins saved up, considering I hadn''t spent anything at the restaurant." Said Alexander with a wry smile as he shook his head, standing firm, causing Michelle to sigh before faintly smirking towards the end. "So, you wish for me to be your mistress? Is that what I''m hearing, Alexander?" Asked Michelle with a slight smile as she looked at Alexander, who awkwardly rubbed his head and was about to try and correct her, though she stopped him. "No need to explain yourself, Alexander, whether you intended for me to be one or not; I think that''s best. I''ve already got a child, and I don''t wish to burden you with raising another man''s child, especially not when you''re so young; I think being your little mistress isn''t so bad." Added Michelle with a slight smile, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow before smirking and grabbing her finger, which was pressed against his lips. "Heh, looks like someone must''ve gotten a surge of confidence since you insist you''ll be my mistress, though I''ll stay play with Chloe every now and then; I quite enjoy playing with her; it''s simple, fun, and I don''t have to worry about anything, other than making sure I don''t mix up the names of her dolls." Said Alexander with a smile as he eyed Michelle, who lightly blushed before looking away, only for him to pull her into his embrace and hug her plump Elven body. "Hehe, yes, I know that feeling quite well; she''s a respectful, polite, and good girl, but whenever it''s regarding her dolls, she gets quite worked up over the slightest inconvenience or mistake. She had nearly thrown a fit when I forgot the name of her dolls." Stated Michelle with a soft chuckle and wry expression as she hugged Alexander, resting her head against his torso. Chuckling, I knew exactly what Michelle was talking about since that almost happened to me as well. We stayed in this dark forest for probably another hour, just talking while enjoying each other''s presence, before we eventually headed back towards Hyphen, saying goodbye to the feline we had met all the way, which had playfully pounced on me the instant she saw me. "She left me in a slobbering mess." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he wiped all the saliva off his face, walking across the dirt road with Michelle holding his arm while she tried not to laugh. "For a human, you''re really accustomed to nature; not even Elves would dare to approach a predator like you just did." Remarked Michelle with a slight smile as she looked up at Alexander in both wonder and curiosity. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Well, I was raised in a forest for 16 years by a Master, who happened to be a Dryad; I can''t get much more in tune with nature than that if you ask me." Replied Alexander, his words slightly surprising Michelle before she nodded in agreement. "A Dryad? They''re a rare find, though yes, I suppose I can''t find much fault in your logic." Muttered Michelle with a thoughtful expression before nodding. Once I finally got most of the saliva off of my face, we silently walked down the dirt road while heading back toward Hyphen, and given that it was night, it was pretty darn empty; we had only seen one carriage the entire time. When we arrived at the front gate, we showed the guards our ID, though mine was an Adventure license, as I didn''t need them possibly scamming me, and I hoped that would make them think twice since I''ve seen some guards extort people. However, thankfully, they followed their order and only requested five copper each, which I paid for before they returned our IDs. The walk back home through the city at night was also quiet; there wasn''t much going on, and it was pretty empty; after all, most people were either asleep, working overtime, at bars, or getting their freak on, so there was barely anyone on the street. Opening the gate, Michelle and I walked toward the front of her home, and unsurprisingly, her husband wasn''t home despite still being in the city; he was mostly likely doing it with another woman or something of the sort, though it was my business who he did it with. "Well, I actually quite enjoyed the date, contrary to what I was expecting, Michelle." Said Alexander lightly as he looked at Michelle, who nodded while stepping forward, grabbing the key out of her bag before opening the door. "I enjoyed it as well; it''s the first time I''ve ever been on a date. Thanks, Alexander." Replied Michelle with a beautiful smile, only to feel a pair of lips press against her own, surprising her. "I''ll make an exception for kissing, but nothing too obscene." Declared Alexander as he looked at Michelle and retracted his lips from her, causing her to blush like a young girl in love. "Anyways, bye." Added Alexander with a smirk as he waved his hand before doing a backflip out of Michelle''s yard, only to land within Yuki''s. Grabbing the key Yuki likes to hide away, I entered the house and quietly closed the door since I could see both Yuki and Talis sleeping together on the couch, a sight that caused me to smile. However, my smile instantly vanished when I noticed the mess in the kitchen; walking towards the kitchen, I saw pots, pans, food, and so many other things just lying on the ground, and the worst part was there was so much. I stared at the mess before taking a deep breath and exhaling to keep myself calm and collected. "Haa, you know what; this is my fault. I should''ve expected something like this was bound to happen when leaving Talis and Yuki home together. I''m blaming this on me." Muttered Alexander with a serene expression as he looked at the large mess before him. "However, I shall not be paying, nor will I be cleaning this up. I''ll save that for the two who caused this while I go and take a shower." Said Alexander with a nod as he turned around, forgetting about the kitchen before heading upstairs and taking off his jean jacket. ___ ___ In what felt like a blink of the eye, a few weeks passed by ever since my date with Michelle, and I''ll tell you what, not being blackmailed was so lovely and refreshing; it allowed me to sleep if I wanted, though I was an early bird so I never did, it just felt good since I had the option to. Yawning while walking down the stairs, I was about to start cooking food in the kitchen, which I had forced Yuki and Talis to clean and they definitely didn''t like, when suddenly, someone started banging on the door behind me, prompting me to turn around and look who was on the other side of the door. ''Michelle? What''s up with her? Why does she seem so happy?'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he rubbed his head before approaching the door. My relationship with Michelle was quite good, great even, though what wasn''t great was the fact I hadn''t released anything in a few weeks; no matter how much I do it myself, my penis doesn''t wish to ejaculate. I''ve even gotten to the point where I had thought about going to a brothel, but whenever I walked down the redlight district, I''d always subconsciously shiver when I think about how many men each woman must''ve slept with. I didn''t need the woman I slept with to be a virgin or anything, but I''d prefer not to do it with a woman whose sole job is to pleasure men. ''Well, except Lily, she''s something else entirely; I don''t think I could ever say no to her.'' Mused Alexander lightly with a wry smile before opening the door and looking at Michelle, who suddenly lunged at him in joy, passionately kissing him. "My Husband, he''s dead!" Yelled Michelle happily as she looked at Alexander before passionately kissing him. Chapter 126: Mistress Michelle Gabbing Michelle''s plump body, I lifted her by the waist and removed her from my body before setting her down right in front of me as I gave her a skeptical look. "You''re husbands, dead? You didn''t happen to kill him, did you?" Asked Alexander as he suspiciously looked at Michelle, causing her to excitedly shake her head before reaching into her large breasts and pulling out a piece of paper. "My husbands dead, and no, I didn''t kill him, Alexander. The company he works for, Stable Moving, is a company that ferries groups of people from one city to another; it''s the reason he''s rarely ever home. During one of his jobs, he and his group were attacked by bandits and died with an arrow piercing right through his heart while he was apparently having sex with one of his passengers in the woods." Replied Michelle happily as she jumped up and down while Alexander read the paper before handing it back to her. ''Damn, getting killed while having sex. Actually, it''s probably one of the better ways to go out.'' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression, only to be broken out of his thoughts when he felt Michelle passionately kiss him. "With that fool out of the picture, not only did I get reimbursed for his death as his official wife, but I now own the house!" Yelled Michelle excitedly as she held Alexander''s face, only to suddenly be lightly hit atop the head. "I''m happy everything worked out for you in the end, but I don''t think you should be this happy; everyone else was killed or captured by those bandits; it''s not really something to be happy about." Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as he looked at Michelle, who calmed down and nodded. "S-Sorry, I-I had completely forgotten about that; when I found out my husband had been killed, I forgot everything and ran here." Said Michelle awkwardly with a slight blush as she slowly regained her composure, while Alexander nodded in understanding before smirking. With Michelle officially a widow, there was nothing stopping me from doing it with her, and to top it all off, today was a Sunday, which meant no work for me. Leaning down, I grabbed the back of Michelle''s neck and aggressively kissed her while reaching down with my other hand to grope her ample butt. "What''s Chole doing?" Asked Alexander curiously as he retracted his lips from the blushing Michelle. "S-She''s sleeping right ~Ahh~ now." Replied Michelle with a soft moan as Alexander continuously groped her butt, molding her large butt to his liking. "Take her to a friend''s house for the rest of the day; I want you laying on your bed in something sexy in two hours." Ordered Alexander, displaying his dominant side once more as he looked at Michelle, who blushed intensely while meekly nodding. "I-I understand." Said Michelle quietly as she turned around and left, only for Alexander, to slap her butt, causing her to squeal in surprise. Smirking at Michelle, I closed the door after he left and leaned against it as I clenched my fists victory; it''s been a few weeks since I''ve ejaculated and months since I''ve had sex, and I was quite excited. Adding to the fact I was doing it with Michelle, who is not only super curvy and meaty but someone I''d come to like, I couldn''t wait any longer; that''s why I practically ordered Michelle to get Chole out of the house. "Alright, first, let''s quickly make breakfast, and then I''ll take a shower." Said Alexander as he calmed himself and headed towards the kitchen, though he had a large smile on his face the entire time. ''Haa, why is Master so horny, Sister?'' Asked Trina as she sat on the ocean beside Zartha before glancing at her in curiosity. ''I believe it has something to do with his second brain, which controls his nether region.'' Said Zartha lightly as she looked at Trina, who tilted her head in confusion before shrugging her shoulders. ___ ___ Shaking my head, which in turn shook my wet hair, I dried my hair with the help of a towel before exiting the bathroom with the towel wrapped around my waist and heading to my room, only to hear Yuki and Talis arguing with each other downstairs, which caused me to sigh since Yuki couldn''t even understand her. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "You two better not be arguing down there!" Yelled Alexander with a frown as he looked over the railing while entering his room. "W-We''re not, Alex. Y-Yeah, we''re just talking, Alex." Said Talis and Yuki, respectively, before the two quietly glared at each other, growling and cawing. Since I intended to be spending most of my time naked, I just wore some random clothes before tossing my towel on the bed and leaving my room; walking downstairs, I glared at Yuki and talis, though they were behaving like a pair of civilized people, for now at least. "Mhm, this is delicious like always, Alex; don''t you agree, Talis?" Said Yuki with a smile as she stuffed a large pancake in her mouth before glancing at Talis, who nodded in agreement. "Yeap! This sausage is super tasty!" Remarked Talis as she pecked at the sausage on her plate, though all Yuki heard were several high-pitched chirping noises. "I''m glad you two are enjoying it, but I''ll be heading out for the day, so please don''t try to cook food again, and make sure to clean up your mess; if I come again and see the whole kitchen is a mess, I''m not cooking for the next week. Understand." Declared Alexander with a faint smile before crossing his arms and glaring at the two, who both rapidly nodded. Although I was skeptical if they''d actually follow through with my words, I was willing to take that risk when I knew I had a sexy woman waiting for me in the house right next to me. Waving goodbye, I exited the house, closing the door behind and almost immediately, I heard faint arguing coming from inside, causing me to rub my eyes in exhaustion. ''I''m living with three children. Haa, I''m really thankful for your presence, Zartha.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he shook his head and headed towards Michelle''s house, which was precisely to his left. ''Eh, what''s that supposed to mean, Master? You''re welcome, Master.'' Said Trina and Zartha, respectively, though while one sounded offended, the other was indifferent. Hopping over the fences, I went to knock on the door, but as I did, the door opened by itself, causing me to faintly smirk as I entered before closing and locking the door behind me; heading upstairs, I followed the scent of faint perfume and arrived just outside Michelle''s room. Opening the door, I looked inside and saw her lying on the bed wearing sexy lingerie: she wore a white and black bra, which was too small for her large breasts, and the same colored panties that perfectly hid her womanhood. Connected to her panties by a string was a black pantyhose that went upwards to her mid-thigh, which did wonders in accentuating her thighs, and to top it all off, her long brown hair was sprawled behind her. ''She''s not comparable to Master or Lily, in my opinion, but my goodness, does she look sexy.'' Mused Alexander as he unrestrainedly ogled Michelle, who was intensely blushing when she noticed a large bulge in his pants. "C-Chloe will be gone f-for the next 1-10 hours, s-so, w-we have the house a-all to ourselves." Stated Michelle lightly as she looked at Alexander, who smirked and wasted no time getting out of his clothes, revealing his large member, which struck both fear and desire in her. "10 hours? That should be long enough for our first time." Said Alexander with a smile as he crawled onto the bed before standing on all fours right over Michelle''s body while his erection poked against her womanhood. "10 hours for our first time?" Asked Michelle in confusion as she looked up at Alexander, who smirked while gently brushing his hand across her face. "When I used to do it with my lover, we''d sometimes do it for a whole day; one time, I had even done it for two full days, but I''ll speak about that later. I''m sure you don''t want me speaking about other women right now." Remarked Alexander with a lovely smile before shaking his head and focusing back on Michelle, who slightly nodded, causing him to lean forward, passionately kissing her. "I noticed you removed any pictures containing your husband in them." Added Alexander curiously as he looked up at Michelle, planting kisses on his neck, leaving hickey after hickey on her delicate pale skin. "Y-Yes ~Ahh~ after all, s-since I''m ~Ahh~ now your mistress, I-I belong to you, I ~Ahh~ shouldn''t have pictures of any man other than ~Ahh~ you." Replied Michell, releasing several soft, sweet, sensual moans from Alexander''s delicate and loving touch while he nodded. "I see; then it seems like I should reward my mistress quite well, no?" Said Alexander with a smile as he grabbed Michelle''s large breast and started playing with it, causing her moans to become slightly louder than before. "C''mon, Michelle, you can''t be the only one on the receiving end." Added Alexander lightly, his words causing Michelle to nod as she reached forth and grabbed his erection, which had been constantly grinding against her womanhood. Feeling Michelle''s cold, soft, yet familiar hands wrap around my shaft, I softly grunted in pleasure while she stroked my hardened member. ''Sorry, Michelle, but I can''t be the first one to orgasm.'' Thought Alexander as he suddenly reached underneath Michelle''s bra and pinched her nipple before pulling, causing her to moan loudly while she arched her back, staining her panties in her juices. Chapter 127: Finally, Sex!(R18) Having made Michelle orgasm, I smirked and rubbed my hand atop her soaking wet panties before licking my hand, doing this all while she was looking, causing her to blush too intensely. ''Hmm, it doesn''t taste sweet like Master''s, nor does it taste addictive like Lily''s, but it''s not bad.'' Mused Alexander lightly with a raised eyebrow while Michelle grabbed his hand. "Y-You shouldn''t l-lick that Alexander, i-it''s dirty." Said Michelle with a deep blush as she looked at Alexander, who gave her a confused look. "Dirty? What do you mean? Have you never had sex before? It''s pretty common for a man to pleasure a woman using his mouth." Remarked Alexnder as he licked his hand clean before reaching underneath Michelle''s back and unhooking her bra, causing her large breasts to spill forth. "I-I''ve only ever had normal sex before; i-in fact, until I met you, I''ve never even pleased a man with my hands." Replied Michelle lightly in slight embarrassment, causing Alexander to raise his eyebrow in surprise before smiling. "It seems like you''re so-called husband really wasn''t interested in you; he was crazy for calling you fat and ugly. Like, look at these breasts; they''re so beautiful, I can''t imagine a proper man ever calling these ugly." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he grabbed both of Michelle''s breasts and started groping, molding their shape to his liking, causing her to constantly moan. "~Ahh~ n-not both of my ~Ahh~ b-breasts!" Said Michelle loudly in between her moans as she looked at Alexander, who ignored her words and played with them to his heart''s content. "Heh, don''t tell me your breasts are your sensitive spot?" Asked Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he pinched Michelle''s nipples before pulling on both of her breasts, causing her to moan loudly for a second time. Looking back down at her crotch, I saw her leaking, which caused me to smirk as I knew I had managed to make her orgasm once more, and my theory was correct: her breasts do seem to be her weak spot. ''Ahh, this womanly smell in the air is so good, I wish I could make it into a candle.'' Mused Alexander as he sniffed the air, inhaling Michelle''s mating pheromones before looking back down at her sexy, blushing appearance. Feeling my member throb, I moved down toward Michelle''s panties and slowly removed them, revealing her hairy vagina for me to see, and if I''m being honest, this wasn''t what I was expecting when you take into account her appearance and personality. "S-Should I have shaved it? I-I don''t really know what men like, s-so I just left it be." Asked Michele in shame, embarrassment, and concern as she spread her legs while looking down at Alexander, who suddenly gave her pussy a lick, causing her to moan in pleasure. "I don''t mind if a woman has some hair, but yours is honestly like a complete garden; I can barely even see your vagina; however, it''s fine; your garden is far from enough to turn me off. Just make sure it''s shaved next time." Said Alexander, looking at Michelle''s dense pubic hair, causing her to blush in shame and embarrassment as she instinctively tried to close her legs, though he forcefully kept them open. "I-I understand." Replied Michelle meekly with a nod, causing Alexander to smirk before lifting her slightly into the air and kissing her thick, plump butt. "Also, make sure to clean your butt; I''m quite fond of anal." Declared Alexander with a hungry gaze as he looked at Michelle''s small, pink, meaty anus, which quivered at his gaze while she nodded in pure embarrassment. Gently setting Michelle on the bed, I moved in closer and laid over her as I ground my raging member against her hairy, wet vagina; although I could tell she was nervous, she was just as eager as I was, which caused me to smile as I began to slowly enter inside her. ''Haa, f-fuck, it''s been so long I''ve forgotten how pleasurable the insides of a woman feel.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh of pleasure as he continued to push his stiff shaft inside Michelle''s pussy, who was also moaning in slight pleasure. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Once I felt my manhood hit against something, I stopped and looked down, only to inwardly curse when I realized Michelle was only able to take slightly more than half of my length inside of her; I wasn''t upset with Michelle, I was more annoyed at the fact my penis was so big. To this day, Lily is the only woman who has taken my entire length inside of her vagina, and I wasn''t even conscious to feel it. "~Ahh~ M-My g-goodness, t-too think t-there is s-so much still not i-inside me. I-I''m already c-completely f-full." Muttered Michelle in awe and slight fear as she looked at Alexander''s dick before looking at her stomach, noticing a slight bulge on her plump stomach. "D-Don''t worry so much about it; with time, your body will adapt to my length slightly. That''s why I like anal so much since I can fully enter inside of a woman. Now then, let''s get to having sex." Remarked Alexander with a slight smile as he looked at Michelle, who nodded, before leaning down and sucking on one of her breasts while slowly thrusting inside of her. Hearing Michelle''s sexy moans as I sucked on her ample breast while pistoning inside her tight, wet hole, I smiled in joy that I was finally having sex once more after several months and that I''d be able to orgasm. ''S-Speaking of orgasm. I-I''m ~Urgh~ abut to c-cum!'' Thought Alexander as he slightly increased the intensity before suddenly exiting from Michelle and placing his dick atop her stomach, causing him to shoot numerous ropes of thick semen all over her face, breasts, and abdomen. "Ahh, that felt wonderful." Muttered Alexander in bliss as he held Michelle''s thick, meaty thighs while looking up at the ceiling. "S-So much cum; t-this is nothing compared to my Ex-husband. Mhm, yummy." Remarked Michelle quietly as she looked at all the semen she was covered in before hesitantly licking some of her fingers, causing her eyes to widen slightly in surprise, only to blush in embarrassment when she noticed Alexander looking at her with a smirk. "Heh, don''t be embarrassed; you''ll be drinking my semen quite a lot, so you should get used to it." Said Alexander with a sly smirk as he lifted her legs in the air while holding them together before slowly entering inside her once more. "~Urgh~ s-so tight. ~Ahh~ s-so big." Muttered Alexander and Michelle, respectively, as the two engaged in another round of sex. The first few rounds of sex with Michelle were relatively gentle since I was getting her accustomed to my massive member, but after thirty or so minutes, I started to get slightly more aggressive as I flipped her onto her stomach and pounded her from above, though fortunately, while my penis was big, thanks to Michelles massive butt, I was capable of slamming my hips onto her thick butt cheeks, causing a rhythmic clapping sound to resound throughout the whole room. For several hours, we had sex, only taking a short break when Michelle needed to drink before continuing once more in a sex marathon, and quickly, she stopped behaving so meekly and started to really enjoy herself as she screamed and moaned to her heart''s content while I stabbed her deepest parts with my manhood. Before we knew it, ten hours had passed, though while neither of us wanted to stop, it was late outside; besides, Michelle had to pick up Chloe. ___ ___ "~Ahh~, I-I don''t know if I''ll be able to even get Chloe; I-I''m so utterly exhausted." Said Michelle, laying on the bed, covered in semen and sweat, while Alexander stood off to the side with his large, semen-covered dick resting atop her face as she licked it clean. "Finish cleaning my shaft, and I''ll help you with that." Said Alexander, his words causing Michelle to nod as she started passionately licking his dick, cleaning it within one minute. Feeling myself about to cum again, I stuffed the tip of my penis inside Michelle''s mouth and unloaded everything inside of her as she drank it all before she gave my tip a few licks, cleaning it. "~Urgh~, that felt good. Also, here you go, Michelle, drink this potion." Said Alexander as he searched through his pants, which were in the corner of the room, before grabbing his space pouch and handing Michelle a vial of a golden liquid. "Eh, a-are you sure I should take it? A-Aren''t potions expensive?" Questioned Michelle in concern as she looked up at Alexander, who softly smiled while shaking his head. "They are decently expensive, but you''re my self-appointed Mistress, so can''t I at least do this much?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he squatted down next to Michelle before snatching the vial out of her hand and forcing it into her mouth, causing her to drink it subconsciously. Although it was only a little bit of my blood, it should be more than enough; after all, she wasn''t seriously injured, just exhausted, and quickly, that exhaustion disappeared as she looked to be in peak condition. "Woah, I-I feel great." Muttered Michelle in awe as she stood up before glancing at Alexander, who rolled his eyes and pinched her nose. "You''ve got a child, remember; besides, I live right next door, so whenever you want to do it, come and visit me. Now, quickly shower and pick up Chloe; I''ll have everything cleaned before you return." Remarked Alexander with a slight smile as he looked at Michelle, who returned to her usual bashful self with a nod before turning around and approaching the bathroom, only for him to slap her butt, causing her to moan. "Hehe, don''t forget what I said about your butt." Added Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Michelle''s ass with a hungry gaze while she covered her mouth and held her butt, nodding in embarrassment. Chapter 128: Firemania Party Returns It was the next day after the wonderful time I spent with Michelle, and right now, Yuki and I are donned in our armor as we intended to enter the dungeon; if we think we''re ready, we''ll even face the third-floor guardian, which is apparently a massive skeleton that wields a giant club. To be honest, after our fight with the second-floor guardian, I''m a little eager to fight this third guardian on the fifteenth floor, as I quite like facing challenges. "Yuki, are you ready? You''ve got everything stored away just in case?" Asked Alexander as he stood by the door and looked at Yuki while stretching, causing her to nod while patting her breastplate. "Yes, I''m fully ready! Wait! I forgot my potions and antidotes upstairs!" Remarked Yuki with a grin as she looked through her space pouch, only to suddenly rush upstairs, causing loud thumping and clanging sounds to resound through the house. ''Haa, isn''t she supposed to be the veteran Adventurer between the two of us?'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he glanced at Yuki before shaking his head. "I''ll be waiting outside, Yuki!" Yelled Alexander as he exited the house and closed the door behind him, only to glance at Michelle''s house to his left before hopping over the gates. I had little time to spare while waiting for Yuki, so I decided to spend it with Michelle; knocking on the door, I waited a couple of seconds before the door opened, only it wasn''t Michelle at the door, but Chole instead, and she was wearing a school uniform. "Ahh, look at you, Chloe; looking so cute and adorable. I''m sure everyone loves you at school from your cuteness alone. Where is your Mother?" Remarked Alexander with a soft smile as he squatted down and rubbed Chole''s head, causing her to smile while further opening the door, letting him in. "She''s in the kitchen making breakfast; do you want to play house with me before I go to school, Alex?" Replied Chloe with an adorable smile as she pointed towards the kitchen before pulling his hand, trying to lead him upstairs. "Sorry, not today, Chloe. Yuki and I have work today, though I promise I''ll play with you tomorrow, though only if I''m the pink doll." Said Alexander apologetically before smirking, causing Chloe to pout before begrudgingly nodding. "Hmm, fine, I''ll allow you to use the pink doll." Said Chloe as she folded her arms while standing on the stairs. "Chloe, who are you talking to? Who was at the door?" Asked Michelle, her voice coming from inside the kitchen, prompting Alexander to cover Chloe''s mouth while shushing her. Quietly walking towards the kitchen, I spotted Michelle with her back facing me as she stood in front of the sink; seeing that, I smirked and slowly made my way to her before suddenly reaching underneath her arms and grabbing her breasts, causing her to squeal loudly. "EEEK!" Yelled Michelle in fear as she turned around and hit Alexander while protectively covering her breasts, only to sigh in relief when she saw who it was. "Hehe, you got scared, Mom!" Stated Chloe with an innocent smile as she laughed at Michelle, who blushed in shame from her embarrassing display. "Hmph, you better head upstairs before I catch you!" Said Michelle both playfully and angrily as she looked at Chloe, who promptly ran away before heading upstairs while laughing. "Hehe, you must admit, Michelle, it was quite funny." Said Alexander with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around Michelle''s waist and rubbed his crotch against her large, thick butt. "Hmph, it wasn''t; a-also, w-we, can''t d-do it right now, Alexander, I-I must take Chloe to school." Replied Michelle with a frown before softly blushing when she felt Alexander''s erect dick rub against her ass. "Heh, yeah, I know; I''m actually about to leave since I''ve got work today, but before I do, let me take a little peak at what I''ve got to look forward to." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he squatted down behind Michelle, his face directly parallel to her enormous, bubbly butt, before lowering her pants and panties. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Looking at Michelle''s private parts, I smirked when I noticed her hairy garden was gone, forcefully turning her around to get a better look; her vagina was shaved completely, looking very beautiful and even somewhat innocent. "Heh, I see you''ve listened to my words. Good job; I can actually see how pretty your womanhood is; now, back to your butt, which is definitely clean." Stated Alexander as he gave Michelle''s pussy a kiss before turning her back around and spreading her butt cheeks, eyeing her quivering, meaty, pink anus. ''Oh boy, that''s so tempting, but alas, I''ve got work to do.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he kissed Michelle''s butt cheeks before standing up and pulling her pants up. "I''ll see you hopefully tonight, Michelle. Bye, my little mistress." Said Alexander with a smirk as he grabbed Michelle''s neck, lifting her face up before forcefully yet passionately kissing her. "B-Bye, t-try to be safe, Alexander." Said Michelle somewhat meekly with a blush as she turned and waved at Alexander, who did the same. Exiting the house, I saw Yuki walking away in the distance, probably assuming I had left without her; hoping over the fence, I chased after her, quickly catching up. "You''ve got no patience whatsoever, Yuki; can''t even wait a few seconds." Remarked Alexander as he rolled his eyes and playfully pushed Yuki from behind, causing her to glance blankly at him. "You said you''d be waiting outside, but you weren''t; where were you?" Said Yuki with a shake of her head before facing forward, walking onto a minor street with Alexander beside her. "I was speaking with Michelle, and it was only like two minutes at most." Replied Alexander lightly, constantly moving out of the way as he walked through the crowd while the same crowd made a path wherever Yuki went, none wanting to risk being trampled by her. "Michelle? I''ve noticed you''ve been spending much more time with her recently." Remarked Yuki with a slight frown as she looked at Alexander, who smirked while nudging her. "Hehe, don''t tell you''re jealous of her, Yuki? You''ll always be my loveable, annoying, stupid, gluttonous Oni." Declared Alexander with a slight chuckle and a teasing smirk as he hugged Yuki, who grunted in annoyance before picking him up with one of her hands. "Tch, I''m not jealous, merely curious; also, I''m not stupid." Replied Yuki with furrowed brows as she lifted Alexander by his head and held him at eye level while he folded his arms and smiled. "So you''re annoying?" Asked Alexander, causing Yuki to grumble as she dropped Alexander onto the ground before promptly ignoring him. Chuckling at how easy and fun it was to tease Yuki, we silently walked side-by-side until we reached the adventurer guild, making a slight pitstop along the way. However, the instant we entered the guild, they were there, the Firemania party, and it looked like they had a new member after I killed Orcus. "Tch." Muttered both Alexander and Yuki as they glanced at the Firemania party, who also noticed them, causing Lucy, the leader, to glare at them with an angry grudge. Shortly after I had killed Orcus, the snake demi-human, I had expected them to possibly retaliate, yet other than being stalked by two of them for a few days, they did nothing, and then they suddenly vanished the next day. I had come to learn their party had accepted a quest outside of the city limits, which seems to be the norm for them, and it was something I quite liked since it gave me a few months to get stronger, and I''ve indeed gotten decently stronger within the last couple of months. "You can go and use the bathroom, Yuki; I''ll be fine; we''ve fought together plenty of times; you may still be stronger, but you know I can hold my own." Remarked Alexander with a frown as he looked at Lucy before glancing at Yuki to his left, who nodded, though she still didn''t seem happy. Seeing Yuki leave while constantly eyeing the Firemania party, I faintly smirked, and although I was going to speak with Cath, I opted to avoid it; that party was a vengeful group, and I didn''t want to unintentionally harm someone else, especially a friend like Cath. So I just leaned against the wall and waited for Yuki to exit the bathroom, though it seemed they intended to speak with me. "Tell me, were you the one who killed Orcus?" Asked Lucy with concealed hatred in her eyes as she stood in front of Alexander with an indifferent expression while her party members stood behind her. "Orcus? I don''t know who that is." Replied Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Lucy, before shaking his head, though she didn''t seem to belive his words. "It''s fine, you don''t have to say it; I know you did, though I''m not mad. Orcus was by far the weakest one; his only redeeming quality was his poison. I planned to kill him once I had found a better replacement." Remarked Lucy lightly as she looked at Alexander before glancing at her newest member, who was a middle-aged man. Listening to her speak was irritating, especially the way how casually she talked about killing her people as if they were nothing but insignificant items she could just replace. I know I may have killed Orcus, but I never wanted to kill him, and it seems like I cared more about his life than she did. Chapter 129: Road To Floor 15 "Tch, for the record, Lucy, people aren''t just objects you can get rid of and replace whenever you see fit." Remarked Alexander with a frown as he eyed Lucy, who seemed slightly annoyed by his words. "Hmph, their lives are only meant to service mine; they have no other use than that." Said Lucy with a scoff as she stared at Alexander while her party members grasped their weapons and eyed him. Hearing her words, I gritted my teeth and looked away; I had a feeling if I kept speaking with her, we''d end up fighting, which wasn''t something I wanted to do. Not only was I heavily outnumbered, but we were still inside the Adventurer''s guild, and I wasn''t trying to be temporarily banned for six months. So, I just closed my eyes and ignored her while waiting for Yukit to return, which seemed to anger her. "I would''ve ignored your previous transgressions if you had prostrated yourself before me, but it seems like you and that stupid bastard Yuki are just a pair of fools." Remarked Lucy with a livid expression as she tightly held her staff while eyeing Alexander before looking away. Watching Lucy and her party members leave, I sighed in relief; listening to her speak badly about Yuki greatly angered me, though thankfully, she left because if she had continued, I might''ve attacked her. ''Haa, keep a calm mind, Alexander.'' Thought Alexander as he took several deep breaths, only to open his eyes when he heard that familiar thumping noise. "They''re gone?" Asked Yuki as she approached Alexander, who glanced at her while nodding. "Yes; now, c''mon, let''s go, Yuki. Though, just know, if you need to use the bathroom while we''re in the dungeon, you''re doing it in a corner; we''re not leaving." Remarked Alexander seriously as he looked at Yuki before turning around and exiting the building while she closely followed behind. "Eh? In the corner? Can you at least protect me?" Asked Yuki as she tilted her head before glancing at Alexander, who rubbed his head while nodding. "Haa, yes." Muttered Alexander as he glanced at Yuki before shaking his head. ___ ___ Dodging the creature''s tongue, I dashed behind Yuki while she blocked the floor Guardian''s attacks before leaping over her body and swinging Zartha while spinning in the air, launching a decently powerful wind blade, right for its leg, and as it wasn''t a life-threatening attack, it didn''t bother to dodge, causing a deep gash to cover its thigh. "Tsk, I thought that would''ve sliced it''s leg off." Muttered Alexander with a slight frown as he used [Air Jump] to do a backflip back over the guardian, attacking it once more. With another wind blade, the injureGuardiannally fell off, prompting Yuki to suddenly rush forward, slamming her two shields into the monster; with its agility now significantly reduced, it wasn''t able to move out of the way before it was crushed against the wall by Yuki, causing the entire cavern to tremble slightly. "It''s dead, right?" Asked Alexander curiously as he landed on the ground, resting Trina on his shoulder while Zartha scraped the rocky floor. At my words, Yuki raised her dual shields and smashed them onto the motionless creature before turning around and nodding, causing me to roll my eyes as I holstered my great swords onto my back. "Well, then, we should take a rest break; that battle went on for much longer than usual, so I used a decent amount of mana, and I''m sure you could use a break to regain your stamina, Yuki." Stated Alexander lightly as he approached Yuki, who sat down right beside the monster''s corpse, causing his expression to constantly twitch. Shaking my head, I grabbed the monster''s other leg and pulled it a distance away, leaving behind a trail of brown blood before I grabbed Zartha off my back and started butchering the floor guardian. ''I''m beginning to have second thoughts about you being my Master.'' Said Zartha very coldly as she eyed the sky while Trina sat in the distance, covering her mouth and suppressing her laughter. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ''Eh, well, you''ve only got yourself to blame, Zartha.'' Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at his pulsating greatsword while continuing to butcher the monster. Once I cut the monster''s limbs off, I stored them in my designated space pouch before grabbing and storing the other leg I chopped off inside, burning the disgusting brown blood off my greatsword. I holstered it and approached Yuki before sitting down beside her in a meditative position as I began to recover man significantly faster than usual. Now, a dungeon wasn''t exactly the safest place to meditate, but the guardian room will only ever be occupied by the guardian itself, and so long as another one isn''t birthed very quickly, we should be fine; besides, I''ve got Yuki. ''Though speaking of the dungeon, this hasn''t exactly been the luckiest expedition so far; thankfully, we haven''t encountered a monster horde, but the fifth-floor boss, the gargoyle, and the tenth-floor boss, which we''ve just beaten, the Licker, have both been stronger than usual, so I don''t really have a good feeling for the skeleton on the fifteenth-floor.'' Pondered Alexander with a slight frown while he silently meditated. I wasn''t just nervous or scared; my heart was lightly warning me of danger; however, I couldn''t discern what it was precisely warning me of. Was it the third Guardian? Or was it something else? I didn''t know, but I intended to keep my guard up the instant we leave this room. Several quiet minutes passed, and eventually, I refilled all of my mana, prompting me to open my eyes, only to hear the sound of crunching and I looked over at Yuki, I saw her eating cookies I had made. "Really, Yuki?" Asked Alexander as he blankly stared at Yuki, causing her to look at him before glancing back at the cookie in her hand. "Um, here you go." Replied Yuki as she broke off a small piece of the cookie and handed it to Alexander while putting the rest in her mouth, causing his face to twitch. Sighing to myself, I ate the tiny, bite-sized piece Yuki handed me before standing up and grabbing her hand as I helped her onto her two feet. "Alright, you glutton, you''re taking the lead; you''re going to need to burn off those extra calories." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he slapped Yuki''s lower back, causing her to put on her helmet and hold her two shields in front of her. "What are calories?" Asked Yuki in a deep voice as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who shook his head. "I''ll tell you about them later." Replied Alexander, causing Yuki to nod while her gaze hardened as the two exited the tenth floor and headed toward the eleventh floor. Similar to the previous floors, all the monsters were the same, only this time, elite class monsters were much more common, and all the monsters in general were in a much larger population. Speaking of population, after Yuki and I turned the corner, we saw a massive zombie hoard blocking our path forward while numerous massive zombies were in the hoard. ''That''s at least a few thousand, no? Haa, fuck us.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he tightly gripped his greatswords before enveloping them in raging reddish flames. "AHHHH!" Yelled Yuki loudly as she clanged her shields together before charging right into the hoard of zombies, trampling everything in her way; even the massive, elite zombies only momentarily slowed her down. Jumping into the fray right after Yuki, I stayed on the outskirts of the hoard and immobilized every zombie I came across by slicing off their legs or their waists while I allowed the flames coating my two swords to do the rest; I wasn''t killing as quickly as Yuki, though half the zombies she trampled over weren''t even dead, just immobile, and the elite zombies were only injured. However, that was good enough since she would constantly trample the zombies while I''d finish everything with my flames, a pretty good and effective combo; the only problem was the elites, which either Yuki or I had to kill personally as the flames weren''t that effective against them. For several minutes, I''d constantly slice, cut, stab, and decapitate zombies while Yuki would come running back and forth through the hoard, though eventually, we managed to kill them as I stabbed my sword into the last elite zombie. "Haa, so tedious. You okay, Yuki?" Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he retracted Trina from the zombie''s corpse before glancing at Yuki. "Yeah, though running through a massive hoard is always a little exhausting." Replied Yuki with uneven breathing as she approached Alexander while her shields dripped blood onto the ground. "Well, then, I''ll take the lead for the rest of this floor; I need you to be in tip-top shape when we fight the third guardian." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he walked forward, taking the lead, while Yuki nodded and followed him. We didn''t encounter any more zombies for the rest of the floor, thankfully, but we did get ambushed by several gargoyles, numerous lickers, and their elite versions along the way, though it wasn''t anything we hadn''t dealt with before, so everything was fine. Though, despite killing so many different monsters, I only leveled up twice this whole day, as unbelievable as that sounded. ''Haa, now I know why Master was only level 4,876 despite having lived for over 2,000 years. Leveling up isn''t easy.'' Mused Alexander with a slight sigh as he stopped walking, allowing Yuki to the lead now that they arrived at the twelfth floor. Chapter 130: From Above? Decapitating an elite-licker, I kicked its corpse away into that of an elite gargoyle, which was speedily charging straight for me, before launching a [Void Slash] at it, slicing both the corpse and the gargoyle in two, though, giving their stone-like body, the gargoyle was still very much alive, despite its waist having been severed from the rest of its body. However, I was forced to jump to the side, evading another elite licker from above me, allowing the severed gargoyle to fly toward me even faster now that it had lost half its weight. Clicking my tongue, I chucked Zartha at another elite gargoyle coming from behind me, my great sword cutting through the air faster than it could react before embedding herself right into the gargoyle''s head, shattering and killing it. Clenching my fist, I punched the flying gargoyle with my mana-enhanced fist, slamming its body into the ground as I crushed its head, leaving a fist imprint on the floor. Outstretching my hand, I called Zartha back to me while using Trina to block the licker''s tongue from piercing my skull; catching Zartha, I leaped into the air, using [Air Jump] a few times to approach the licker while also dodging its attacks before swinging my greatswords, launching a [Wind Blade], which speedily flew right towards it. However, given the impressive agility of lickers, it dodged the attack right before it could slice its neck off, though I merely smirked as the monster moved closer to me, prompting me to fill my neck with mana, using [Fire Breath] as I spewed a torrent of red-hot flames from my mouth; hearing several loud screeches, I saw the licker try to escape the range of my attack as it must''ve sensed it''s inevitable death, but, by launching either powerful enough wind blades, fireballs, or void slashes right at the monster''s escape path, it would be forced to stop, as it was getting cooked alive before it finally fell off the ceiling and only when it''s lifeless body hit the ground did I close my mouth. ''Urgh, disgusting; why can''t cooked monsters smell good?'' Thought Alexander with a disgusted expression as he landed on the ground beside the burnt and smoking licker, only to glance up when he heard a loud boom. Feeling the ground beneath my feet tremble slightly, I looked to my left, only to see tens of elite monsters surrounding Yuki as she removed her shield from the wall, leaving both a deep imprint and a crushed licker almost unrecognizable. ''Eh, Yuki seems a little pissed.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he coated his greatswords in fire, burning off the dirt and blood while approaching Yuki. "You, okay, Yuki?" Asked Alexander lightly as he holstered his two greatswords onto his back while glancing at Yuki, who huffed in irritation before nodding. "Hmph, yeah, I''m fine; I just hate fighting against those stupid lickers, always so fast and nimble. I would''ve been done fighting a few minutes ago if it weren''t for those stupid monsters." Remarked Yuki in slight anger as she removed her helmet, her deep, manly voice instantly morphing into one belonging to a young maiden. "You could''ve just brought the licker to me; I can deal with them much better than you can, you slowpoke." Said Alexander as he glanced at crushed licker embedded into the wall before glancing at Yuki''s sweaty face. "Tsk, you were already dealing with multiple other enemies; I didn''t want to make you fight another one and exhaust you further." Replied Yuki, clicking her tongue in annoyance before glancing to her left, eyeing the numerous corpses strewn about where Alexander was fighting. "Heh, one thing I''m extremely confident about is my endurance, Yuki. I mean that in more ways than one." Stated Alexander with a faint, playful smirk as he nudged Yuki, who just looked confused. ''Pervert. Unprofessional.'' Said Trina and Zartha, respectively, causing Alexander to roll his eyes while folding his arms. ''It''s called being playful, something Zartha doesn''t seem to understand, and you shouldn''t be calling people perverts, Trina, not when you and your Sister watch me whenever I have sex. Don''t think I wasn''t able to tell you were spying on me and Michelle''s sexy time. You two are a pair of perverts, not me.'' Declared Alexander, his words causing Trina to blush while Zartha nodded. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ''Touch¨¦. Hmph, Master''s being mean!'' Remarked Zartha and Trina, respectively, causing Alexander to smile in victory. "What do you mean by that?" Asked Yuki as she gave Alexander a confused look, causing him to smirk before shaking his head. "I''ll tell you about it later when we leave this dungeon; it''s best to stay focused right now, especially when the third guardian is on the next floor." Replied Alexander as he patted Yuki''s back, causing her to nod while forgetting about the whole thing. "Anyways, you look a little exhausted, Yuki; you should use this chance to recover. I''ll stand guard." Added Alexander as he placed his foot behind Yuki''s before pushing her stomach, causing her to fall onto her butt. "I would''ve sat on my own." Muttered Yuki with furrowed brows as she looked up at Alexander, who smirked before winking at her. Since we were practically just outside the fifteenth floor, where the third guardian resides, we needed to be in tip-top shape before daring to challenge it; both first and second boss fights were against guardians at or close to their strongest version possible and going by that logic, the same''s going to apply to the third one. ''I just hope we''re not unlucky; hell, we wouldn''t even know if we were unlucky. It will be our first time fighting this guardian after all.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he leaned against the wall, standing guard while vigilantly scanning his surroundings, only to glance back at Yuki when he heard metal constantly clanging together. Looking at Yuki, I wanted to facepalm myself since she was currently removing her armor as if we weren''t on the fourteenth floor of a dungeon right now; the only saving grace was the fact she was only removing her top half, which was actually the most important now that I think about it. "Haa, Yuki, can you please tell me what the hell you''re doing?" Asked Alexander blandly as he glanced at Yuki, who had already removed her breastplate, allowing her enormous breasts freedom, though they were still hidden behind a tight, black shirt. "I always get some pieces of rocks stuck in my armor whenever I fight those stupid gargoyles." Replied Yuki with a slight frown as she looked through her breastplate armor. Rubbing my face, I looked away from Yuki since, as much as I was trying to be serious, her black shirt was hugging her breasts, which was easily arousing me; looking down at my crotch, I couldn''t help but sigh while returning to warily scanning my surroundings, though I would occasionally take glances at Yuki. ''Haa, I''m just glad I''ve got Michelle; living with Yuki is very lust-inducing. I can''t go a single day without getting aroused from her.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh as he glanced at Yuki''s large breasts with a lustful gaze, causing him to gulp when he saw them shake, momentarily hypnotizing him. "Alex?" Asked Yuki as she looked at Alexander, her voice snapping him out of his daze as he blushed while nodding. "Y-Yes, Yuki?" Replied Alexander with slight shame as he looked Yuki in the eyes, well, only for a few seconds before she eventually looked back down at her chest. "You were staring at me, so I thought you needed something." Said Yuki lightly as she stood up and wore her breastplate again, squeezing it over her large breasts before concealing them once more, causing Alexander to click his tongue. "Tsk, no. I was just curious if you had any more cookies; I''m a little hungry." Stated Alexander with a shake of his head as he looked at Yuki before returning to scanning his surroundings. I didn''t get an immediate response and instead heard the sound of a wrapper, only to look at Yuki and see her stuffing several cookies into her mouth, emptying the bag. "N-No." Replied Yuki without an ounce of shame with a mouth full of food while Alexander gazed at her in disbelief before sighing to himself. ___ ___ Once both Yuki and I were fully rested and ready to challenge the third guardian, we continued down the path that led to the fifteenth floor, and when we arrived, similar to the two previous guardian rooms, there was an enormous opened cavern with enough space for a game of football, and I meant both of them. Glancing at each other, we hardened our gaze and prepared to fight. Yuki took the lead while I followed right behind her, and we warily entered the room, searching for the supposed large skeleton that wields a club. However, even after looking for some time, we never found one; in fact, we didn''t find anything that resembled a skeleton. "Um, this is the fifteenth floor, correct, Yuki?" Asked Alexander hesitantly as he eyed the walls and floor, searching for anything suspicious, to no avail. "Yes, I can count. A-At least, I think so." Replied Yuki softly as she copied Alexander, only to frown when she saw a pebble fall from the ceiling, prompting her to look up and freeze. "A-Alex, above us." Muttered Yukis quietly as she patted Alexander with one of her four arms, causing him to look up. To our astonishment, stuck to the ceiling was a massive skeleton holding a club, looking at us with its empty eye sockets. ''What the hell?'' Thought Alexander in confusion. Chapter 131: Fight! Third Guardian Seeing the giant skeleton stuck to the ceiling as if it were glued there, rocks started to fall to the ground as the skeleton''s body suddenly twitched, causing it to fall from the ceiling right on top of us. Quickly moving out of the way, Yuki and I dashed toward opposite sides of the cavern as the skeleton collided with the ground, causing the room to shudder while dust and debris were kicked up into the air. "Are you okay, Alex?" Asked Yuki with slight concern as she stood before the skeleton, the dust and debris too thick to look through. "Yeah, I''m good, Yuki; just be careful. That monster is probably going to attack you first." Replied Alexander with a nod as he used his unique eyes to look through the dust, spotting Yuki on the opposite side, several meters away. Following my words, the skeleton''s large body twitched once more, prompting me to lower my stance while tightly holding both Zartha and Trrina as I watched how the skeleton slowly began to stand up while grabbing its club off the ground. ''My goodness, it''s huge, and here I thought Yuki was one hell of a unit.'' Mused Alexander with a gulp as he looked at the back of the giant skeleton that completely towered over him while Yuki barely reached its torso. With its back facing me, I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to attack, but while I was dashing toward it, the monster suddenly raised its head toward the ceiling, and with [Heroes Gaze], I was able to witness a substantial amount of earth mana converging around its mouth. "Tsk, Yuki, raise your shields!" Yelled Alexander as he glanced at Yuki while dashing towards the monster, his words prompting her to frown before she quickly raised her shields into the air, protecting her body. Almost immediately after warning Yuki, the skeleton loudly roared, causing the enter cavern to tremble while also momentarily stunning Yuki and I; however, the real damage was yet to come since immediately after, a torrent of sharp spikes the size of javelins made entirely of stone emerged from the monster''s mouth. Quickly covering the ceiling before gravity took hold of them, causing them to fall back down and with there being so many, there was nearly no place in the cavern to dodge. ''Except for where it''s standing!'' Thought Alexander as he filled his body with mana, substantially increasing his physical attributes while also using [Speed Augmentation], which only further increased his speed. Speedily dashing to the monster, I reached it just before the first javelin-sized spikes lodged themselves into the ground while Yuki''s shields held firm as they either bounced off or were destroyed whenever they hit them. I''ve heard from Yuki that the bones of this monster are extremely tough and are hard to break, let alone slice through, which is why she had advised me to use the board side of my greatswords whenever I attack; however, what I didn''t tell her was that my greatswords, Trina and Zartha, were Mythical rank. Raising my greatswords into the air, I slashed down at the monster''s shin, slicing one of its legs off, successfully interrupting its attack as it fell to the ground. Leaping atop its chest, I was about to try and deliver the finishing blow by decapitating it; the monster swatted me away with its club, and just barely was I able to bring forth my greatswords to block the attack, though it still flung be quite a distance away. "Ouch." Muttered Alexander softly as he shook his left a little before approaching Yuki, having been flung in her direction by the monster. "You okay?" Asked both Yuki and Alexander as they looked at each other, causing them to faintly smirk before they heard the sound of movement, prompting their gaze too hard as they stared at the monster. "Have you scanned its status panel yet, Alexander?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at the monster, which was slowly beginning to stand up while its other leg was reattached to the rest of its body. "No, but thanks for reminding me. I had run in there guns blazing like a food." Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he looked at the skeleton, his purple, crystal-like eyes softly glowing in the dimly lit cavern. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it //////////////////// Species: Giant-Skeleton (Rare) Age: 3 months Tier: 2 Level: 156 Experience: [52%] Class: Elite-Monster Lifeforce: [98%] Mana: 2,134/2,340 Vigor: 3,547 Endurance: 4,293 Agility: 498 Dexterity: 202 Intelligence: 234 Perception: 678 Traits: Soul Sense(Rare), Stone Body(Rare), Spike Breath(Rare), Regrowth(Rare), Spatial Awareness(Rare), Superior Endurance(Rare), Enhanced Strength(Uncommon), Earthly Smash(Uncommon) Condition: //////////////////// "That''s a decent number of traits, excluding the one every monster has; it was a total of seven traits. Though it''s endurance and vigor are pretty damn high." Remarked Alexander lightly with an unsightly expression as he observed the monster''s status panel while tightening his hold on his weapons. "Seven? That is indeed quite a lot; this may be even tougher than we had anticipated." Muttered Yuki with a raised eyebrow before shaking her head and frowning as she eyed the large skeleton through the slit of her helmet. "Heh, that''s fine; I''m confident we can handle it. With you blocking and me attacking, sometimes I feel like we''re undefeatable." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he positioned himself behind Yuki at an angle while the monster ran towards them. While standing behind Yuki, when the monster neared us, it raised its club into the air before violently smacking down atop Yuki, who slightly spread her legs and lowered her back, bracing herself for the impact. Despite the Skeleton using a great deal of strength, it could only crack the ground beneath Yuki''s feet as she had remained stationary like an actual tank or an unmovable object. However, I didn''t just stay idle; the instant the monster attacked, I dashed forward, jumped onto Yuki''s shoulder, and leaped into the air as I coated my great swords in a thick layer of wind before I powerfully slashed it toward the monster''s face. Allowing gravity to take hold of me, I fell to the ground while constantly watching the monster, who now had two sizable gashes on its face, though my attack seemed pretty useless given the fact the wounds weren''t that deep and that they were being healed at a slow yet constant speed. ''Seems I''m going to have to use more strength than usual.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he landed on the ground beside Yuki while the monster shifted its target Before the monster could even get the chance to attack me, Yuki roared loudly with a deep voice, thanks to her helmet, causing the monster to suddenly freeze before it turned around and looked at her in anger. With Yuki having regained the monster''s focus, I dashed after it from behind before once again slicing its legs off, causing it to fall, while Yuki suddenly charged forth, bashing her shield into its chest, caving it in, and flinging the skeleton a few feet away. However, just like what its stats showed, its endurance was no joke, and despite all that attacking, it was still raring to go. "Damn, this is one tough skeleton. We just have to cut off or bash in its head, right?" Remarked Alexander as he glanced at Yuki while running behind her, prompting her to nod at his words. "Yes; one thing I''ve learned from venturing into this dungeon for years is that to kill an undead, you must either destroy its head or the heart, which usually kills them." Replied Yuki seriously as she came to an instant halt before raising her shield, blocking a powerful swing from the Monster''s club, while Alexander dashed right past her, running underneath her arms, slicing at its newly regrown legs. ''Usually? I''m not that interested in encountering an undead that doesn''t follow that rule.'' Mused Alexander as he stopped on a dime before leaping into the air while spinning, chopping off the monster''s arm and causing it to fall to the ground beside its legs. Using [Air Jump], I leaped toward the skeleton''s neck, only for it to suddenly raise its club into the air while converging a large amount of mana onto its tip before the monster swung down to the ground, completely missing me and, like a small bomb, the entire cavern shook with the blow. Following that, the mana entered the ground before tracing itself toward Yuki, and while I couldn''t see the future, I knew something terrible would happen. "Yuki, watch out beneath you!" Yelled Alexander loudly as he blocked an attack from the monster while looking at Yuki, who trusted him and, without any hesitation, placed a single shield beneath her feet, just in time to be lifted into the air by several sharp, pointy rocks that would''ve otherwise pierced her. "I-I''m good!" Yeled Yuki as she quickly stood up from the ground before grabbing her shield and charging toward the skeleton. Sighing in relief, Yuki and I once again entered the fry of battle, with her keeping the monster primarily focused on her while I constantly attacked, doing hit-and-run tactics, which were proving to be very effective; the only problem was, everything felt a little too easy, like something unforeseen was about to occur. ''Haa, I hope not.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he sliced off three rib cages while continuing to pass, leaving just in time for Yuki to get him a shield bash. Chapter 132: Enemy From Behind With the monster focused on Yuki, I dashed around it, cutting off its bones, forcing it to change its focus to me, though whenever it did that, Yuki would charge into it with her shield, once again garnering the monster''s attention while also knocking it off balance, which I would use to try and get close, though whenever I did, the monster would use it''s [Spike Breath]; making it nearly impossible to get close without getting impaled by at least several of them. Seeing a significant amount of mana converge around the monster''s mouth, I clicked my tongue in annoyance as I launched a powerful [Wind Blade] at the skeleton using more mana than usual, hoping to interrupt its attack, yet when the thick blade of wind landed atop the skeleton, a decently deep gash appeared on its body, but that was it. Failing to interrupt the monster, I quickly changed directions and headed toward Yuki; though, I was slightly too slow as the monster had already launched its breath, shooting a multitude of javelin-sized spikes at us. Inwardly cursing, I slowed down my perception of time, and for the first time since I left Master''s home, I used [Lightning Cloak]; feeling the sensation of lightning surrounding my body, all of my physical attributes significantly increased once more, allowing me to properly react. Block, cutting, and dodging, I did all of that to the numerous spikes in my way, though unfortunately, there were so many of them, and they were moving so fast, I didn''t remain unharmed; thankfully, nothing too serious. Cutting a few more spikes that were in my way, I finally arrived behind Yuki, causing me to sigh in relief as I stopped using the lightning cloak since, while it was very strong, it drank my mana like there was no tomorrow. "A-Alex, are you okay!?" Exclaimed Yuki in concern and surprise as she looked back at Alexander while her shields blocked the continuous breath of spikes. "Y-Yeah, I''m fine; only some cuts." Replied Alexander with a nod as he covered a small wound on his stomach, which was healing rapidly. ''Tsk, that''s quite a lot of blood I spilled.'' Mused Alexander with a frown as he glanced at the trail of his golden blood. Raising Trina into the air, I poured mana into her, and a large ball of fire manifested at the tip of the sword; using [Fire Blast], I continued to pour a decent amount of mana into it, causing it to get much bigger while it''s reddish color got slightly brighter, taking on an orangish hue. Once the skeleton stopped using its breath, I launched the ball of fire at the trail of blood I had left behind, burning my ichor to a crisp and getting rid of any evidence. "Take this your, bastard!" Yelled Yuki aggressively as she charged toward the monster, the two colliding with each other using their shields and clubs. Rolling my eyes at how overly dramatic she was being, I followed up from right behind her before sliding underneath her legs and cutting the monster''s foot in half, causing it to lose its balance and tip forward, right into Yuki, who powerfully swung her shield at its ribcage; however, true to its impressive endurance, she was only able to lightly crack a few of its bones. "I''ve got it pinned, Alex!" Yelled Yuki as she moved out of the way, allowing the monster to fall onto the ground before rushing forward and standing atop its chest while constantly slamming the butt of her shields onto its head. Pushing off the ground, I dashed toward Yuki and the monster, aiming right for its neck while using all of my physical enhancing skills except for my lightning cloak; coating my swords in fire, I swiftly slashed down on the monster''s neck, yet surprisingly, it didn''t try to dodge at all, meaning, it was still very much alive. ''Oh yeah, Yuki did say the head or heart.'' Mused Alexander as he looked at the limp skeleton body without a head before turning around and leaping onto the skeleton''s head. Landing on its skull, I used [Expand] on Zartha, increasing her size by double before stabbing her into the skull of the skeleton, and although it rapidly shook, it was too late; the instant my swords stabbed all the way through, the monster stopped moving entirely. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "It''s dead, right?" Asked Yuki as she cautiously eyed the skeleton''s body while approaching Alexander, who nodded with a faint smirk. "Yes, it''s definitely dead." Replied Alexander with a slight smile as he removed his sword from the skeleton''s head while the size returned to normal before he holstered them onto his back. "Hahaha! I can''t believe it; that was so easy!" Yelled Yuki loudly as she removed her helmet and let out a boisterous laughter unbefitting her womanly voice. "Yeah, it was pretty easy." Said Alexander with a nod as he slightly frowned while resting his hand on his heart. ''That uneasy feeling, even after killing the monster, is still present.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he felt his beating heart while warily looking around, searching for anything unnatural. While observing my surroundings, hoping to pinpoint why my heart was warning me, I was suddenly lifted into the air by four arms tightly squeezing my body as I was face to face with Yuki. "What are your swords made of, Alex? For them to be able to slice through the skeleton''s body with ease, they must be at least of the Epic rank! Maybe even Legendary!?" Remarked Yuki enthusiastically as she looked at Alex, who was being crushed against her sturdy armor. "I-I''ll tell you b-but y-you must f-first r-release me; I-I''d like t-to breath please." Replied Alexander with a pained expression as he looked at Yuki, who awkwardly laughed before setting him on the ground. "Haa, thank you; now, as for my swords. I''m not telling." Said Alexander with a sigh of relief as he fixed his clothes before looking up at Yuki with a sly smirk, causing her to pout while glaring at him. "Hmph, liar." Muttered Yuki in annoyance as she scoffed before folding her four arms and looking away, causing Alexander to chuckle to himself. "Hehe, you''re quite cute when you act like that, Yuki." Remarked Alexander lightly as he gazed at Yuki, who slightly blushed from his words. "C-C-Cute? N-No one has ever called me cute before." Whispered Yuki softly with a deep blush as she grabbed her cheeks in embarrassment while looking behind her, glancing at Alexander, who was approaching the skeleton''s body. Kneeling, I grabbed Zartha off my back and started butchering the skeleton body, which was proving to be an easy and clean process, something I was very fond of, especially since I was not practically covering myself in the monster''s disgusting blood. "Yuki, how much will this skeleton sell for?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Yuki, who was currently in her own little world. I had called out to Yuki several times, but whatever she was thinking about must''ve been very important since she completely ignored my calls. ''The hell''s up with her?'' Mused Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Yuki before shaking his head. Figuring I''d ask her later after I finished, I continued butchering the skeleton, and thanks to Master, despite the monster''s massive size, I was able to store all of it in my space pouch; the perks of having a filthy rich Master. "Heh, thank you, Master." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he looked toward the ceiling, only to suddenly fall to the ground, dodging a ball of scorching fire from hitting his back. Looking at the ball of fire hit the wall, I used [Heroes Gaze], which gave me a complete three-hundred-sixty view of my surroundings, allowing me to see several people standing at the entrance to the fifteenth floor, and unfortunately, said people were all too familiar. "Firemania." Muttered Alexander with a frown while lying on the ground, only to instantly spring into action when he noticed Lucy, who had just attacked him, switch her target to Yuki. Quickly standing up, I dashed toward Yuki while unholstering both of my swords, and I arrived in front of her just in time to coat my swords in fire before slashing the ball of fire in half, causing the two pieces to go around us. "Eh, w-what was that?" Asked Yuki as she was finally snapped out of her trance before looking around, only to sport a furious expression when she noticed the Firemania party. "To think all this time, Yuki was actually a woman; how surprising." Said Lucy lightly as she stood at the forefront of her party while glancing at Yuki, who wore her helmet and grabbed her shields. "Lucy, don''t think I won''t kill you just because we''re both adventurers!" Stated Yuki aggressively as she stood in front of Alexander while glaring at Lucy through the slit in her helmet with her piercing yellow eyes. "Heh, big words from the walking target; however, that''s the whole reason I came here. Adventurers killing each other is prohibited, but no one will ever find out about it here, will they?" Remarked Lucy with a scoff as she eyed Yuki before she wore an arrogant expression while her eyes were filled with a wicked light. "Can we not just talk about this?" Asked Alexander with a frown as he eyed Lucy and her party, his words causing her to chuckle. "Hehe, yes, I don''t mind talking about this, though I''ll only speak to your corpse. Kill them!" Stated Lucy with a wicked chuckle as she raised her staff before pointing it at Yuki and Alexander while her five party members all dashed toward them. Chapter 133: 2 Vs 1 & 3 Vs 1 Seeing the five dashing towards us, all with the intent to kill, I gritted my teeth in anger as I lowered my stance while standing beside Yuki, preparing to fend off these attackers; however, all of a sudden, while it was faint, I felt the ground slightly trembling along with the danger that my heart had been constantly warning me of, intensifying. Using [Heroes Gaze] to greatly lower my perception of time, I used this chance to look around, searching for the reason as to why I felt such danger since, as surprising as it sounds, my heart wasn¡¯t warning me of Lucy and her five approaching men, it was warning me of something else, something much more dangerous. ¡®Fuck, what is it? Zartha, am I missing something?¡¯ Thought Alexander with a deep frown as he intently looked around, only to inwardly curse and ask the most knowledgeable person he knew, someone to whom even Lavender¡¯s knowledge would pale in comparison. ¡®I don¡¯t know, Master. I may be able to see through your eyes, but I can¡¯t feel the same danger your heart is warning you of. If it is not the Firemania party, it could possibly be a second-floor guardian; although rare, it¡¯s possible for a second-floor guardian, or in your terms, a hidden boss, to appear after you¡¯ve defeated the first one.¡¯ Replied Zartha with a faint frown and a serious tone as she looked through Alexander¡¯s eyes, yet she was even more clueless than him, given her lack of information. While what Zartha had said was surprising and probably something I should¡¯ve learned much earlier, I didn¡¯t think it was that; I would¡¯ve spotted the convergence of a large area of vitality through the dungeon walls; however, the veins of vitality surging through the dungeon was mostly equal, and there were no signs of it converging. ¡®Tsk, dammit; I¡¯ll need to keep an eye out; the five are getting too close.¡¯ Thought Alexander with an unsightly expression as he ignored the dungeon before eyeing the five attackers, who were getting closer by the second. Having fought against Master numerous times, I knew just how dangerous and deadly a Mage could be, so I ignored the five and opted to deal with Lucy first, though unfortunately, she was too far away for me to use [Blink], as my skill was only a level 8, I could only teleport about eight feet around me in all directions, and Lucy was more along the lines of being eight meters away from me, not eight feet. I couldn¡¯t use teleport either; it took slightly too long to use, and it would leave me open; there was also a big chance Lucy would realize what I was doing, so that was a big nope. ¡®Welp, it looks like I¡¯ll have to force my way through these five and get close enough to use Blink; I just need to watch out for any pre-casted defensive spells Lucy had set up around herself. Master didn¡¯t use any, simply because she never needed to when facing me.¡¯ Thought Alexander with a frown as he glanced at the five men before looking at Lucy, only to wryly smile as memories flashed through his mind. Shaking my head, I stopped using [Heroes Gaze], saving it for when I really needed to use it, considering I was still concerned about what was causing my heart to warn me of such danger; however, the instant I did so, I heard metal loudly clanging as Yuki slammed her shields together before protectively stepping in front of me, just like a tank. ¡°C¡¯mon, you bastards!¡± Yelled Yuki loudly as he glared at the five while using the taunt skill that she¡¯d constantly used to attract the monster¡¯s attention to herself, and while it was less effective against intelligent species, those with a muddled mind or even those with low enough stats in perception would still be affected. ¡°What did you call us!?¡± Exclaimed a man angrily as he glared right at Yuki before dashing toward her while everyone else ignored her and went after Alexander. ¡°Tsk, dammit, they¡¯re going after you, Alex; I¡¯ll try to stop them but be careful.¡± Said Yuki in concern as she glanced at the other four, who had taken a large flank with two on each side of them. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s fine; I half-expected it anyway; according to them, I¡¯m the weaker link, and I¡¯ll be easier to deal with.¡± Replied Alexander with a frown as he turned around, placing his back against Yuki while he eyed the four men, who suddenly stopped on a dime before dashing toward him. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Doing a quick scan of their status, I couldn''t help but wince when I saw their stats; their stats weren¡¯t anything incredible, but each one of them was slightly stronger than me, along with them having pretty decently ranked skills, the only saving grace was that they had very low mana, which meant they most likely don¡¯t know how to use it, which is quite common for those who are below C-rank adventures. Filling my body with mana, enhancing my physical attributes, and giving me a slight edge over them, I filled my throat with fire mana before breathing out a large wave of fire, blocking the path of two of the men while two to my left neared me. Closing my mouth, I raised both of my greatswords, coating them in a thin layer of space mana before slashing them down towards the approaching two men, launching two [Void Slashes]. One of them managed to block it, but it halted their advance, though the other guy dodged it entirely before closing the distance. Clicking my tongue, I lunged at the man, and although I could¡¯ve used Blink to take him by surprise by appearing right behind him, I wanted to save that for Lucy if possible. Slashing down towards the man, just when our swords were about to connect, he suddenly tilted his sword at a weird angle, deflecting my great swords as they practically slid down his blade, causing me to wince before quickly leaning backward, just barely dodging the man''s slash. ¡®Be careful, Master, that man is a swordsman and a talented one.¡¯ Said Trina in slight concern as she looked through Alexander¡¯s eyes, spotting the man''s shiny katana. Furrowing my brows at Trina¡¯s warning, I carefully eyed the man, who was called Espada, a cool name if I¡¯m being honest, but it wasn¡¯t cool when they were trying to kill me. Leaping towards Espada, I slashed my swords from overhead, yet the same thing as before happened, and I was once again forced to dodge his slash at the end, which managed to knick my neck, though thankfully, it didn¡¯t draw blood. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!?¡± Exclaimed Yuki angrily as she pushed the person she was fighting away before charging into the two men Alexander had breathed fire at, forcing them to fight her instead. Since I was clearly at a disadvantage while facing him, I no longer initiated the fist attacks, though right behind him, I saw the second man run past Espada and lunge right toward me, causing Espada to follow from right behind. ¡®Tsk, dammit; good thing I¡¯ve trained with Master against fighting 2v1.¡¯ Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he used [Mana Enhancement] to its fullest extent, further increasing the durability of his armor, though not by much. Blocking the man''s sword attack, I counterattacked by swinging Zartha right for his torso, and unlike Espada, he didn''t try to divert it and instead intended to block it, and it was going to work until Espada kicked him away, causing me to click my tongue. ¡°The fuck was that for?¡± Asked the man angrily as he did backflip before landing and glaring at Espada, who seemed wholly unconcerned. ¡°I just saved your life; his swords, they¡¯re special. Don¡¯t try to block them; they¡¯ll cut right through you, your sword, and your armor like nothing.¡± Declared Espada with a glint flashing through his eyes as he slashed at Alexander, who blocked with Zartha and slashed with Trina, though he had already retreated. ¡®Welp, there goes my surprise; I could¡¯ve made this a 1v1 with that kill.¡¯ Mused Alexander with a frown as he tightly clutched Zartha and Trina before quickly glancing at his surroundings. With a quick glance, I spotted Yuki, who, despite facing three people simultaneously, was holding her own, though given that she only had two shields, she¡¯d almost always be forced to leave someone open, which allowed them to attack her, though her armor, was proving to be incredibly durable like always, with only slight scratch marks. Lucy was just standing by the exit, watching everyone; well, she was mainly watching Yuki and ignoring me; she wasn¡¯t helping her teammates, which was good, but who knows when or if she might in the future. ¡®We need to end this quickly.¡¯ Thought Alexander with a frown as he intently focused on Espada and his teammate. I would''ve liked to fight alongside Yuki, but they would mostly target me, which would just make it harder on both of us, especially me; our current situation isn¡¯t ideal, but it¡¯s probably the best for both of us. Blocking a sword slash from the second man, along with a stab from Espada, and while I tried to retaliate, the two were keeping me forced in a defensive loop with how they were timing their attacks, leaving me with minimal openings to attack back. Grunting in annoyance, I summoned forth my lightning mana from my heart and wantonly released it, causing something similar to an explosion of lightning to arch off my body, shocking both Espada and his teammate. Chapter 134: Yuki The Actress? With both Espada and his teammate dazed by my sudden release of lightning, instead of dashing toward them, I turned my body and lunged toward Lucy; she may not have been fighting, but I knew just how much a threat a Mage was, and I wasn''t going to wait until she started to get involved within the battle. "YUKI!" Yelled Alexander loudly, causing Yuki to snap her head at him while blocking two attacks from her sides, leaving her front open to her third opponent, but her impressively sturdy armor held its ground. "Make it quick!" Remarked Yuki with an understanding nod as she ignored her three opponents before slamming her shields together and charging right for Alexander''s two enemies, forcing them to come to a halt Seeing Yuki stall the enemies I was previously fighting, I forced on Lucy and speedily dashed toward her, yet she quickly caught onto what I was doing, sporting a haughty and wicked expression; she pointed the tip of her staff at me. "Heh, so you''ve decided to enter an early grave? I''ll gladly turn your body into ashes!" Stated Lucy with a murderous look as she poured her mana into her staff, causing a large flaming ball to manifest. Eying the flamming ball using [Heroes Gaze], I tried searching for weak or imperfect spots in her spell, something Master taught me, but such things proved useless when sparring against a mage with more than two thousand years of experience. However, against Lucy, who looked to only be in her early thirties, I spotted numerous weak points in her spell. ''Hmm, wait a second, that''s too many weak points.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he slowed down slightly while intently eyeing Lucy''s large flaming ball, only for him to suddenly widen his eyes. "Shit." "Firey assault!" Said Lucy with a wicked smile as she eyed Alexander, causing the large flaming ball to rapidly shoot out a cone of tiny fireballs at him. Covering my face with my swords while coating them in fire, I used [Wind Armor] to help divert the tiny fireballs, which helped tremendously, though the force of the tiny fireballs that hit my sword slowed me down. ''So this is the might of a mage that''s trying to kill me?'' Mused Alexander with a deep frown as he used his omni-vision to look behind him, checking up on Yuki, who was facing five people by herself. Despite it being five on-one, Yuki was a freaking monster and was able to still hold her ground, though, unlike those other fools, Espada had found the weak spots in her armor, and now the others were beginning to solely focus their attacks on her joints, causing me to frown. ''Yuki will last, she''s a freaking monster; though I still need to try and beat Lucy as quickly as I can.'' Thought Alexander with a hardened gaze as he eyed Lucy through his swords and the heavy rain of fire, forcefully checking upon her status. //////////////////// Name: Lucy Monrue Species: Human Age: 33 years Tier: 2 Level: 187 Experience: [54%] Class: Fire-Mage(Rare) Sub-Class: Title(s): Leader of the Firemania(Uncommon)+, Journeyman Mage (Uncommon) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 44,012/44,475 Vigor: 60 Endurance: 56 Agility: 232 Dexterity: 76 Intelligence: 4,475 Perception: 422 Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Traits: Fire Intuition(Rare) Skills: Fiery Explosion¨Clvl1(**Epic), Mana Regen¨Clvl9(*Rare), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl9(*Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl5(*Rare), Fire Breath¨Clvl2(*Rare), Fire Ball¨Clvl5(**Rare), Fire Shot¨Clvl2(**Rare), Meditation¨Clvl4(*Rare), Fire Assault¨Clvl6(*Rare), Fire Dominion¨Clvl6(*Rare), Fire dome¨Clvl9(*Rare) Condition: N/A //////////////////// Clicking my tongue at Lucy''s stats, she was quite stacked, and despite her haughty and arrogant attitude, she was pretty damn strong, especially regarding her mana, which was nearly double my own; however, her physical attributes were like a child''s compared to mine. All I needed was to get my hands on her, and she''d be finished; the only problem was that I needed to get close to her, and her seemingly infinite rain of tiny fireballs was making it difficult; I was approaching her too slowly. "I''m not going to be able to save some of my mana when facing her. Dammit." Muttered Alexander with an unsightly expression as he stopped running forward and dashed to his side, escaping Lucy''s constant fire rain. Despite Lucy''s attack being quite powerful, it seemed it lacked mobility since she couldn''t turn it, most likely without risking completely destabilizing the spell. Coating my swords in the wind, I sliced them down at Lucy while running right behind the two [Wind Blades] I had launched at her, and while she managed to dodge, it was okay since I was slowly closing the distance between us. Seeing her preparing another spell from the way how the fire mana moved around her, I launched a lightning bolt at her faster than she could finish her spell, and while she managed to tilt her body at the last second, I scorched her left side. "ARGHH! F-Fucking bastard! I-I''ll kill you!" Yelled Lucy in anger as she held her burnt side while slamming her staff on the ground, causing a thin, fiery layer to surround her like a dome. ''C''mon, just a little bit closer; just a few more meters!'' Thought Alexander as he looked at Lucy, who channeled a substantial amount of mana into her staff, causing a sizeable ball of highly dense flames to manifest before the blue gem on her staff. Seeing the attack, I gritted my teeth and prepared to tank the blow if I didn''t get close enough in time, but to my horror and disbelief, she suddenly switched her target and pointed to Yuki''s before launching it toward her; she intended to kill her own teammates with that attack. "YUKI!!" Yelled Alexander in fear as lightning coiled around his body, surrounding him in a soft blue glow along with a vortex of wind entirely on his lower legs before he dashed towards Yuki at the fastest speed he could muster. ''Dammit! I''m too slow! I won''t make it in time!'' Thought Alexander anxiously as he watched the sizeable ball of incredibly dense flames fly through the air while heading toward Yuki. At her name being called, Yuki looked behind her, instantly noticing the incoming attack, and with a mighty yell, she ignored her enemies, who had also just noticed the attack, before turning her shields into a wall she hid behind. The instant the fiery ball collided against Yuki''s shield, a massive explosion engulfed Yuki, Lucy''s comrades, and me as I was just slightly out of range to use [Blink], flinging me far away. The strength in that spell was no joke as it managed to scorch my skin, a painful sensation, but my body healed quickly; I was more concerned with Yuki''s well-being rather than my own. Rolling against the ground, I stabbed Zartha into the ground before quickly running toward the center of the explosion while the floor surrounding it was completely burned in a ten-meter radius, and I could even see two burnt corpses. Ignoring those two corpses, I neared Yuki, who had managed to somehow hold firm despite being at the center of the explosion, showing just how truly robust and powerful she was. "Yuki! Yuki, please tell me you''re okay!?" Exclaimed Alexander as he holstered his sword on his back before forcefully removing Yuki''s Hemet. "I-I''m pretty sure I''ve broken something." Said Yuki softly in a painful voice as she looked at Alexander while blood trailed down the side of her lip, causing him to sigh in relief while faintly smiling. "Haa, so long as you''re alive; here, do you need help standing up?" Replied Alexander as he patted Yuki''s shoulder before squatting underneath her underarms and attempting to stand up. "A-Argh, y-yeah; I-I don''t know if I''ll be able to walk on my own after taking that." Muttered Yuki with a nod as she leaned against Alexander, who gladly helped her stand up. Just as I was helping Yuki stand, I saw another sizeable fireball coming straight for us, and out of pure reflex, I used all of my strength to toss Yuki far away before quickly turning around, using my swords to tank the attack while using [Lightning Cloak] to help offset the damage. "ALEX!!" Yuki yelled as she collided against the wall and looked at Alexander, only for him to suddenly be enveloped in an enormous fiery explosion, causing the entire floor to shake with an unnatural might. ___ ___ Seeing Alex''s figure vanish within the violent explosion, I instantly thought the worst, that my only friend had just sacrificed his life for mine; even with my shields taking most of the explosive might, I was still greatly injured, not to mention that my endurance and vigor were without a doubt higher than his. Grunting, I powered through the pain and slowly stood up, shuffling towards Alex after the flames vanished; however, when I arrived, I nearly cried out in sadness and anger at his burnt and scorched body, only for my eyes to slightly widen when I saw him open his eyes. "S-Shh, p-pretend I''m dead, Yuki." Said Alexander with a whisper as he looked at Yuki, golden blood leaking out his mouth while his terrible burnt wounds healed, causing his disfigured face to regain its previous handsomeness. ''Haa, t-thank you; y-you''re alive.'' Thought Yuki in utter joy as she cried tears of happiness while she collapsed onto her knees before Alexander, only to take him into her arms and tightly embrace him. ''Damn, I didn''t know Yuki could act; maybe I should get her into one of those plays I''ve heard about in the city.'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he slightly opened his eyes and looked at Yuki, only for his face to be tightly pressed into her neck. Chapter 135: Plummeting Between Floors!? While I was being held within Yuki''s embrace, which normally would''ve aroused me to no end given her voluptuous and muscular figure, she was wearing her armor, so instead of my head resting on her massive, soft breasts, my head was on her cold, hard, metal breastplate, and that wasn''t comfortable by any means. However, considering our situation, such thoughts were merely fleeting as I focused on playing dead while my body healed itself, though I couldn''t help but frown when I heard soft footsteps approaching us. I couldn''t risk opening my eyes, but luckily, I didn''t need to; using [Heroes Gaze], I was able to look through my eyelids along with Yuki''s armor and body as I eyed the slowly approaching Lucy, who was sporting one malicious expression. ''She had just killed nearly all of her party members, and she''s smiling? What a sick person.'' Thought Alexander in disgust and anger as he eyed the smiling Lucy, who stood a few meters away while pointing to her staff. "Hehe, I''m impressed you managed to survive my Fiery Explosions; each one cost roughly a quarter of my mana to cast. Though it seems like you didn''t survive without any casualties, I had intended to kill you first and deal with that brat later, but oh well, it doesn''t matter now." Remarked Lucy with a vile grin and a wicked chuckle as she kept her distance from Yuki while eyeing her and Alexander''s supposed corpse. "I-I''ll kill you." Said Yuki lightly with venom in her voice as she glared at Lucy while protectively holding Alexander, causing him to inwardly praise her acting skills. ''Heh, that''s it, Yuki; wonderful job! While you''re stalling her, I''ll teleport behind her.'' Thought Alexander, stopping himself from smiling as he focused on using the skill [Teleport] to appear behind the unsuspecting Lucy. "Hahaha, kill me? Maybe if you weren''t such a useless brute, I''d take you seriously, but I''m a Mage; I''m superior to you! You never had a chance to begin with!" Declared Lucy with a slightly maniacal laughter as she looked at Yuki with a smile before tightly gripping her staff and channeling a substantial amount of mana into it, causing a large fireball, similar to the previous two, to manifest in front of her blue gem at the tip of her staff. Feeling a sudden amount of intense heat, I smiled as I had just finished preparing my teleport spell, yet just when I was about to use it to appear behind Lucy, the entire floor suddenly shook while loud cracking noises echoed through the cavern as if something was breaking. However, following that, the floor beneath us suddenly caved in while cracks appeared; with this change, the danger I''d been feeling for nearly a whole day suddenly intensified as my heart rate increased. However, I couldn''t do anything since, all of a sudden, the floor beneath gave way, causing all of us to fall through the ground. "W-What the hell!?" Yelled Lucy in fear as she fell through the ground, plummeting through the air while Yuki and Alexander were a few meters in front of her. "Y-Yuki, hold on!" Said Alexander as he grabbed Yuki before their figures suddenly vanished, only for them to both appear standing behind the spot where Lucy was previously standing. Unfortunately, the problem with teleporting was that you couldn''t just change your destination on a dime; you''d need a few moments to change the location, and that''s why it''s vastly inferior to [Blink] during combat, so despite having teleported both Yuki and I, we both ended up appearing in the air since the floor wasn''t just destroyed in a small area. "FUCK." Said Alexander with an unsightly expression as he and Yuki plummeted through the air, following right after Lucy. ''Well, on the bright side, this isn''t nearly as scary as I thought it would be, probably because Yuki and I could survive jumping from a skyscraper.'' Mused Alexander as he held onto Yuki while looking towards the ground, which was rapidly approaching. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Brace for impact!" Stated Yuki as she curled into a ball while protecting Alexander, only for her to crash into the ground a few seconds later with a loud thud. "Y-Yuki, a-are you alright?" Asked Alexander in slight concern as he looked at Yuki, who opened her eyes and nodded before releasing him from her protective embrace. "Yes, b-but I''ve seen better days; are you fine, Alex?" Replied Yuki as she winced slightly while watching Alexander stand atop her before exiting the small crater, only to help her. "Yeah, I''m good, though I''m surprised we''d fallen through the floor. I wonder which floor we''re at now, I''m assuming 16." Said Alexander as he quickly helped Yuki out of the crater and onto her two feet before finding one of her shields nearby, only to toss it to her. "Despite living here for over a decade, I''ve never heard the tale of an adventure falling through the dungeon floor; are we just that unlucky?" Said Yuki solemnly with a frown as she warily looked at their surroundings, preparing to fight if the need arose. I didn''t know what to say to Yuki, considering she''s a veteran, so I just shrugged my arms and unholstered my great swords off my back as I cautiously walked in front, taking the lead since Yuki was quite injured. "Watch out for Lucy; I doubt she''d die from a simple fall. Unfortunately." Said Alexander as he glanced back at Yuki, who nodded. While across the rocky floor, from the ceiling collapsing, I subconsciously looked up, curious to see how far we''d fallen, yet, weirdly enough, the ceiling was incredibly high, far higher than it should''ve been considering we should be on the sixteenth floor, which was only one floor lower. ''If I had to guess, that''s at least 175 to 200 meters; that''s ridiculous for just a gap in one floor. I''m not seeing things wrong, am I?'' Thought Alexander with a suspicious expression as he looked up at the ceiling. ''Not all dungeons are vertical, Master. Just because it has floors doesn''t necessarily mean the next floor will be directly below it.'' Stated Zartha coldly with a faint frown as she looked out through Alexander''s eyes while Trina sat on her lap. ''Really? I''ve thought that''s been the case the entire time.'' Said Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked up at the incredibly tall ceiling before frowning and shaking his head. ''If that''s the case, are you suggesting we''re much lower than the 16 floors? Possibly in the 20s?'' Asked Alexander as he stabbed Trina into the large stone he was standing on and resting Zartha on his shoulder, which softly glowed at his every word. ''No. that shouldn''t make sense. I don''t doubt you, Zartha, but my heart is warning me of danger, and if it was merely the 20s or even the last floor with the fifth guardian, I''m confident in winning. If it really comes down to it, I''ll just use [Divine Wrath]; it may not have finished the job with Simba, but he''s massively stronger than me, not to mention I''ve gotten quite a bit stronger since then.'' Remarked Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he rubbed his chin while gazing at the ceiling, only for him to suddenly turn around, finally noticing Yuki''s disappearance. Not seeing Yuki behind me, I grabbed Trina out of the stone and quickly looked around, though just when I was about to call her name, I sighed in relief when I spotted her in the distance, squatting beside what looked to be a corpse, an incredibly old one as well. Hopping off the stone, I landed on the smoother ground and approached Yuki. "Looks like you found your other shield. What are you doing?" Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who looked up at him before looking back down at the skeleton. "Nothing. My shield was lying on the ground beside this skeleton, and I was just taking a look; he or she seemed to have been here for quite some time. I''m surprised the dungeon didn''t absorb its body." Replied Yuki softly as she shook her head before grunting in pain and standing upright, only for her and Alexander to frown towards the end. "Yeah, that''s not a good sign; I''ve heard some of the adventurers say that the dungeon will absorb anything living after it''s died, and the only time it doesn''t is when the dungeon is about to overfill. Which would mean a Dungeon Rampage will be happening soon." Remarked Alexander with an ugly expression as he looked at the perfectly intact corpse before glancing at Yuki, only to sigh and affectionately pat her shoulder. "It''s fine; it''s been years since then. Besides, I already told you my Mother went out dying like a warrior in battle; there is no need to pity me, Alex." Said Yuki with a soft smile as she looked at Alexander, who sighed before nodding and looking away. "Haa, yes, you''re right, sorry about that. Either way, Yuki, this doesn''t make any sense; a Dungeon Rampage shouldn''t be anywhere close to happening. I''ve heard there will be other signs we''ll be able to spot, like increased monsters, stronger floor guardians, and infighting amongst monsters. We just happened to get unlucky with the strong floor guardian today; either two hadn''t happened, so this is weird, don''t you think so?" Stated Alexander apologetically as he shook his head before folding his arms, squinting his eyes at the skeleton, only to solemnly look at Yuki, who nodded in agreement. Chapter 136: Yuki, Wake Up! "Yes, it is indeed quite weird. This is usually one of the final signs of when a dungeon rampage will occur, and when this happens, it''s almost always too late to try and stop it from happening. Instead, we should focus on evacuating rather than trying to kill monsters." Replied Yuki with a nod and a thoughtful expression as she and Alexander intently looked at the skeleton, unsure of what to do. ''Do you have anything to say, Zartha? Any advice for me?'' Asked Alexander as he glanced at his greatsword, waiting for her to respond. ''Going back to the earlier topic about this being a deeper floor, you''ve got that wrong, Master. I was never insinuating this was a deeper floor of the dungeon; I was suggesting this was a different dungeon entirely.'' Replied Zartha lightly with a slight frown as he rubbed Trina, who was looking through Alexander''s eyes with slight concern. ''A different dungeon entirely!? I-Is that possible? I mean, what are even the chances of this happening?'' Questioned Alexander in astonishment as he looked around, observing the dark surroundings with his eyes, yet all he saw was a rocky cavern. ''Yes to the first two questions, Master; as I said earlier, all dungeons aren''t straight up and down, which means it''s possible. As for the chances, well, given how dungeons can be literally anywhere, so long as they form within the ground, you''d have a better chance of getting struck by lightning. Twice. Within the same spot.'' Remarked Zartha lightly as she patted Trina''s hand, causing them both to softly smile. Groaning at Zartha''s response, I used [Hereos Gaze] to look inside the walls, searching for the vitality of the dungeon as, from what I assume, it might''ve been an indicator for gauging how strong said dungeon we''re in; yet, what I saw caused me to nervously gulp in slight fear. The veins coursing through the dungeon''s walls were massive, nothing like I''ve ever seen before; they were as thick as Yuki, if not more. Though while that may not sound big, considering a dungeon as a whole is hundreds of times Yuki''s size, the centipede dungeon back in the forest, the veins in that dungeon were small, about as thick as my finger, while the dungeon we are in, or I should say, previously in, was about as thick as my forearm, and that was a rare dungeon. Yet this one was as thick as Yuki herself, and she made me look like a child whenever I stood next to her. ''T-This isn''t an Epic ranked dungeon, it''s a-'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression, only for it to get worse when he scanned the dungeon itself, displaying its information. //////////////////// Name: Monstrosity Dungeon Rank: Legendary //////////////////// ''That isn''t good, Master. Yeah, you need to leave quickly, Master!'' Said Zartha and Trina with ugly faces as they looked at the same information as Alexander, who rapidly nodded in response. "Y-Yuki, we need to fucking leave, right fucking now." Stated Alexander solemnly as he turned and eyed Yuki, who was rummaging through the belongings of the skeleton. "Yuki, what the heck are you doing? That''s disrespectful to the dead!" Added Alexander with a slight frown as he grabbed Yuki''s shoulder, trying to pull her back, which wasn''t easy since she resisted. "Eh, it''s fine, Alex; they''re dead, so they will never use it again in the first place. Besides, if you died, wouldn''t you want someone to use your swords instead of letting them rot in this dark dungeon for who knows how many hundreds of years?" Remarked Yuki definitely as she glanced at Alexander while holding the space pouch she ripped off the skeleton. I couldn''t really refute her words since I would want someone to take my great sword if I were to die in such a lonely place, though my situation is different since Zartha and Trina are alive; it would be quite cruel to make this sit in the darkness for thousands of years again. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Anyways, that stuff doesn''t matter right now; we can argue about that later. Right now, we need to leave, alright?" Stated Alexander seriously as he rested his hand on Yuki''s cheek, forcing her to look up into his purple eyes while he transferred his emotions to her for the first time, causing her to sport a weird expression before deeply frowning. "W-What was that, Alex?" Asked Yuki with a deep frown as she stood up on her two feet, glancing at Alex and stuffing the space pouch in her armor pocket. "I simply transferred my emotions to you so you can understand how urgently we need to leave." Replied Alexander quickly as he walked towards the wall in the distance while Yuki swiftly followed right behind, properly understanding the gravity of the situation. Once I reached the wall, I looked up at the ceiling before looking at Yuki, only to curse when I saw her body; she was putting on a strong front, but she was very injured especially her arms. I''m honestly surprised she''s even able to carry her shields. "Fuck. Can you climb this wall, Yuki?" Asked Alexander as he stabbed his greatswords into the wall horizontally before glancing at Yuki, who holstered her shields onto her back. "I-I''ll try." Said Yuki hesitantly as she leaped into the air before grabbing a rock and jutting out from the wall. While Yuki was successfully hanging there, she gave it nearly her all, and her intense red face said it all; she was straining herself just to hold her own weight up; there was no way she was going to be able to climb possibly two hundred meters. Dropping to the ground, just in time to catch Yuki, I gently set her on the ground and let her take a brief break, as in like ten seconds. "I-I can''t. B-Blocking Lucy''s sudden attack was too much for my arms." Muttered Yuki with a pained expression while sitting down as she removed the armor for her arms, only to wince when she saw her arm. "Sorry to say this, Yuki, but your injury will have to wait. It''s not life-threatening, so it''s not much of a concern right now. C''mon, get on my back; I''ll carry you up." Stated Alexander apologetically before turning around and squatting down slightly, causing Yuki to nod before sitting on his back. "Ugh, fuck, you''re heavy; you must weigh at least 1,000 pounds with all of that armor and those two shields. Try not to choke me while I''m climbing." Remarked Alexander with a slight grunt as Yuki wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs dangled on the ground given their large height difference. Although I said those things, Yuki wasn''t going to make climbing this wall any harder; she didn''t weigh nearly enough, so, with a deep breath, I leaped up, grabbing my greatswords that were stabbed horizontally into the wall; otherwise, we''d just end up slicing the wall and falling back down. Using my swords as ice picks, I climbed the wall as fast as I could, even taking a few risky jumps, doing all this while preparing to teleport up to the ceiling of the fifteenth floor if need be. However, all of a sudden, my heart started beating much more erratically, and following that, I felt a tremble in the walls, which caused me to gulp nervously. "Shit. Shit. Shit." Muttered Alexander in slight fear, and just when he was about to use [Teleport], a massive, powerful roar like no other resounded throughout the cave, intensely shaking it while even everyone within the graveyard dungeon above heard it. "ROAAAARRRR!!" "ARGH!!" Yelled Alexander and Yuki as the mighty roar ravaged their bodies, ignoring their armor and significantly damaging their bodies while also interfering with the teleport. Feeling as if I''d just been violently punched over every inch of my body, I coughed blood while falling back towards the ground, quickly spinning my body and using [Air Jump] before hitting the ground. "Urgh, f-fuck, that hurt. H-How are you, Yuki?" Asked Alexander with a grunt of pain as he kneeled on the ground while gasping for air before removing Yuki from his back and inspecting her body, only to sport an ugly expression. ''Her organs have been greatly injured; she''s dying. Fuck!'' Thought Alexander with a hideous face as he looked at the unresponsive Yuki before reaching into his pocket, grabbing his space pouch, and searching through it. "Dammit, I don''t have my vial; I used it on Michelle yesterday. I''m fucking stupid, why didn''t I make another one!?" Exclaimed Alexander in anger as he slapped himself in the face before cursing under his breath and raising his hand, summoning Trenza, who was still stuck in the wall. Without wasting any more time, I raised my wrist over my mouth and sliced it a few times, pouring my golden blood into my mouth until I was full, only for me to lean forward and forcefully open Yuki''s mouth before kissing her, pouring my blood into her, I forced her to swallow before removing my mouth and looking at her body, watching as it swiftly healed itself within several seconds. However, even after she had fully healed, she wasn''t waking up, which was really beginning to worry me since while I can heal the wounded and the dying, I can''t forcefully bring back a soul that''s already left the body. "Come on, Yuki, you can''t be fucking dead; I just lost Master, I can''t lose another person! C''mon, wake up! Please." Declared Alexander anxiously, straddling Yuki''s chest and grabbing her shoulders while shaking her as tears began to form in his eyes Chapter 137: Terrible Situation Sitting atop Yuki''s chest, I kept shaking her, hoping it would wake her up, but nothing I did was seemingly working, causing me to spout profanities one after the other before slamming her head onto the ground; yet even so, the sudden impact did nothing, she continued to sleep soundly like a baby. "Dammit, Yuki! You''re forcing my hand!" Yelled Alexander in both concern and anger as he released Yuki''s shoulders before summoning forth lightning from his heart, causing it to coat his hands in a soft blue aura. "If this works, just know I''m not sorry at all!" Stated Alexander solemnly as he gritted his teeth before grasping Yuki''s head with both of his hands, only to bombard her with a weak [Lightning Bolt]. As I watched my lightning bolt travel through Yuki''s body, suddenly, her eyes snapped open, filling me with joy and relief, though before I could do anything, I saw a large metal fist aiming right for my head, and the only thing I could do was slow down my perception using my [Heroes Gaze] and slowly watch how it connected with my nose. ''This is going to hurt.'' Thought Alexander as he watched the metal fist slam into his face, flinging him off Yuki''s body and slamming him into the nearby wall while his golden blood leaked from his nose. "What the fuck, Alex!? That hurt!" Exclaimed Yuki angrily, holding her head while sitting upright as she glared at Alexander, who had bounced off the wall and fallen to the ground. "Ugh, damn, that hurt." Muttered Alexander with a groan of pain as he slowly stood back up while wiping his bloody nose, only for him to glance at Yuki with a massive smile. Forgetting about being punched and my bloody nose, I lunged toward the angry Yuki and embraced her in a hug before lifting her up. "I-I was worried you had died, Yuki." Said Alexander softly while tightly hugging the armored Yuki, who finally remembered what had occurred, causing her to calm down while patting Alexander''s shoulder. "Heh, I''m too robust to be defeated so easily; I hadn''t put all of my points into Endurance for nothing, after all." Remarked Yuki with a proud smile as she flexed her muscles, only for their happy mood to immediately halt when they heard rocks moving. Hearing rocks'' moving around, I quickly set Yuki on the ground and looked at where the noise had come from, only to spot a grievously injured Lucy leaning against the wall while pointing her staff at us; how she was still alive, I didn''t know. Yuki had nearly died from that roar alone, yet somehow Lucy was still alive? It didn''t quite make sense to me, but maybe she had an artifact that protected her or something. "B-Bastard w-where do you think, y-you two are g-going!? D-Don''t t-think you can escape from me! I-I''m L-Lucy Munroe!" Yelled Lucy loudly while gasping for breath as she shakily held her staff while leaning against he wall, barely able to stand, oblivious to the thumping noises that continued to draw closer every passing second. Eyeing Lucy, I ignored her and reached down, grabbing one of Yuki''s shields and handing it to her before casting a [Fire Ball], using it to burn some of my ichor that had spilled; I could feel my heart rapidly beating in my impending death, whatever monster that roars and these thumping noises belonged to was wholly capable of killing Yuki and I. "Yuki, we can''t waste our time entertaining her; we''ve got to leave right now." Stated Alexander as he glanced at Lucy before looking at the large passageway behind her, only to finally look at Yuki, who nodded in response while picking up her second great shield. "Yeah, I can hear those approaching thumping noises, and I''ve got no desire to meet an early death." Stated Yuki solemnly with a nod as she holstered her shields onto her back before turning around and approaching the wall. Holstering my greatswords, I quickly caught up to Yuki and held her hand while preparing to teleport once more; however, all of a sudden, there was a loud thump, causing Yuki and I to flinch as we gazed behind us, eyeing the large passageway behind Lucy. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Y-Yuki, c-can you s-see it?" Asked Alexander nervously in slight fear as he tightly held Yuki''s hand while she fearfully nodded. "T-That''s right j-just stand there w-while I, L-Lucy M-Munore, t-the most talented f-fire mage in t-the last century k-ki-" Stated Lucy arrogantly with a wicked expression as she injected large amounts of mana into her staff, though before she could finish speaking, a massive head suddenly chopped down from above, bitting her body in half with it''s massive, sharp teeth. "W-Well, a-at least our s-situation is marginally better." Muttered Alexander optimistically with a forced smile as his purple eyes fearfully stared at the massive reptilian creature. Although I was trying to stay optimistic, it was next to impossible when both Yuki and I were looking death in the face; the creature that was currently chewing on half of Lucy''s body was, without a doubt, one of the largest monsters I''d ever laid my eyes on; even the school bus-sized centipede was significantly smaller than this behemoth. Its large head, massive body, muscular legs, and short arms reminded me slightly of a T-Rex from my past life; granted, while the two creatures had some striking similarities, that was about it. Watching it chew upon Lucy, both Yuki and I stayed silent while not moving so much as an inch, lest we gathered its attention; despite knowing it knew of our presence, we just hoped it would take a little bit longer than usual for it to shift it''s attention to us. However, just the mere presence of this monster being so close made it very difficult for me to use mana since it was releasing all of its own mana wantonly into the atmosphere, making it exponentially harder for me to utilize it. ''Dammit! I Remember Master warning me about this. What did she say?'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he closed his eyes and thought back to his training sessions with Lavender. ___ ___ Seeing Master easily block my attack, I cursed under my breath before waving my hand, planning to use a [Fire Blast] enhanced with my wind mana, but for some reason, when my mana exited from my body, controlling it became increasingly difficult, it was like my mana was moving through a viscous liquid. Frowning, I glanced at Master, who was just standing there while faintly smirking at me, causing me to grumble under my breath as I stopped running and intently focused on trying to cast a fire blast, yet, even after a full minute, I couldn''t so much as create a small spark, let alone a large fireball. "Haa, I surrender." Said Alexander in defeat as he raised his hands while glancing at the several icicles floating in the air around him before looking at Lavender, who waved her hand. Seeing the icicles disappear, I absorbed Trina and her elder sister back into my body before giving Master a slightly annoyed look as she approached me. "What did you do this time, Master?" Asked Alexander as he folded his arms and looked at Lavender, who softly chuckled with a faint smile. "Fufu, nothing amazing, my dear disciple; I simply released my mana in the vicinity." Replied Lavender lightly as she waved her hand in the air, prompting Alexander''s eyes to glow slightly while he looked around, only to nod. "Yeah, I can see that; there is an unnatural abundance of water and earth mana floating in the air. However, why couldn''t I form a simple fireball? My control over mana didn''t just suddenly vanish, did it?" Questioned Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Lavender, who smiled while absorbing the mana back into her body. "Sort of. By expanding my vastly superior mana reserves around you, I indirectly made it much more difficult for you to control your own mana. Think of it like water and air, Alexander. You can walk through both air and water, but unlike air, it''ll be far more difficult to maneuver through the latter. Now imagine if that water were suddenly turned into honey, you''d move even slower than before." Stated Lavender softly as she grabbed Alexander''s hand before enveloping it in a ball of water while his other hand waved freely through the air. "I think I get it, Master; by filling the atmosphere with your mana, making it far denser than usual, it, in turn, made it more difficult for me to control my mana since I needed to manipulate it through your dense mana. Is that it?" Asked Alexander with a thoughtful expression, causing Lavender to nod with a smile. "If that''s so, how do I get around this?" Added Alexander curiously, only for Lavender to shake her head. "You can''t. Having great control over your mana will help in offsetting some of its effects, but there is no way to get around this other than to brute force your way, which will be impossible since if you''re fighting someone who has enough mana to completely overpower yours, you''ve already lost the battle." Replied Lavender lightly, causing Alexander to frown, only for him to suddenly glance at her when he felt a hand rub his crotch. "Now then, that was my 200th win; don''t you think your Master is deserving of a little reward?" Added Lavender with a lustful smile as she rubbed her dainty hand against Alexander''s crotch, which nearly instantly turned erect. "Heh, I''ve never liked losing so much." Muttered Alexander with a smirk as he reached down and kissed Lavender while groping her small butt with his large hands. ___ ___ ''Ugh! Dammit, me and my horny Master! I-I don''t regret doing it, but I wish I had brought that topic up later! I could really use the assistance!'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, wanting to cry, yet he had no tears. Chapter 138: Complete Defeat Thanks to Master and I being so horny, I had forgotten entirely about that topic, and now, I''m stuck in a situation where more information about it would prove to be incredibly helpful. Cursing under my breath, I glanced down at the monster, only to see it staring right at us with its three large eyes, causing me to clench Yuki''s hand subconsciously. "A-Alex, i-if we die, I-I just want you to know I''ve greatly enjoyed my time together with you; you''re an amazing friend, better than one I could ever ask for." Stated Yuki solemnly as she fearfully stared at the massive monster before glancing at Alexander, who wryly smiled to her left. "I-I appreciate it, a-and, I feel the same. H-However, remember all those times when our bodies will be touching for prolonged periods of time, and I''ll suddenly start tickling you?" Replied Alexander with a nod and a faint smile before glancing at Yuki, who nodded in response. "W-Well, that wasn''t me tickling you, t-that was my erect cock rubbing against you. S-Sorry. I-I try not to get erect, but you''re very beautiful, Yuki, and the clothes you wear barely conceal your massive bust; I-I just can''t help it." Added Alexander with a deep blush of shame and embarrassment while Yuki''s eyes widened before she, too, blushed. "I-I would''ve kept it a secret, b-but since you revealed that, I-I guess I should reveal the truth. E-Every night, I-I pleasure myself while thinking about you, Alex. Y-You''re the only friend I''ve ever had, and y-you treated me so nicely; no one besides my Mother has ever been so nice to me. N-Not to mention you put up with all of my bull shit; I-I''m really thankful I''ve met you, Alex." Declared Yuki with a crimson blush amidst her bluish-tinted skin, while Alexander seemed utterly shocked. I was left so astonished at what Yuki said I didn''t even reply and just nodded; I don''t really use my eyes to look at Yuki''s emotions since I believe that would be an invasion of personal privacy, and I didn''t want to do that to a friend and someone I respected, so I had absolutely no clue she held such feelings about me. T-Though, now that she had brought up the topic of emotions, I, too, had started to see Yuki as more than a simple friend; it had started a few weeks ago, a little bit before Michelle confessed her feelings to me. That''s why I intended to take Yuki to the restaurant I took Michelle to; I wanted it to be like a date between Yuki and I, but now we''re in this predicament. ''W-Well, I-I at least got a powerful motivation to survive this.'' Thought Alexander wryly as he gulped nervously while eyeing the monster, which began slowly approaching them. "If we manage to survive this, I''m taking you on a date, Yuki." Alexander solemnly declared as he released Yuki''s hand and unholstered his two great swords from his back, coating them in flames enhanced by his wind mana. Yuki didn''t respond to my question, but when I sideglanced at her, I noticed a very determined expression and a hardened gaze, which helped ease me a little, if I''m being honest. Shaking my head, I shifted my focus back to the monster while I stopped trying to teleport; the amount of mana the monster was releasing was simply too much for me to deal with, given the severity of our predicament. Given enough time, I''m sure I could do it, but as if we''re going to survive multiple minutes while fighting against such a powerful creature. ''I suggest holding nothing back, Master.'' Said Zartha solemnly as she looked at the sky while Trina stood beside her, nodding in agreement. ''Heh, I intended to.'' Replied Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at the creature before his body took on a bluish aura while lightning danced around him. "Let me go first, Yuki; I''ll try to cripple the monster." Stated Alexander seriously as he utilized [Wind Steps], [Strength Augument], and [Speed Augument] while also using [Shrink] to make himself and his greatswords half the size. The instant I dashed towards the Monster, its three eyes focused on my much smaller figure now, thanks to shrinking myself before it ran towards me using its two incredibly powerful legs; now, I was expecting the monster to be faster than me, but seeing such a behemoth of a creature move faster than you was definitely an eye opener. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Once we got somewhat close to each other, the monster suddenly opened its wide maw and slammed down towards me, moving so quickly that I couldn''t dodge in time, though thankfully, that wasn''t necessary. Using [Blink] twice in quick succession, I managed to just barely escape its massive maw, though the impact of its mouth slamming into the ground nearly made me trip while I dashed towards its legs. ''Fuck, here goes nothing!'' Thought Alexander as he suddenly returned to normal size, only for him to use [Expand] on Trina, causing her previously half-size to quadruple suddenly. Holstering Zartha on my back, I clutched Trina with both hands and injected roughly half of my mana into her, causing her to emit a bright purplish glow before swinging down towards the ankle of the monster, using Trina''s skill, [Divine Wrath] ''Divine Judgment!'' Stated Trina with a serious expression yet a happy tone as she watched Alexander slash down with all of his might onto the monster''s ankle. Despite how powerful Trina''s skill was, its strength correlates to her Master''s strength, which, in this case, would be me; so, while the large purplish sword wave was devastating to anyone who was around my strength, against this monster that completely outclassed me, it was a different story. Watching the purplish sword wave cut through the monster''s thick, reptilian scaly skin, then through its muscle, only to finally disperse after digging a few inches into the monster''s bone, which wasn''t much considering the size of the monster. ''Tsk, dammit!'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he looked at the wound before shrinking himself and his two swords once more. I quickly retreated, yet while doing so, I felt death coming to my side, and I didn''t even question my heart before using blink to disappear; however, despite reacting as fast as I could, I was still too slow. "Urgh, t-that''s bad." Muttered Alexander with a painful expression as he looked down at his leg, which was torn off from the bone, only hanging on thanks to a few bits of skin. I was about to try and connect the bone of my leg together and allow [Rebirth] to do the rest, but before I could, I heard the sound of metal clanging along with roaring, causing me to curse as I quickly turned around and lunged towards Yuki, though doing so with one leg was incredibly inefficient. "DAMMIT YUKI! Y-You saw what the monster did to me! Why are you attacking!?" Exclaimed Alexander angrily as he hopped towards Yuki, who was dashing towards the monster, only to leap high into the air and slap it with her shield since it was focused on Alexander. I didn''t bother waiting for a response and spammed using [Blink] to get to Yuki, appear before her within a second while she was still in the air; though just like before, I reacted immediately and pushed Yuki out of the way while using [Blink] once more, teleporting out, only to fall onto the ground with the lower portions of my body completely gone. ''Am I lucky that this has happened twice, or am I unlucky; most people will die after the first time.'' Mused Alexander with a blurry look as he gazed at his legs and pelvis hanging out of the monster''s mouth while his golden blood leaked onto the ground. Glancing at the monster''s wound I had left, I couldn''t help but chuckle in mockery when I noticed it was slowly healing, thanks to the trait it must''ve gained from drinking my blood. ''F-Fuck, w-we can''t even stall this thing; w-we''re really going to die.'' Thought Alexander with an angry expression as he suddenly blinked, disappearing from his spot just in time to dodge the monster''s massive mouth that was full of razor-sharp teeth the size of an average human man. "A-Alex!?" Exclaimed Yuki anxiously as she got up from the ground and ran towards him, only to suddenly widen her eyes and dive atop him, using her body to block a tail swipe from the monster, which broke right through her prized armor. Catching Yuki, I didn''t even bother checking her injuries from such a devastating attack and instantly cut off my hand, causing me to groan in pain before stuffing my stump into her mouth and squeezing my forearm, pumping copious amounts of my golden blood into her system, which was doing wonder''s on her mangled insides, repairing all her organs which had been obliterated, and reshaping her spine that had been destroyed into numerous tiny little pieces. However, before she could even awaken, the monster''s mouth slammed onto us, scooping us into its'' mouth, which was beyond disgusting, but before it could start chewing us, I grabbed Zartha and used Expand on her before making her stand vertically, causing the monster to stab itself while also stopping it from fully closing its mouth. The monster may be much stronger than either Yuki and I, but no way in hell was it going to damage a Mythical ranked artifact. Feeling Yuki move, I quickly slapped her cheek with my hand, stirring her awake as she spat out my bleeding stump, though before she could say anything, I covered her mouth with my finger. "I''ve figured out a way for us to escape." Stated Alexander quickly as he felt himself begin to lose consciousness. Chapter 139: Alexanders Death!? "Eh, r-really!? Quickly, what is it!?" Exclaimed Yuki in surprise as she looked at Alexander, who was slowly losing consciousness, and he would''ve already if it weren''t for his trait [Heroes Will]. ''Heh, she''s not going to like this.'' Mused Alexander with a wry expression as he grabbed Trina before handing it to Yuki, who, despite being confused, quickly took the greatsword without any hesitation, given their dire circumstance. "So, quickly, what do I do?" Asked Yuki quickly as she glanced at the greatsword, which looked more like a normal sword in her hands, before glancing at Alexander. Now, when I say I''ve figured out a way for us to escape, I wasn''t necessarily lying; I just wasn''t exactly telling the whole truth; if everything works out correctly, we''ll both escape; I''ll just be dead for some time. Monsters attack and eat anything with a soul, which means after it killed Lucy, it should''ve gone right after us, except it didn''t and instead chewed Lucy for some time before it eventually set its sight on us, which simply means ones soul doesn''t immediately leave the body after being killed. During that short window, Yuki will have a brief moment to escape from the monster while it''s busy chewing on a corpse, which still has its soul in it; now, the only problem is to find someone who would willingly give up their life for ours. However, even if such a person did exist, they weren''t down here with us, which meant either Yuki or I would have to sacrifice ourselves for the other to escape safely, and unlike Yuki, I could come back to life. "Okay, s-so it''s simple, Yuki; d-decapitate me and leave my head in the monster''s mouth while you escape by climbing up the wall with my torso." Said Alexander seriously as he looked up at Yuki, who nodded before suddenly pointing the sword at her neck, and before she could stab herself through, the sword disappeared from her hands, repairing within his. "THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, YUKI!?" Exclaimed Alexander furiously as he glared at Yuki, who angrily glared back "I''M SACRIFICING MYSELF SO YOU CAN LIVE!" Yelled Yuki as she glared at Alexander before reaching forward and grabbing his sword, only for it to vanish inside his body. "Stop being fucking stupid, will you!? If you kill yourself, we can''t both escape!" Remarled Alexander angrily, wanting to kick Yuki though he had no legs to do so. "You gave a plan to kill yourself, which means we can''t both get out of this alive; one of us has to die, and I''d rather it be me than you, so give me that fucking sword; we can''t stay in here forever!" Declared Yuki aggressively as she eyed Alexander before reaching down and grabbing his arms, trying to find the sword. "Like I fucking said, stop being stupid; I wasn''t lying when I said we can both get out of here alive, so will you just shut up and listen to me!" Stated Alexander as he used some of his remaining strength to headbutt Yuki, causing her to wince in pain while grabbing her head and glaring at him. "Listen, as I said initially, I can get us both out of here alive, so can you just trust me and do as I say? I lost someone I deeply cared about months ago and I could do nothing but watch, I''m not going to allow someone I deeply care about die if I can prevent it, it was painful enough the first time, I don''t want to ever experience it again. So, please, Yuki, trust me; trust your best friend." Added Alexander solemnly as he gazed deeply at Yuki before reaching forward and placing his bloody hand atop Yuki''s cheek, conveying his raw emotions to her. ___ ___ Feeling Alex''s emotions enter my body, I had no idea what he was trying to convey, but I knew he wasn''t lying. He had a way to get us both out of here alive, and if that were the case, I''d follow through with the plan; I was willing to sacrifice myself for Alex if it meant he could live. However, it''s not like I wanted to die, I wished to spend more time with him, and possibly, become something more than a pair of friends. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "A-Alright, I-I''m listening, Alex. t-tell me what I must do." Said Yuki solemnly as she took a deep breath and looked into his purple eyes. "You must kill me and leave my head, the body part that houses the soul, inside the monster''s head; it''ll buy time and allow you to escape up the wall; however, you must take my torso with you. Otherwise, everything will be for naught. Trust me, you will be killing me, but I''ll live, okay. Trust me on this, Yuki." Declared Alexander with a faint smile as he looked up at Yuki, who clenched her fist and bit her lip, only being soothed by the confidence and calmness she could feel entering herself from his hand. "B-But, if I kill you, h-how will you survive?" Asked Yuki as she glanced at the greatsword that suddenly appeared in Alexander''s hand. "I''ll tell you about it back at home; now, you better get to it, and please be quick about it, Yuki." Replied Alexander with a confident smile as he handed Trina to Yuki, who outstretched her hand and hesitantly grabbed it, noting that it felt thousands if not millions of times heavier than before. Clutching the sword with my hands, I slowly stood up within the monster''s mouth and looked down at Alex, who was gazing back up at me; knowing what I was about to do, I took several deep breaths, trying my best to calm myself, but, it didn''t help, I was still shaking in fear that I was about to kill my one and only best friend. "C''mon, Yuki, we can''t be all day; I''ve got a beautiful elven woman waiting for me to return." Said Alexander with a faint smirk, his words causing Yuki to frown slightly as she looked down at him. Positioning myself until I was standing overtop Alexander, I looked down at him, biting my lip as I hesitantly opened my mouth. "Y-You''ll be fine, right Alex?" Asked Yuki nervously, only for Alexander to confidently nod without any hesitation. "Yes, I''ll be fine, Yuki; you''re worrying too much." Remarked Alexander softly, his calm voice soothing Yuki just a tad bit. Nodding at his words, I closed my eyes and took one final deep breath before opening them and glaring down at Alex while my heart beat erratically in fear as I finally followed through with the plan. "ARGHHH!!" Yelled Yuki loudly as she flexed all her muscles before swinging Trina down toward Alexanderer''s neck, slicing right through it with ease before cutting some of the monster''s tongue in the process. Seeing Alexander''s lifeless head just roll around, I wanted to scream and cry in agony; I''d never felt such heartbreaking pain before; even when my mother died, I didn''t feel like this as she sacrificed her life in battle to protect me and the villagers and to us Oni''s there is no greater death than that. Dropping the sword onto the monster''s tongue while I trembled all over, I felt myself shake, wanting to vomit everything I had eaten this morning, but I remembered Alex''s promise. ''He''ll be fine, Yuki; you can vomit later; we need to escape right now.'' Thought Yuki as she forcefully closed her mouth, swallowing the vomit in her throat before she reached down, carefully picking up Alexander''s legless and headless body. Squeezing through the monster''s mouth, which was just barely big enough for me to get through thanks to the great sword propping it open, I used my hands to push myself off its snout, flinging me to the wall, causing it to roar while the sword that kept its mouth open to fall out. However, just as Alex had said, the monster didn''t immediately come after me and instead started chewing on his head, and the crushing noises I heard nearly caused me to vomit right then and there, but I was on a time limit, so I powered through the disgust I felt and started climbing the wall as quickly as I could using three arms while the fourth one held Alex''s body. Although the climbing part was slightly difficult since there wasn''t always a spot for me to latch onto, forcing me to jump sometimes, though, besides that, it was a rather smooth process; the monster never once roared at me, causing me to think he was either still preoccupied with Alex or I had left it''s range, but either way, I didn''t question it and just continued climbing. Once I finally reached the fifteenth floor again after a few minutes of climbing, I placed Alex''s body on the ground first before pulling myself up and quickly kneeling beside him. However, I wasn''t even able to say anything as suddenly, his body released a blinding light that forced me to close my eyes. "Well, well, well, would you look at that Yuki, we made it out of the- ugh, t-too tight." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Yuki, who suddenly embraced him in a tight hug, nearly squeezing him to death. "I-I thought you h-had l-lied." Said Yuki softly as tears streamed down her face, causing Alexander to wryly smile while hugging her back. "Heh, no I would never; I coudln''t lie to such a loveable Oni, now could I?" Replied Alexander with a sly smirk while huggin Yuki, who didn''t bother to respond and just silently cried. Chapter 140: Return Home Hugging Yuki, I softly patted her back, knowing it must''ve been a very heavy emotional and mental burden to essentially kill your own friend without any way of knowing everything would be fine other than my word; so, for the next ten or so minutes, we stayed on our knees while hugging each other, which would''ve been more comfortable without her armor, but alas, we are still in a dungeon at the end of the day. "Yuki, are you okay now?" Asked Alexander softly as he rubbed Yuki''s back while she softly nodded. "Y-Yeah, i-I''m feeling slightly better." Muttered Yuki while sniffling as she wiped her face, cleaning the snot and tears before she released Alexander from the hug, prompting him to stand up and stretch. ''Ahh, that feels good.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh of pleasure as he stretched his arms, only to suddenly be flung towards the wall, having received a mighty punch from Yuki, who glared at him angrily. "DON''T EVER MAKE ME DO THAT AGAIN!!" Yelled Yuki with a myriad of emotions, the three most potent being fear, pain, and anger, tears streaming down her face as she clenched her fists while glaring at Alexander, who was currently holding his stomach while kneeling on the ground. "Ugh, I u-understood, Y-Yuki." Replied Alexander with a nod as he spat out his golden blood while his body quickly healed itself from the injury he sustained from Yuki''s punch. ''F-Fuck me, I-I don''t think she held back in that punch.'' Thought Alexander with a pain-filled expression as he stood back up once the pain subsided. Patting the dirt and dust off my armor, I approached Yuki before hugging her once more; although it was the only way for us to both live, I had put her through a lot, and while I wouldn''t say I deserved that punch, considering I had literally died, it was understandable. "I''m sorry I forced you to do that, Yuki; though good job, the slice was clean and quick." Said Alexander softly with a faint smile as he looked up at Yuki, cracking a joke, hoping to ease the tension while he sneakily unhooked her chest plate before backing away, causing it to fall onto the ground, revealing her incredibly tight fitting clothes and massive breasts that weren''t noticeable with her armor on. "Allow me to properly express my apology." Remarked Alexander with a friendly smile as he clenched his fist while a bluish aura along with lightning surrounded it. Filling my body with mana and strengthening it, I used [Lightning Cloak] and [Stregth Augument] to increase my raw strength to my absolute limit before violently punching the confused Yuki in the stomach, causing her to take several steps back before she kneeled on the ground while holding her abdomen. "U-Ugh, w-what was that for, A-Alex!?" Exclaimed Yuki with a frown as he looked up at Alexander, who was glaring at her in utmost fury. "NEXT TIME, DON''T FUCKING TRY TO KILL YOURSELF, YOU FUCKING MANIAC!!" Yelled Alexander furiously as he pointed at Yuki, causing her to groan before lowering her head and nodding. "I-I''m sorry I-I did that. I-I had just thought you were intending to sacrifice your life for mine, a-and I wasn''t just going to let that happen. S-Sorry." Replied Yuki softly with a nod while rubbing her stomach, causing Alexander to lower his hand while sighing. "Haa, I understand, Yuki, but next time, please don''t jump to conclusions; you nearly killed yourself." Said Alexander lightly as he approached Yuki, standing before her and patting her shoulder, causing her to look up, only for her to sport a soft blush while silently staring at the thing in her face. "Hmm, is something wrong?" Muttered Alexander with a frown as he looked at Yuki before glancing at what she was staring at, only to deeply blush when he spotted his cock dangling around in full display. ''Ugh, my skill [Rebirth] can bring me back to life, but it can''t give me proper clothes?'' Thought Alexander with a deep blush as he swiftly backed away from Yuki before turning around and covering his crotch with his hands, which was beginning to harden. Stolen novel; please report. "S-Sorry about that, Yuki, I-I didn''t mean to put it all in your face like that." Said Alexander with a blush of shame and embarrassment before looking down at his cock, inwardly cursing at it. "U-Um, i-it''s fine." Muttered Yuki softly with a blush while Alexander faintly nodded, causing the tense atmosphere to quickly turn awkward. Nodding at Yuki''s words, I grabbed my space pouch from inside my armor and searched through it, hoping I had something to wear, but unfortunately, that wasn''t the case; there was nothing in there that would help my current predicament. Inwardly cursing once more, I took off my shirt and remaining armor before tying my shirt around my crotch, serving as some sort of clothing option even though it looked utterly terrible; most of my butt was still viewable, and while it did hide my cock, it was doing a pathetic job at actually concealing it. ''Ugh, I can''t walk around like this; this is hardly better than before.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at his fully erect cock, which was standing a full twelve inches in the air proudly while he hung his head in shame. Sighing to myself, I untied my shirt from around my waist and wore it normally, along with my armor; there was no way I was going to be able to walk around the city like that, so I might as well not even bother; besides, I''m still in the dungeon so I''m safe, kind of. "U-Um, Yuki, c-could you try not to look, please? I-It''s a little embarrassing." Said Alexander as he turned and looked at Yuki, who reflexively glanced at his crotch before looking back up at his eyes and nodding. "Y-Yeah." Replied Yuki with a nod as she picked up her two-piece chest plate, which consisted of the front and the back, with the latter having been nearly entirely destroyed by the monster''s attack. Sighing in relief that Yuki wore her chest plate, which hid her massive bust, and hopefully, it would help in calming my cock down, but that didn''t seem to be working since it showed no signs of calming. ''Ugh, why am I so horny!?'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he kicked the ground, causing the floor to tremble while the cracks grew. Ignoring my outrageous hormones, I walked towards the edge of the hole and held out my hands, and after a few seconds, two purplish streaks were seen flying through the air before both Trinza and Zartha rested in my hands. "Savior of the day, Zartha." Muttered Alexander as he kissed Zartha before holstering both of the day. ''We don''t see you for a few minutes, Master, and you''re already erect; it is truly unbelievable.'' Said Zartha coldly as she looked at Alexander before shaking her head, while Trina just sighed in defeat. ''Haa, it seems our Master is just horny, Sister; I''ve already come to accept it.'' Muttered Trina softly as she shook her head while looking at Alexander''s cock, no longer caring for his unnatural horniness. ''I-I didn''t ask to be this way, okay?'' Remarked Alexander defensively as he hung his head down and sighed before shaking his head and looking at Yuki. "Sorry we couldn''t get your great shields, Yuki." Said Alexander as he approached Yuki, who lightly shook her head. "It''s fine, they''re nothing special; I replace them every few years anyways; I''ll just be buying a pair of new ones a year earlier, that''s all. Besides, it''s much better than the alternative; c''mon, let''s go, Alex. I-I''m not feeling too well." Remarked Yuki in her deep voice as she wore her helmet and looked at Alexander, secretly taking glances at his crotch before turning around and walking the way they initially came. Just as we were about to leave, we suddenly heard two loud roars coming from down below, the same dungeon we had just escaped from; freezing, Yuki and I glanced at each other before quickly turning around and running toward the hole''s edge. Leaning over, we looked down the long hole, only to see the monster we were previously fighting along with another one, and they seemed to be fighting. "Infighting. A second sign of a Dungeon Rampage." Muttered Alexander and Yuki, respectively, with ugly expressions as they watched the battle between the two monsters. Despite the monsters being equal in terms of strength, one of them had drunk my golden blood and acquired [Natrual Regeneration], granting it a massive edge since most of its smaller wounds healed quickly while even the larger ones were slowly healing. As the battle progressed, it became more and more one-sided until the monster we were fighting had killed the other one, leaving it there before heading deeper into the dungeon. "I-I think we should leave and discuss this later." Said Alexander as he looked at Yuki, who nodded, prompting them to both stand up while leaving the fifteenth floor, heading upwards towards the surface, leaving behind a massive hole that connected the two dungeons. ___ ___ Opening the door to our home, I sighed in relief and collapsed onto the ground in joy; I was finally home, and it felt so good. Thanks to Yuki, before leaving the dungeon, I hid on the first floor while she quickly went to a store and bought me a pair of pants, which were two sizes too small, meaning I was walking around like a penguin trying not to rip them, not to mention for some reason, I was erect the entire time, and it was incredibly noticeable. ''Well, on the bright side, I got a ton of hungry looks from women?'' Thought Alexander optimistically, though inwardly, he was sighing. Chapter 141: Sick Yuki While lying on the ground, celebrating at the fact I didn''t need to walk home with my cock all out on full display, I heard the door close behind me, prompting me to roll over onto my back and look up at Yuki as she took her helmet off; however, before I could say anything, without any sort of warning, she suddenly leaned forward and puked, vomiting all over me while I was too shocked to move. "Ugh, s-sorry, I-I didn''t feel good." Said Yuki with a pale expression as she dropped onto one knee while grabbing her stomach and breathing heavily. "I-It¡­ It''s fine." Replied Alexander through gnashed teeth as he did his best to keep calm, which was proving to be rather challenging, even with his trait [Heart Of A Hereo]. It was taking every fiber in my very being not to yell at Yuki, though, when I saw Yuki''s pale face, I suppressed my anger and regained my composure as I slowly yet carefully stood up, trying not to step in the vomit. ''Ugh, it stinks; what the hell did she eat?'' Thought Alexander with a disgusted expression as he quickly removed all of his clothes, stripping down to nothing but his birthday suit. Grabbing a blanket off the couch, I tied it around my waist for now and approached Yuki, who, for some reason, seemed to be in pain, which had confused me since she had drank so much of my blood; she shouldn''t be in any pain, in fact, she should be in perfect health. "Yuki, are you okay? What''s wrong?" Asked Alexander softly as he had Yuki lean on him, helping her upstairs while her condition seemed to get worse. "I-I don''t know, m-my head has been hurting e-ever since we m-managed to escape that monster a-and it''s o-only gotten worse a-as time passed." Replied Yuki weakly as she glanced at Alexander with a haggard look, causing him to bite his lip while his thoughts immediately went to the deep end. ''Poison? Was Yuki poisoned!?'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he observed Yuki, and just when he was about to forcefully view her status, someone interrupted him. ''It''s not poison, Master, and even if it were, that was only a Legendary dungeon; it would be wholly impossible for that monster to have a poison that your blood couldn''t heal. She isn''t poisoned.'' Said Zartha with a rare tone of softness as she looked at Yuki through his eyes, causing Alexander to calm down while shaking his head. ''Yeah, you''re right; sorry, I''ve got PTSD, so I got a little ahead of myself.'' Replied Alexander with a nod as he sighed in relief before approaching Yuki''s room, opening the door, and leading her to her massive bed. Gently setting Yuki on her bed as she motionlessly lay there with a haggard expression while breathing heavily, I exhaled a deep breath to collect myself as I began removing her armor and storing the pieces on her armor stand until she was in nothing but her tight fitting shirt and snug shorts which most definitely could be bigger as she had a camel toe; however, now wasn''t the time to appreciate or lust after her given her condition. "Yuki, open your mouth, okay?" Said Alexander lightly as he raised his hand and summoned Trina from his body before holding them over Yuki, who opened her eyes only weakly to grab his hand. "S-Stop, I-I don''t want t-to see anymore o-of your blood." Said Yuki softly as she looked at Alexander through her blurry vision, causing him to frown while forcefully moving her hand. "I understand, Yuki, but it''ll help you; just think of it like medicine, okay? Please, for me?" Asked Alexander lightly as he looked at Yuki while holding her hand, transferring his concern to her, causing her to frown for several seconds before reluctantly opening her mouth. When Yuki opened her mouth, I didn''t waste any time and quickly cut open my wrist, causing several drops of blood to pour into her mouth, which should have been enough, but just to be safe; I cut my wrist a few more times before finally closing her jaw, prompting her to swallow it. I patiently waited several seconds to see her condition improve, yet nothing happened, which once again caused the worst to flood into my mind before I could even start to question it, Yuki suddenly grabbed both her mouth and butt and having been sick in my past life, I knew what was about to come. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Yuki tried to stand up, but she didn''t make it far before she vomited and pooped on her bed and on herself; she must''ve been a little constipated since she had quite a lot of poop. ''Oh boy, this isn''t going to be fun to clean.'' Thought Alexander with an unsightly expression as he waited until Yuki was done vomiting and pooping before approaching her. "H-How do you feel now, Yuki?" Asked Alexander softly as he tapped Yuki''s shoulder, causing her to shudder. "W-Worse." Replied Yuki quietly in exhaustion while lying on her side. "Haa, well, try not to move so much; I need to get you out of those clothes." Said Alexander as he removed the towel from his waist, using it as makeshift gloves. Grabbing Yuki''s pants, which were filled with poop, diarrhea, and piss, I slowly removed them from her body, causing the various logs of poop to roll around, and not only was it disgusting to look at, it smelled terrible, however, I stayed quiet, I didn''t want to make this any worse for her, I can tell she feels utterly embarrassed and pathetic with herself, and I didn''t wish to make her feel worse. Tossing her pants on the bed since it was already dirty, I then grabbed her shirt, which was covered in vomit, and slowly removed it while lifting her arms up when needed; unfortunately, she had gotten some of it smeared onto face, though either she didn''t notice or she didn''t care. Tossing her shirt onto the bed beside her pants, I used the towel I''d been using as gloves to clean the vomit and diarrhea on her body before also tossing it onto the bed. "Alright, I''m about to pick you up." Said Alexander as he snaked his hands underneath Yuki, accidentally touching some of the poop with his elbow, causing him to dry-heave before lifting her. With Yuki in my arms, I carried her out of the room before approaching the bathroom, which was thankfully already opened; entering inside, I gently set Yuki down in the extra-large walk-in shower. Entering inside with her since I also needed to be cleaned; after all, I was vomited on earlier; turning the shower on, I grabbed Yuki''s loofah along with some soap. "Just tell me if the water''s too hot or cold, okay?" Said Alexander softly as he squatted down beside Yuki before reaching behind her and scooting her toward the middle, placing her right in the middle of the water. "I-it''s g-good." Replied Yuki softly while subtly shivering, causing Alexander to sigh while shaking his head. "Haa, Yuki, I know you''re trying not to make this harder on me, but don''t don''t lie, alright?" Said Alexander sternly as he stood up and turned the temperature up, causing Yuki to stop shivering while she lightly nodded. Scrubbing Yuki''s body with the loofah, I started with the upper half of her body as I cleaned her face before moving down towards her shoulders and arms; once they were thoroughly cleaned, I went to her chest, scrubbing her massive breasts, which would normally ignite lust within me, especially since they were bare, but I felt nothing, I was far more concerned with her well being than lusting after her, that stuff could wait until she''s no longer sick. Cleaning her breasts, making sure to get underneath and in between her cleavage, I went down to her stomach, which was easy to clean, and the same for her back as I turned her around and scrubbed every inch of her large back. Laying her on her stomach, I moved down toward her lower half though I skipped right over her large, firm butt and did her legs first, which were mostly clean, before returning to her butt, which looked like a battleground. "Sorry if this feels a little invasive, Yuki." Said Alexander apologetically as he scrubbed Yuki''s buttcheeks before spreading them apart and doing the same until they were a nice light bluish color, except for her pinkish anus. ''Looks good.'' Mused Alexander with a satisfied smile as he looked at Yuki''s spread butt before letting go, causing them to return to normal. Gently rolling Yuki onto her back, I cleaned the front of her legs before lifting one of them and wiping down her vagina, which smelled like pee, meaning she must''ve done that as well. Thankfully her vagina was easy to clean; I didn''t want to spend too long focusing on it. "Alright, you''re clean, Yuki; just wait right there for a minute while I clean myself." Said Alexnder lightly with a smile as he picked Yuki up and leaned her against the shower wall before setting her loofah down and grabbing his own. I could see red on Yuki''s cheeks, and I didn''t know whether that was cause she was embarrassed or because she was sick, but knowing her, I was more inclined to believe it was cause she was sick; she was not easily embarrassed. Quickly cleaning myself just as I had said, I scrubbed the vomit and smear of poop off me before turning off the shower and drying us with a ball of fire and a constant gust of wind. Chapter 142: Soul Sickness Picking up Yuki, who was now shivering, into my arms, I slowly exited the bathroom, trying not to hit the door frame with this massive Oni in my arms, before walking towards her room and awkwardly opening the door with my butt, only to instantly sport an ugly expression as I looked at the poop, diarrhea, pee, and vomit covered bed, which was creating an intense smell that seems to be marinating. ''Ugh, god dammit, I forget about this; haa, I still need to clean this up.'' Thought Tut with a disgusted expression as he looked at the room before backing away and using his foot to close the door, attempting to contain the marinating smell. Since I couldn''t use Yuki''s room, for obvious reasons, I headed downstairs to the couch since it was the only thing in the house big enough to support Yuki''s large body; however, when I got downstairs, I saw a large puddle of vomit a few feet in front of the entrance to the house, causing me to sigh, before I tip-toed around the vomit and approached the living room. Gently setting Yuki on the couch, I squatted down and placed my hand atop her head and abdomen, only to frown deeply when I felt how cold she was; she was freezing. "A-Alex, I-I''m c-cold." Muttered Yuki weakly as she curled into a ball while shivering, trying to warm herself. "Alright, I''ll be right back, okay? I''m going to get some clothes and blankets from your room." Said Alexander softly as he gently rubbed her arms before quickly turning around and heading upstairs, making sure to avoid the puddle of vomit. Approaching Yuki''s room, I grabbed the handle and took a deep breath before entering inside and closing the door behind me; while holding my breath, I swiftly looked through her wardrobe, grabbing several clothes, along with all the clean blankets I could find, before exiting the room and closing the door behind me. "Ugh, I feel like I need to take a shower again." Muttered Alexander in disgust as he subconsciously shivered while walking down the stairs and approaching Yuki, who was on the couch in the living room. Tossing the blankets and clothes onto the ground, I first put on Yuki''s underwear since, unlike me, she didn''t have a mother or master who taught them to go commando all the time; only when Yuki''s in the house does she not wear underwear. Yanking her panties over her large, firm butt, I grabbed a bra and placed it over her massive breasts that put even watermelons to shame; practically squeezing her breasts within the bra, I latched the hooks together behind her back before rolling her onto her back and grabbing some actual clothes. Putting on shorts and a normal shirt, I then put a pair of thicker pants on Yuki before making her wear a sweater, followed by throwing three blankets over her body and wrapping her into a meaty burrito with just her head sticking out. "Haa, finally, that took longer than I''d have hoped. So, how do you feel now, Yuki? Better?" Asked Alexander as he dusted off his hands and looked at Yuki, only to frown when he got no response. Stepping closer, I looked down at her face, only to softly smile when I saw her peacefully sleeping, causing me to sigh in relief before collapsing onto a chair beside her. "Haa, today has been one hell of an exhausting day." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he rubbed his face in exhaustion, only for his eyes to glow softly as he turned and looked at Yuki. I didn''t want to do what I was about to do, as I could lose Yuki''s trust since I''d be invading her privacy, but at the same time, I wasn''t going to stay ignorant of what was wrong with her, not like what I did with Master. Even though I knew there was something wrong with Master a few weeks before she died, I foolishly stayed ignorant; not like those weeks would''ve made a difference, but it''s the principle of the matter. "Haa, I''m really sorry for what I''m about to do, Yuki. I''ll tell you about it when you wake up; I just¡­ I just can''t have another person I care about die." Declared Alexander softly as he knelt down before Yuki, only to use [Heroes Gaze], inspecting her status panel, causing her to twitch, but she remained asleep. //////////////////// Stolen story; please report. Name: Yuki Ama Species: Oni/Monster hybrid Age: 38 Tier: 3 Level: 254 Experience: [32%] Class: Warrior(Rare) Sub-Class: Guardian-Monster[Endurance/Vigor/Agility] Sub-Class: Title(s): Soul Monster(Legendary) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 1,050/1,050 ___ Vigor: 2,803(3,083) Endurance: 3,543(3,897) Agility: 2,642(2,906) Dexterity: 231 Intelligence: 105 Perception: 453 Traits: Body over Mind(Legendary), Greatly Enhanced Sex Drive(Epic) Enhanced Endurance(Rare), Enhanced Vigor(Rare), Enhanced Agility(Rare), Deep Stomach(Uncommon) Skills: Roar of an Aggressor¨Clvl7(Rare), Shield Bash¨Clvl9(*Rare) Condition: Weakened, Soul Sickness. //////////////////// Reading Yuki''s status panel, I was quite surprised by what I saw, and I had numerous questions for her, though now wasn''t the time, so shaking my head, I ignored everything else and looked down at her condition, only to furrow my brows in confusion at what I saw. ''Soul sickness? What is that?'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he rubbed his chin, only for an excited and somewhat childish voice to resound within his mind. ''I know Master! Ask me! I promise I know!'' Said Trina eagerly as she bounced around and waved her hands, causing Alexander to smile wryly. ''S-Sorry Trina, but I''m going to have to ask Zartha; you''re not exactly the best at explaining things.'' Replied Alexander lightly as he patted his heart, which was where Trina resided, causing her to pout. ''But you''re always asking, sister, I want to help you too, Master.'' Said Trina sadly as she squatted on the ground, drawing circles in the calm ocean, causing Alexander to apologize. ''I''m sorry, Trina, but regarding something so important, I''d prefer to ask Zartha. I promise I''ll start asking you questions from now on; just make sure you can properly explain them, okay?'' Remarked Alexander, his words successfully revitalizing Trina as she jumped in joy while jumping her fist into the air with a determined expression. ''So, Zartha?'' Added Alexander as he felt Trina''s presence disappear from his mind before shifting towards Zartha. ''Soul Sickness is simply that, a sickness of the soul, which makes perfect sense as to why your blood didn''t heal her; your blood can only affect the material plane, not the spiritual plane.'' Stated Zartha coldly as she looked through Alexander''s mind, reading Yuki''s status panel, causing her to raise her eyebrow slightly at what he saw. ''Tsk, well, that''s great, but what I want to know is if she''ll be okay and how can I help her?'' Asked Alexander sarcastically before he shook his head and solemnly glanced at Yuki, softly rubbing her cheek. ''No, and No. Soul sickness is not deadly, but if she doesn''t cure herself, she''ll stay like this forever; as for you helping her, you can''t, not directly, at least. Soul sickness is created when one goes through a great deal of emotional trauma, which is powerful enough to split the soul, which she experienced when she killed you, Master. It may be hard to put into perspective, but think of it like this: imagine if you were forced to kill your Master, Lavender.'' Declared Zartha indifferently as she shook her head before leaning backward into her chair, enjoying the bright sun up above against her soft, pale skin. ''Ugh, y-yeah, I-I get what you''re saying now, but I-I doubt Yuki cares for me as much as I cared for Master; I mean, we''ve only known each other for about five months.'' Muttered Alexander with an ugly expression while he shivered in terror. ''She was about to kill herself without any hesitation for your sake, Master; I dare say she cares for you as much as you cared for Lavender. After all, while time helps, it''s not the sole deciding factor for how intensely one loves or cares for another.'' Remarked Zartha lightly, her words causing Alexander to quiet down before sighing and nodding in agreement. ''Yeah, I suppose you''re right. I did fall in love with Master rather quickly.'' Said Alexander with a nod and a bittersweet smile before shaking his head and sighing. ''So, how can she cure herself?'' Asked Alexander curiously, only to get an answer he didn''t wish to hear. ''She simply needs to overcome her trauma, which isn''t something you can directly do.'' Replied Zartha lightly, causing Alexander to groan in annoyance before nodding. "Haa, I see. Thanks for the help, Zartha." Said Alexander softly as he stood up and stretched while Zartah nodded before closing her eyes. Since I couldn''t seem to directly help Yuki, which sucks, I checked the clock, noting it was around three-twenty-one before glancing at the puddle of vomit, causing me to sigh as I knew I had to clean the house now. "Haa, this is going to suck, especially when I get to her room; ugh, just imagining it is making me shiver. I''ll put on clothes once I finish since I''ll probably need to take a shower again." Muttered Alexander as he walked towards a closet, grabbing cleaning towels and a few other things. ___ ___ Standing before Yuki''s room with a satisfied smile, I marveled at how clean it looked and how good it smelled; it was a disgusting endeavor, but now her room was spotless! I did burn her mattress and some blankets to ashes since the pee, vomit, and diarrhea had soaked into them, but besides that, everything looked amazing. Chapter 143: Special Woman "Haa, it was disgusting, but I feel rather satisfied with my efforts; now we just need to buy Yuki another massive-sized bed, and everything will be perfect." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he observed Yuki''s room, which looked spotless and smelled minty. I had already cleaned the vomit on the first floor; it was actually the first thing I had cleaned, so right now, I''ve got nothing left to do except take care of Yuki. ''Well, and also take a shower; I hadn''t touched any of the bodily fluids Yuki released, but having spent so long in Yuki''s room, I reek of shit and piss.'' Thought Alexander with a slightly disgusted expression as he smelled his body, only to cough slightly while aggressively shaking his head. ''Hmph, Master, watch your language.'' Said Trina with a slight pout as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at the sky, causing Alexander to roll his eyes while nodding. Ignoring Trina, I closed the door to Yuki''s room so it could hopefully keep its minty scent for as long as possible, only to quickly head downstairs to check up on Yuki before showering. However, when I got there, she was still fast asleep, though she was sweating a little, causing me to unwrap her from the blanket burrito I had put her in, which didn''t show any immediate effects, but she should cool down slightly. Tenderly rubbing Yuki''s head, I gave her a soft pat before sighing and heading back upstairs, intending to shower and ponder how I could help Yuki. ''If she''s experiencing this soul sickness because she killed me, wouldn''t she just need to know I''m alive and well? No, she already knows that, so then, what could I possibly help her with?'' Thought Alexander with a deep frown as he entered the bathroom and turned the show one, keeping the door open in case Yuki awakened. Unfortunately, despite coming up with various theories, that''s all they were: theories. There was nothing I was confident about, which was frustrating, but there wasn''t much I could do. From Zartha''s words, this was apparently something Yuki would be forced to overcome on her own, and I did trust her judgment; it''s just, after what''s happened to Master, I don''t just want to sit down and do nothing while she forced to be sick for the rest of life. ''Zartha, are you 100% sure there is nothing I can do to help, Yuki?'' Asked Alexander anxiously as he let the hot water hit his face while it rolled down his muscular chest and six-pack before finally reaching his flaccid member and dripping into the drain. ''Of course not, Master; I may have a plethora of information, but I don''t know everything; even my Father, the Godsmith, doesn''t dare say he knows everything regarding blacksmithing.'' Replied Zartha lightly as she shook her head while sitting in her chair. ''There could very well be a way to help Yuki overcome this soul sickness, but, if I''m being honest, Master, if I don''t know about it, the chances of you finding out about it are incredibly slim; it''s about as likely as you finding a Mythical rank antidote.'' Added Zartha solemnly, her words causing Alexander to clench his fist and grit his teeth angrily. ''Calm down, Master.'' Said Trina softly in slight concern, her words causing Alexander to close his eyes while taking several deep breaths. "Haa, I''m calm; I''m just incredibly frustrated. Master died, and I couldn''t do anything, and now Yuki¡­ Someone I deeply care about is in practically the same situation. It''s thoroughly pissing me off! My stupid Ichor is supposed to be of a Mythical rank, yet it couldn''t heal Master, and now it''s useless with Yuki; tch, fucking Ichor, useless piece of shit. I might as well have normal fucking blood." Stated Alexander calmly as he looked down at his hands, only to clench them as anger once more filled his heart and slightly clouded his judgment. While I was wallowing in my anger and fury, I happened to hear a knock on the door, causing me to grunt as I turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, using it to dry myself off slightly before wrapping it around my waist, all while the person at my front door kept knocking, which only severed to further anger me as I exited the bathroom and headed downstairs, approaching the door. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Fucking dammit! Have some fucking patience, will you dumbass!?" Exclaimed Alexander angrily as he grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open, glaring at the person who had been aggressively knocking. "I-I''m sorry, Alexander, I-I didn''t mean to anger you; I-I had just picked up Chloe from school, and I h-happened to see smoke c-coming from your backyard." Said Michelle apologetically and meekly as she looked at the furious Alexander while Chloe hid behind her, gazing at him in slight fear. Seeing as it was Michelle and Chloe, who were simply worried, knocking on the door, I sighed to myself as the rage I was feeling quickly dissipated while I rubbed my face, slightly ashamed at my actions. "I-I''m¡­ I''m sorry, Michelle, I didn''t mean to yell at you; it''s just, during the dungeon exploration, something happened to Yuki, and she''s not feeling well; again, I apologize; I shouldn''t have lashed out at you." Replied Alexander softly with a slightly ashamed and apologetic expression as he bowed his head, causing Michelle to nod while sweetly smiling. "It''s fine, Alexander, I understand; we''ve all been there before. I''ve also lashed out at my parents a few times." Remarked Michelle with an understanding nod as she affectionately held Alexander''s hand, only to softly blush when she noticed his bare upper chest, causing a specific part of her body to burn in desire. Faintly smiling at Michelle, I bent downwards and outstretched my hand toward Chloe, who was still slightly scared, but with a simple smile, she seemed to calm down and take my hand. "I''m sorry for yelling at you and your Mother, Chloe; will you forgive me?" Asked Alexander softly as he looked at Chloe while holding her hand, causing her to nod with a cute smile. "It''s okay, Alex; I''ve also been angry before. Um, you can talk to me if you want; Mom always does that with me when I''m angry, and it helps." Replied Chloe in a childish voice as she looked up at Alexander in slight concern with her adorable brown eyes, causing him to smile as he affectionately patted her head, which she seemed to love. "Thank you, Chloe; however, your smile was more than enough to help me." Said Alexander lightly with a nod as he rubbed Chloe''s head, causing her to cutely laugh before he stood upright and glanced at Michelle, who was giving her an envious look, causing him to faintly chuckle as he also rubbed her head. "A Mother shouldn''t be feeling envious of their daughter, Michelle." Added Alexander quietly as he looked at Michelle while rubbing her head, causing her to huff with a faint blush. "I wasn''t envious of her; I was envious for her. I''m jealous she doesn''t get to have a man in her life like you; you may not have been the best father, but at least you''d show you actually cared for her, unlike her current father." Muttered Michelle softly as she looked down at Chloe, who was using this chance to peek inside the house like any curious child. I was about to open my mouth, but before I could even say anything, Michelle placed her fingers covering my lips, stopping me as she gave me a stern glare, something that''s very rare from her. However, she didn''t need to utter a word for me to get what she was conveying, so with a nod, I kept my mouth shut while she returned back to her meek self. "Just know, if you ever need help in teaching Chloe something, I wouldn''t mind helping; she''s a loveable child, after all." Said Alexander softly, causing Michele to stare at him sternly before huffing and reluctantly nodding. "Fine, but I will not have you act as her father; I will not burden such a young man with another man''s child. I didn''t become your mistress, so I can have you care for Chloe; that''s my job." Declared Michelle solemnly while eyeing Alexander, who wryly smiled before nodding, causing Michele to return to her normal self as she reached down and picked up Chloe into her arms. "Well, seeing as you''re wearing nothing but a towel, we''ll leave for now. However, I''ll return a little later." Remarked Michelle softly with a smile as she looked at Alexander while Chloe slightly pouted only to be given a stern look by Michelle, causing her to quickly nod in submission. "Alright, I''ll see you two later; bye, Chloe, bye, Michelle." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he waved at Chloe before kissing Michelle, causing her to look at him with a deep blush. "Eh? Can I also get a kiss, Alex?" Asked Chloe innocently as she looked at Michelle before glancing at Alexander, only for him to shake his head. "Hehe, sorry, Chloe, but only a special woman gets a kiss from me." Replied Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Chloe before winking at Michelle, who lightly stomped her foot in embarrassment before turning around and walking away. "Am I not a special woman, Mom?" Asked Chloe sadly as she looked at Michelle, who shook her head. "Of course, you''re special, Chloe, but you''re a girl, not a woman; only a special woman can get a kiss from Alexander." Replied Michelle gently as she looked at Chloe, who tilted her head. "So that means when I become a woman, I''ll become a special woman? Does that mean I''ll get a kiss from Alex?" Asked Chloe curiously, her words causing Michelle to sport a wry expression before reluctantly nodding. ___ ___ Now, before anyone gets any ideas, I''m not intentionally planning anything for Chloe; I just felt like I needed to say that since she''s supposed to be like seven years old, a whole decade younger than Alexander. Chapter 144: The Feathered Culprit !? Closing the front door as Michelle and Chole headed towards their house, I entered the front room and approached Yuki; sitting beside her head, I lifted her up and rested her head on my lap, making me realize I was only wearing a towel. ''Talking with Michelle made me forget I didn''t have clothes on.'' Thought Alexander with a shake of his head as he looked down at his towel before grabbing his face. Despite our suggestive situation with Yuki''s head so close to my cock, I wasn''t the least the bit aroused; after all, she was still sick, though I''ve got no doubt things would be different if she were in good health. Shaking my head, I attempted to stand up while carefully lifting Yuki off my lip, and after I gently set her back onto the couch, I was about to leave, but she suddenly grabbed my hand, causing me to turn around and look at her half-lidded eyes. "S-Sorry, did I wake you up, Yuki?" Asked Alexander apologetically as he squatted down beside Yuki, holding her hand while resting his own atop her cheek, transferring his soothing emotions to her. "S-Stay, A-Alex." Muttered Yuki softly as she looked at Alexander, causing him to open his mouth, yet no words were uttered, and he just sighed. "Haa, alright, Yuki." Replied Alexander softly with a sigh as he stood u and lifted her head while sitting back on the couch before resting her atop his lap. Looking down at Yuki, I saw her staring right at me, so I simply smiled in response, causing a reddish tint to adorn her cheeks as she also weakly smiled. "T-Thanks." Said Yuki weakly as she looked at Alexander before slowly blinking. "Of course, Yuki; I''ll always be here for you, so just go to sleep and rest. When you get healthy, I''ll cook my favorite Oni a hearty meal of whatever you want; there''ll be so much food you''ll vomit from overeating." Declared Alexander lightly as he lightly poked Yuki''s nose, furthering the reddish tint on her cheeks, only to reach into her blankets and rub her stomach, causing her to faintly smile. "O-Okay." Muttered Yuki with a nod as she closed her eyes, only to nervously open them a few moments later. Gently rubbing Yuki''s head, I saw her open her eyes once more, though this time, they carried a great deal of nervousness and slight fear, causing me to tilt my head in confusion. "What''s wrong?" Asked Alexander softly as he looked down at Yuki, who opened her mouth only to close it and shake her head as she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. ''Well, that was weird.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he gave Yuki a weird look, only to shrug his shoulders and forget about it while he continued to soothe Yuki with tender rubs. Yuki fell back to sleep rather quickly, and although she still seemed to be in pain, it looked to be slightly better than before, which caused me to smile but she was still a long way away from being perfectly healthy. Time passed by rather quickly as I was entirely focused on Yuki, constantly transferring my calming emotions to her, using the language of the trees while occasionally checking her condition with my eyes, ensuring nothing unforeseen had happened. Before I even knew it, a few hours passed, and dusk had arrived, followed by someone knocking on the front door; with [Heroes Gaze], I was able to tell it was Michelle, and unfortunately, I couldn''t get up and open it for her, but I apparently didn''t need to since I saw her reach underneath the flower pot and grab the key Yuki always hides there. ''Haa, I told you, Yuki, that wasn''t a good place to hide a key. But nooo. You wanted to be a hardheaded Oni and ignored my words.'' Thought Alexander mockingly as he looked down at Yuki while poking her cheek with a twitching expression. Hearing the door open, I looked up and saw Michelle enter the house, only to freeze when she saw me giving her a blank look. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "So, how long have you known about that key being under the flower pot?" Asked Alexander quietly as he looked at Michelle, who closed the door and approached him with a slightly bashful look. "S-Some time. Though to be fair, I''m pretty sure everyone in the neighborhood knows." Replied Michelle defensively as she handed Alexander the key while sitting beside him, causing him to glare at Yuki. "What did I tell you, Yuki?" Muttered Alexander as he pinched Yuki''s nose, causing her to breathe from her mouth while he just sighed and let go. "So, what did you come here for, Michelle? Is Chloe already asleep? That''s pretty early for her." Asked Alexander curiously as he shook his head and glanced at Michelle, who nodded. "Chloe had apparently ran around a lot today at school, so she was rather exhausted and went to sleep earlier than usual." Replied Michelle lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded, only to subtly blush while turning rather meek. "A-As for why I had come, i-it w-was to help r-relieve your s-sexual urges." Added Michelle bashfully with a slight blush while fidgeting her hands, causing Alexander to faintly smirk. "Heh, was it to relieve my sexual urges, or was it to relieve yours? I wonder, Michelle." Asked Alexander with a teasing smirk as he whispered into Michelle''s ear, causing her to blush, nearly squealing when she felt his tongue enter her ear. "Hehe, unfortunately, as much as I would love to get a taste of your thick, plump, meaty ass, Yuki isn''t feeling well, and I couldn''t, in good conscience, sleep with you while she''s like this. Sorry." Added Alexander with a slight chuckle as he reached underneath Michelle and groped her ass, only to retract his hand while sighing and apologetically shaking his head. "It''s fine, I completely understand. I''d be the same if Chloe were ever to get sick; she''s my number one in my life, after all." Said Michelle with an understanding nod as she looked at Yuki before glancing at Alexander, who lightly pouted. "Hmph, and I thought I was number one." Remarked Alexander with a fake pout, causing Michelle to chuckle as she grabbed his head before pulling him down into her large breasts. "Nope, Chloe is and always will be first in my life, with you and I tying for second. I love you, Alexander, but I can''t allow anything to happen to me since I need to always be there for my baby girl. Who will take care of her if not me?" Stated Michelle seriously while rubbing Alexander''s face, which rested on her bosom, causing him to nod. "Well, I can''t be mad at that; at least I''m tied with you." Said Alexander lightly as he kissed Michelle''s breast. "So, what about me? Where am I on your list of importance?" Asked Michelle curiously, only for Alexander to suddenly lift his head and suspiciously stare at her. ''I don''t know why, but my heart suddenly warned me not to answer that question.'' Mused Alexander as he looked at Michelle, who seemed confused. Thankfully, just as I was about to try changing the topic, which would''ve been a little awkward without answering her question, Talis flew in through the opened window. "ALEX!!" Said Talis loudly as she zoomed through the house towards Alexander''s head, only to suddenly spread her wings, causing her to come to a near-instant halt while softly flapping her wings and landing on his shoulder. "Shhh! Be quiet, Talis; Yuki is sick, and she''s sleeping, so please lower your voice." Stated Alexander with a thankful expression as he frowned while eyeing Talis, who tilted her head before looking down at Yuki, her eyes slightly widening. "Eh? I had poisoned her food this morning, but it was only supposed to give her a bad stomach; she wasn''t supposed to end up like this." Said Talis with slight concern as she softly leaped toward Yuki before lightly touching her face with her talons, only to suddenly be lifted into the air upside. "What. Did. You. Say. Talis?" Asked Alexander with an angry look as he glared at Talis while holding her upside by her legs, causing her to awkwardly hide herself using her wings. "Um, I-I said I p-poisoned her. B-But before you get angry, Alex, this was supposed to be revenge for all the times she''s eaten my food; the poison was only supposed to give her a bad stomach, some diarrhea, and maybe some vomit. It wasn''t supposed to be this serious." Remarked Talis fearfully as she looked at Alexander, who gnashed his teeth while glaring at her. "Oh, she did all those alright, and guess who had to clean it up? Clearly, it wasn''t Yuki since, as you can see, she''s been sleeping ever since we returned home, nor was it Michelle. That leaves one option left." Stated Alexander through gritted teeth as he brought Talis closer to him and stared her in her eyes, causing her to cutely chirp. "S-Sorry?" Replied Talis apologetically, though she tried to frantically escape when she saw Alexander''s eyes narrow. Releasing Talis from my hand, she swiftly flew away and hovered in the air a few meters in front of me. "I''m not going to do anything since I''m taking care of Yuki, but no dinner for you; you''re going to sleep hungry. Next time, how about you simply steal Yuki''s food instead of poisoning her?" Remarked Alexander in irritation as he glared at Talis, who chirped and reluctantly nodded. "Yes, Alex." Chapter 145: Passionate Kiss "Mhm, Lavender, you''re so delicious; every part of you is." Said Alexander lovingly as he licked Lavender up and down, causing her to faintly smile while moaning in pleasure. "Make sure to clean right here as well." Said Lavender pervertedly as she turned around, bent over, and spread her small, green butt, giving Alexander a perfect view of her tight, pink anus, which he looked at in desire. "You know I will, Lavender." Remarked Alexander with a soft smile as he grabbed her thighs and opened her mouth while leaning closer, only for something to happen. "~Ahh~, make sure to catch it with your mouth; I''ve been holding it in for several days, so it''s definitely going to be a big one." Stated Lavender with a slight smirk as she started pushing, causing her anus to open slightly as a brownish object was seen emerging. ___ ___ Snapping my eyes open, I quickly looked around, only to see Yuki sleeping on my lap, causing me to sigh in relief as I rubbed my face. ''Haa, another dream with Master, and most definitely the weirdest one yet; I''m glad I woke before my tongue actually touched that.'' Thought Alexander as he shivered in disgust before sighing and looking up at the ceiling. "Still, I really miss you, Master. I would''ve gladly continued that dream if it meant I could get just another 10 minutes with you." Muttered Alexander softly as he used [Heroes Gaze] to look through the ceiling and stare into the morning dawn sky, only to shake his head and close his eyes. No longer did I have those nightmares about protecting that little girl; instead, it was now dreams of Master and I doing any random things anyone could possibly think of. Although this last dream was very bizarre and disturbing, I still cherished it, just maybe not as much as the other, less disgusting dreams. I shook my head and got rid of such thoughts regarding Master, as it would only unnecessarily dampen my mood. Looking down at Yuki, I inspected her condition, and while she was slightly better than the last time I checked, probably because the poison Talis had snuck into her food had exited from her system, she was still looking worse for wear. ''Haa, maybe if my eyes would level up, I''ll be able to see her soul, but alas.'' Thought Alexander with a soft sigh as he shook his before blinking, causing the glow his eyes emitted to disappear. Gently lifting Yuki''s head, I stood up and put a pillow underneath her, which seemed to work as she didn''t awaken; quietly leaving the living room, I headed upstairs and entered my room, where Talis was soundly sleeping. Trying not to awaken her, I removed my towel and opened my wardrobe; wearing some everyday clothes, I tossed my towel on my bed and headed downstairs before walking towards the kitchen, glancing at Yuki along the way to ensure she was still sleeping. ''Hmm, should I make a normal-sized meal or not?'' Mused Alexander thoughtfully as he wore his apron and opened the fridge, observing his options. After a bit of thinking, I just decided to make a slightly smaller serving for Yuki, which would still be like six pounds of food from her normal eight. I also didn''t do anything too fancy and held back on the spices, considering she wasn''t in the best of health, and I didn''t want to possibly worsen it. Cooking some grits, eggs, and sausages, I was about to flip over the eggs, yet I stopped when I heard a slow, thumping noise, causing me to turn around, only to see Yuki leaning against the wall while slowly walking towards me. I was about to yell at her, but I caught myself before I could since yelling probably would''ve hurt her already pain-filled head, so I approached her instead. "Yuki, what do you think you''re doing!?" Exclaimed Alexander quietly as he picked Yuki into his arms; while she tried to resist, it proved futile. "I-I smelled t-the food, a-and I-I d-didn''t w-want you t-to have to c-carry me t-to the t-table." Repled Yuki weakly in between her ragged breathing as she looked up at Alexander, who gently set her back on the couch before pinching her nose. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "I wasn''t going to do that in the first place; I was going to take it to you, that''s much easier. Also, you''re sick, so I don''t want you moving at all from that couch, okay? If you need or want something, just tell me; your job is to focus on recovering." Stated Alexander sternly as he kneeled down towards Yuki while intensely eyeing her, causing her to open her mouth, yet before she could even say anything, he covered her lips with his finger. "Nope, I don''t want to hear anything you have to say, Yuki; you may be older, more experienced, and this may even be your house. However, I''m the one in charge right now. So just silently lay down, recover, and let me take care of you, understand, Yuki?" Added Alexander quickly, his words causing Yuki to close her mouth before softly smiling with a reminiscing look in her eyes. "Y-You s-sound j-just like my M-Mon w-whenever I-I g-got injured." Said Yuki softly with a lovely smile as he looked at Alexander with her slightly blurry vision, causing him to faintly smile and nod. "Then she must''ve been a great mother." Commented Alexander softly as he gently rubbed Yuki''s cheek, causing her to faintly blush while nodding. "S-She was, s-she also r-rubbed my c-cheek, j-just like that as well." Replied Yuki as she grabbed Alexander''s hand against her cheek, causing him to smile softly, only to frown while his nose twitched. "Shit! The Eggs. Stay right there, Yuki, don''t you dare move!" Said Tut as he quickly stood up and looked at the kitchen before glaring at Yuki, pointing at her while running back towards the kitchen. "Hehe, S-She was a t-terrible cook; t-thankfully, y-you''re not Alex." Muttered Yuki softly as she closed her eyes and rested, though unknowingly to Alex, thanks to him, she was slowly but surely overpowering her soul-sickness. ___ ___ "Sorry about the wait, Yuki; it would''ve been earlier, but someone thought walking while sick would be a good idea, which made me burn the eggs. Do you know how long it''s been since I''ve ever burned food? You''ve broken my streak, Yuki, and I will not forgive you." Remarked Alexander as he entered the living room, carrying a large tray of grits, sausages, and eggs, before setting the tray on a nearby table. "S-Sorry." Muttered Yuki apologetically, causing Alexander to sigh while grabbing the bowl of grits. "Haa, I can''t stay mad at that cute face of yours." Said Alexander softly with a shake of his head, causing Yuki to blush while he scooted closer to the couch. "Here, open your mouth; I will feed you, and you better not say anything back. I watched you create that big mess yesterday, not to mention I cleaned it; there is literally nothing more embarrassing than that, so just open your mouth and say, ahh." Declared Alexander, only to lightly frown when he noticed Yuki''s embarrassed expression, which only worsened when she was reminded of yesterday. Seeing Yuki open her mouth, I lightly smiled and used an Oni-sized spoon, which was just a serving spoon, to feed Yuki grits, and the instant the food touched her tongue, her embarrassed expression disappeared. Chuckling to myself, I continued to feed Yuki, though, as expected, her wild eating caused a big mess, and by the time she had finished, her face was littered with grits, causing me to sigh in both awe and frustration. ''How does she even do that?'' Thought Alexander with a shake of his head as he placed the bowel down before grabbing a towel to clean her face. "Don''t move, Yuki." Muttered Alexander softly as he held her head down with her horn and wiped her face clean. ''There, done; good as new.'' Mused Alexander as he looked down at Yuki, only to glance at her piercing yellow eyes and stare into them while she did the same with his purple, crystal-like eyes. Yuki and I just silently stared into each other''s for a long time while I felt my heart beat rapidly, and it wasn''t to warn me of something; no, it was because I was nervous. Which is something I''ve only felt when in Master''s presence. "Yuki. A-Alex." Muttered Alexander and Yuki, respectively, as they stared into each other''s eyes, conveying their earnest emotions through them. Glancing at Yuki''s beautiful, dark bluish lips and overgrown fangs sticking out from her mouth, I felt my heart rate speed up, yet, unlike with Master, I wasn''t some inexperienced virgin; so boldly, I leaned down and kissed Yuki, feeling an almost electrify touch when our lips touched. I intended it to be just a simple peck on the kiss, but I couldn''t stop there, and I slowly got more aggressive, not too much as she was still sick, but it was a deep, passionate kiss, one that I could tell Yuki was enjoying just as much as I was. Retracing my lips from her, I brushed her white hair out of the way and stared back into her eyes, giving her a chance to breathe, and just when I was about to go back down, I heard the flapping of wings. "I smell food!" Yelled Talis in excitement as she quickly flew down the stairs, only to see the suggestive scene of Alexader and Yuki, causing them to both deeply blush as he backed away, nearly knocking over the food tray. "G-G-Good M-Morning, Talis." Said Alexander with an embarrassed smile as he waved at Talis before glancing at Yuki, who had hidden herself behind the blanket, covering her crimson cheeks. Chapter 146: Alls Fair In Love & Fear Thanks to Talis''s sudden intrusion, Yuki refused to come from underneath her blanket, causing me to sigh in frustration, though I would be lying if I didn''t say I was a little bit surprised; I''ve never seen Yuki behave this way when it involves food. ''Haa, I''m blaming this on Talis and not the fact that I had just kissed her.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he backed away and glanced at Talis, who was sitting on the table, hungrily looking at the tray of food. "No, Talis; this food is for Yuki. I''ll cook you some food after I''m finished feeding her, so retract your talons." Stated Alexander with a slight frown as he lightly slapped Talis''s foot away, causing her to pout before nodding. "Hmph, fine. But you better hurry up, Alex; I''m hungry since I didn''t eat last night." Replied Talis with a huff as she spread her wings and slowly took to the air while eyeing Alexander, who blankly stared at her in annoyance. "Good, after what you did, you deserve to have gone to sleep hungry; now go to the kitchen, you annoying bird. Grab the food you want me to cook, but don''t make a mess; otherwise, I won''t cook breakfast for you either." Declared Alexander lightly as he dismissively waved his hand at Talis, who nodded before flying into the kitchen while thinking about what to eat. With Talis heading to leave the living room, I tried to remove the blanket covering Yuki, but she was firmly holding it; I could''ve forcefully removed it, given she was sick and weak, but three blankets were covering her, so I would have to do it two more times. "Haa, fine, Yuki. If you wish to be like this, I''ll just have to throw away the rest of the food." Said Alexander with a sigh as he stood up and grabbed the tray before walking, only for a quiet woman''s voice to resound. "W-Wait, Alex." Said Yuki softly as she lowered the blankets just below her eyes while staring at Alexander, who froze before turning around and approaching her. "Well, it seems like someone is hungry again." Remarked Alexander lightly as he set the tray back down and kneeled while looking at Yuki, who avoided eye contact. "You''re going to need to lower your blanket if you wish to eat; I can''t phase the food through the blanket." Added Alexander lightly as he scooped a spoonful of eggs, hovering it above his other hand to catch anything he might drop. I could clearly see Yuki was still embarrassed from nearly getting caught kissing, but I suppose her hunger surpassed it since a few seconds later, she hesitantly lowered the blanket, allowing me to see her pretty little lips and crimson cheeks, which made me blush a little. ''Yuki really is beautiful.'' Thought Alexander softly as he stared in awe at Yuki''s face, only to slightly shake his head and feed her. ___ ___ Feeding Yuki the last sausage, I faintly smiled and wiped my hands with a towel before using it to clean the grease and oil off her lips since, as you know, she''s quite the mess maker when it comes to eating. "Alex! Are you coming!" Yeled Talis from the kitchen in a slightly annoyed tone, causing Alexander''s eye to twitch as he sighed while nodding. "Yes, and stop with the yelling; what did I say yesterday?" Replied Alexander softly as he gazed toward the kitchen, though he got no response, causing him to ignore Talis and look back down at Yuki. "T-Thanks for the f-food, Alex; i-it was delicious." Said Yuki softly with a small smile and a faint blush as she looked at Alexander, who gave her a thumbs-up. "Heh, you''re welcome, Yuki." Said Alexander lightly with a smile as he tossed the dirty towel onto the empty tray. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. When I glanced back at Yuki, she stared into my eyes for a few seconds before quickly looking away as her blush deepened, causing me to faintly chuckle since it seemed like she hadn''t gotten over from that kiss. Smirking to myself, I leaned closer to Yuki and held two of her exposed arms down, causing her to look at me, yet I ignored her stare and gently kissed her on the lips once more; it wasn''t an aggressive kiss, merely a soft, gentle, yet passionate one as I transferred some of my emotions to her, which served to greatly calm her down while she also reciprocated by wrapping her two other arms around my torso. Once I finally removed my lips from her, I saw Yuki staring at me with hazy eyes full of love. Yet I couldn''t help but frown since hidden behind that love was fear and a great deal of it. ''Fear? What is Yuki afraid of?'' Thought Alexander with furrowed brows and a frown as he looked at Yuki''s eyes, which slowly regained their typical look, followed by her full blush returning. I didn''t know why Yuki seemed afraid of this development; she and I clearly had rather deep feelings for each other, yet she was afraid to act on them for some reason. Although I wanted to know why, I decided I''d ask her later once she was fully healed; all the negative stuff could wait until she was in perfect health. Removing myself from Yuki''s arms, I stood up and grabbed the empty tray, only to turn back around before leaning down and poking her nose along with lightly pecking her lips. "Rest well, my lovely Oni." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he stood upright and winked at Yuki, whose blush somehow deepened even further, only for her face to be hidden behind the blanket. Chuckling at Yuki''s embarrassment, I headed into the kitchen and placed the tray in the sink before glancing at Talis, who was sitting at the table with the most expensive ingredients before her, causing me to sigh as I had a small suspicion she was doing this on purpose to get back at me for not making her dinner. ''Hmph, this little bird, I should make the breakfast mediocre.'' Mused Alexander lightly, only to shake his head and sigh as he grabbed the several ingredients while glaring at Talis before getting to work. ___ ___ "Bon App¨¦tit; you''re cleaning up any mess you make." Said Alexander, placing a plate before Talis while eyeing her, prompting her to nearly droll as she eagerly nodded and chirped. Luckily for Talis, I had the pride of a chef, so just like I do with every dish, I cooked it to the best of my ability, though it was tempting to mess up the dish on purpose. Tossing the used pan into the sink to clean later, I went to check up on Yuki, only to faintly hear her snoring underneath the blanket, causing me to remove the blanket covering her face. "Talis, I''m going to leave for a little bit; look after Yuki while I''m gone." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Talis, who reluctantly nodded before exiting the house, forgetting his shoes and underwear like always. Although my main focus has been on caring for Yuki, I have also been deeply thinking about the legendary dungeon we had fallen into since I''m pretty confident it was more than ready to experience a rampage, given the fact there was infighting, along with that skeleton having not been absorbed into the dungeon. The skeleton also gave us an idea of how long that dungeon has been rampage-ready since it would only need quite a long time for the corpse to decompose itself. "I know the human body doesn''t take too long to decompose, a few months to a year at most; however, that''s without considering mana. In that case, I wouldn''t be surprised if it would take decades, possibly centuries, depending on how powerful the person was and how much mana they had." Muttered Alexander with a deep frown as he walked along the street, arriving at the Adventurer Guild several minutes later. Stepping into the guild, I was met with the familiar rowdy bunch, but instead, there were far more people present, and most seemed to be annoyed. Making my way through the groups of people, I was going to go ask Cath what was going on, but surprisingly, even she was being questioned by multiple adventurers, so that was a no-go. Looking around through the dense crowd, I spotted Oldman Jenkins in the corner, prompting me to head toward him since, among adventurers I know, he was probably the most knowledgeable; he would have to be if you''ve been in the business for roughly a century. "Tch, look at all these fools; their loud voices are ruining my drinking time!" Remarked Jenkins in annoyance as he glared at the numerous adventurers before downing a cup of alcohol. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen you not drink, Jenkins." Said Alexander lightly as he sat down beside Jenkins, who glanced at him before faintly smiling. "Heh, that''s the point; my drinking time is all the time!" Yelled Jenkins with a grin as he poured himself more alcohol, only to down the entire cup in a single gulp. "You Dwarfs are something else, Jenkins, drinking some of the strongest alcohol the guild has like it''s water." Said Alexander, shaking his head as he looked at Jenkins, who chuckled. "Hehe, that''s real rich coming from you, boy! You''re the only person I''ve met who can out-drink a Dwarf!" Remarked Jenkins as he slammed the cup down while gazing at Alexander, who wryly smiled. Chapter 147: Fusing Dungeons "Well, what can I say? I''m quite unique. Besides, it''s also not really fair; you''re an old man, so I''m sure your tolerance has lowered since your youth." Replied Alexander lightly with a smile as he lightly shook Jenkins, who let out a loud burp before filling his empty cup with more alcohol. "You haven''t told a lie yet! Anyways, enough about this; the more we talk about it, the more I''ll want to challenge you to a rematch, though now isn''t really the time for that." Remarked Jenkins with a large grin as he patted his beer belly before nearly downing the entire cup again, only to wipe his mouth and glance at Alexander. "Yeah, about that; why is the guild so packed? I know I haven''t been here for a long time, but this doesn''t seem like a regular occurrence." Said Alexander with furrowed brows as he observed the guild alongside Jenkins, eyeing the numerous adventurers. "No, it''s not a normal occurrence; the only time stuff like this happens is if, one, there is a large monster horde in the dungeon, which hasn''t happened in over a century in Hyphen; two, a dungeon is about to experience a rampage, and finally three, If a large expedition is about to happen." Remarked Jenkins seriously as he observed everyone while finishing the remaining alcohol in his cup and surprisingly not immediately filling it up. "Expedition, Monster Horde, and Rampage. Has any of those happened?" Asked Alexander with a frown as he glanced at Jenkins, who shook his head. "If it were an Expedition, we''d have been told a week or so beforehand to prepare; as for a Rampage, there would be signs, like infighting within the dungeon and increased monsters, so it''s most likely not that. Monster horde is the only thing I can think of since there aren''t that many people who live in Hyphen that can survive the last five floors of the dungeon." Replied Jenkins with a slight frown as he furrowed his brows and folded his arms, gazing about while Alexander wore a thoughtful look. ''I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that there is a dungeon underneath the Graveyard dungeon? But that shouldn''t be of concern; that dungeon has existed for a very long time, so why would it suddenly change now?'' Mused Alexander with a confused yet thoughtful look as he rested his chin on his hand, only to widen his eyes and hit himself in the head. "The hole." Muttered Alexander as he squinted and clenched his fist while Jenkins looked at him. "Hmm, you say something, Kid?" Asked Jenkins curiously with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Alexander, who quickly composed himself and shook his head. "No, just talking to myself." Said Alexander lightly with a hardened gaze as he used [Heroes Gaze] to look through several buildings before eyeing the dungeon''s entrance. "Anyway, I heard a loud roar coming from the dungeon when I was walking past. I don''t know what it was, but whatever that monster was, it was definitely powerful. My ability to use earth mana isn''t the best, but even I could feel the disturbance in the atmospheric mana." Stated Jenkins lightly with a faint frown, only to see Alexander standing up with a serious expression. "Leaving already? You haven''t even been here for 10 minutes." Added Jenkins with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Alexander, who nodded. "Yes, sorry, but I''ve got to leave. Yuki got sick because she ate something poisonous, and I''ve got to take care of her; she''s quite the handful." Replied Alexander lightly as he waved at Jenkins before quickly heading towards the door, bumping into someone along the way. "Yo, Kid, haven''t seen you in a few days-" Said Jackal with a slight smile as he looked at Alexander, who continued to leave the guild while cutting him off. "Good to see you as well, Jackal. Though sorry, I''ve got something important to do; I''ll talk to you later!" Yelled Alexander as he waved at Jackal while jogging down the street, heading towards the dungeon. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Jogging down the street, which was difficult since I was constantly evading numerous people since today, like most days in Hyphen, was busy; eventually, I reached the dungeon, though when I arrived, it was blocked off using tape along with what I believe is a magic formation. ''Tsk dammit, Master only briefly explained magic formations.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he approached the dungeon entrance, only to carefully put his finger into the magic formations. Instead of something happening to my finger, I felt it press against something hard, causing me to frown slightly since it was touching nothing, well, at least when I looked normally; when I used Heroes Gaze, I could see that I was actually touching mana that had compressed itself so much it solidified into a physical structure. Pretty much the same as if the oxygen in the air suddenly froze to a solid form; it was just working slightly differently. ''If that''s the case, could I not just cut right through it?'' Mused Alexander curiously as he reached onto his back, attempting to grab Trina, who wasn''t there. "Ugh, they''re still inside my body; stupid, I knew I was going into the dungeon; why didn''t I have them ready?" Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he left the area, only to return a few minutes later with a pair of greatswords holstered like an X on his back. Having returned with Trina and Zartha on my back this time, I grabbed one of them and put them blade first into the magic formations, and just as I thought, Zartha cut right through the solidified mana with ease, which allowed me to easily bypass the magic formation and hop over the tape, finally entering the dungeon. "Ahh, I really love you two." Said Alexander as he kissed the broad side of Zartha''s blade, which glowed brightly in response. ''I still won''t be gaining a physical body Master.'' Remarked Zartha calmly as he glanced at Alexander, who rolled his eyes before softly sighing. "Haa, I-I know. It''s a pity, too. It''s like placing the tastiest dish in front of me and then saying I can never eat it." Muttered Alexander softly as he holstered Zartha on his back, her face twitching while she remained silent. Heading deeper into the dungeon, once I reached the first floor, I would''ve usually run right through it without bothering much, but now that the dungeons are connected, I don''t know what type of effects it will have; what if I ran to the second floor I happened to encounter a level nine-hundred alligator or something? ''With the dungeons now connected, the stronger one will eat the weaker one, Master.'' Said Trina with a faint smile as he sat beside Zartha while enjoying the sun. "Stronger one will eat the weaker one? I assume that means the monsters in the stronger dungeons will replace all the weaker ones? Is that what you mean, Trina?" Asked Alexander with a faint frown as he warily walked down the first floor while holding both Trina and Zartha. ''That, and the dungeon will slowly evolve to a Legendary tier as well; when I mean slowly, I mean over the course of a week.'' Stated Zartha, her words causing Alexander to freeze momentarily while continuing to walk. "I had thought that might happen; I was just hoping I was going to be wrong." Muttered Alexander with an ugly expression as he stopped wasting time and started sprinting while filling his body with mana, causing him to go even faster than before. ''Tsk, this is freaking great news! So we''ve essentially got one week before a rampage happens within Hyphen? That''s not a lot of time for everyone to flee and escape.'' Thought Alexander with an unsightly look as he dashed through the second floor of the dungeon, only to arrive at the third floor a few minutes later. Once I arrived at the fifth floor, I was forced to face the gargoyle guardian, but, unfortunately for the monster, it was reborn in one of its weakest versions, so I was able to easily defeat it without much problem, not even taking a full minute. I arrived at the tenth floor several minutes later, and pretty much the same thing happened as before: the licker was taken care of swiftly, though it did take several minutes since the guardian specializes in agility. However, from the eleventh floor onwards, I slowed down and took things more carefully as the monsters on these floors were somewhat dangerous, and I didn''t want to fight a pseudo-monster horde when I was trying to leave. However, after nearly an hour, I finally arrived at the fifteenth floor, which is faster than when Yuki and I go together, but while I''m usually nearly full on mana, right now, my mana reserves were at just above a quarter, so they were quite low. ''Though that is partially because I''m being slightly reckless as I''m trying to hurry.'' Mused Alexander as he looked up at the ceiling and looked at the massive skeleton guardian, who fell into the hole. Observing the hole in the ground, nothing looked vastly different other than the hole looking more natural, which is hard to describe, but instead, it looked like the ground was broken off; the edges were smooth and rounded. However, I didn''t have much time to think of that as I heard roars coming from the hole, only for silence to return a few seconds later while the sound of bones being crushed was heard. Chapter 148: A Weeks Time Hearing the sound of bones being crushed, I nervously gulped and carefully peeked over the edge, looking down deeply into the dark abyss, only to see the monster from before that had nearly killed Yuki and I chewing upon the remains of the giant skeleton; however, almost immediately afterward, the creature looked up at me, and loudly roared, baring his large mouth which was filled with massive teeth. Swiftly retreating behind the ground, I continued to hear the monster roar, only for a loud bang to resound, causing the entire dungeon to subtly tremble, though it was far from over as it continued to do whatever it was doing. Gathering the courage to look back down into the abyss, I saw the T-rex monster repeatedly slam its large body into the wall, leaving behind a sizable dent. Thankfully, that was all; however, it was a little freaky since the monster was quite determined to get to me. I stared at the monster for a few more minutes before eventually standing up and backing away; I only came down here to see what was going on, and now that I''ve learned I couldn''t do anything to stop the dungeons from fusing, I needed to quickly leave and prepare to flee from Hyphen. Since the most likely scenario is a dungeon rampage, and there was no one in Hyphen who could stop a single one of these monsters, let alone the vastly stronger guardians. ''I need to warn everyone within Hyphen.'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he left the fifteenth floor and ran upwards, heading back the way he came. Heading back up was much easier than heading down since I had taken care of most of the monsters, and they hadn''t had enough time to be birthday again; only the monsters on the first few floors were back. As for the guardians, they took longer than the normal monsters, so I was okay. Exiting the dungeon, I hoped over the tape and used Trina to cut through the magic formation before I sheathed her onto my back alongside Zartha; looking around, it seemed like, other than a few passing glances, no one really cared much about me, which was good since I didn''t want to get in trouble. Mingling with the bustling crowd, I intended to head back home and prepare to flee the city, but before I did so, I planned to visit the guild once more, just to see if anything had changed; though when I arrived, other than there being a lack of adventurers, the polar opposite to what it was before, everything seemed normal. Approaching Cath, now that she wasn''t being pestered by numerous Adventurers, standing before her desk, I lightly cleared my throat, grabbing her attention as she lifted her head off the desk and blankly glanced at me before yawning and wiping the drool off the side of her cheek. "Ahh, A-Alexander, my favorite adventurer; w-what can I do for you? Mind making it quick? I''m a little t-tired from earlier today." Said Cath lightly as she looked at Alexander, rubbing her half-lidded eyes before stretching her arms. "What happened to the large crowd from earlier?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Cath before turning and looking around, spotting not even ten adventurers within the guild, causing her to nod. "That was because the Guild leader ordered for the dungeon to be closed off because of an anomaly appearing within it. Apparently, a large hole was found on the fifteenth floor by a group of adventurers; among the group, only two returned since the others foolishly decided to go down and check it out." Replied Cath lightly as she frowned while looking up at Alexander who nodded before furrowing his brows. ''I pity those adventurers, but that was stupid, and they were asking to die. Though it''s good the guild knows of the hole, this still doesn''t solve the problem of the rampage. One would need to go down that hole, find the few clues of a rampage, and somehow successfully escape, which is something Yuki and I didn''t even technically do; only Yuki really escaped while I was brought back to life afterward.'' Pondered Alexander with furrowed brows and a frown as he rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression, only to shake his head. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ''The knowledge of a Rampage happening will most likely not be found until it is already happening, which means I''m most definitely required to inform the people of Hyphen. Though that''s going to be difficult, how can I make the whole city believe the words of a seventeen-year-old E-rank adventurer?'' Mused Alexander deeply as he repeatedly tapped his foot, only to sigh a few minutes later. "Thanks, Cath, I''ll see you around; I''ve got something to do, and um, I know this sounds weird, but if needed, could you flee the city if you suddenly needed to? Like, if your life depended on it and the city was going to be destroyed, could you?" Asked Alexander as he waved at Cath, only to stop before leaning closer to her and whispering, causing her to give him a weird and suspicious look. "Why are you asking?" Replied Cath as she looked at Alexander, who sported a serious expression. "J-Just worried that with this anomaly and the dungeon being denied access, a Rampage may occur, and I wouldn''t want a friend to possibly be caught unprepared." Stated Alexander solemnly as he looked at Cath, who lightly smiled before shaking her head. "I appreciate the concern, Alexander, but you might be worrying a little too much; the guild leader wouldn''t deny access to the dungeon long enough for a rampage to occur." Said Cath lightly with an appreciative smile as she looked at Alexander, who shook his head. "Maybe, but this anomaly within the dungeon could cause some unforeseen things to happen; I might just be a little paranoid, but the saying better safe than sorry isn''t baseless. Packing all your belongings might be a bit much, but maybe it wouldn''t be bad to pack the essentials; after all, something unpredictable could happen with this anomaly." Remarked Alexander seriously as he stared into Cath''s eyes before suddenly grabbing her hand and transferring his concerned and anxious emotions to her, causing her to frown. "W-Well, your words aren''t entirely unfounded; you''re most likely being a little paranoid, but I can''t just brush off your words, given that it is a possibility. I suppose packing the essentials wouldn''t be a foolish thing to do; it would only take two hours at most, and it could end up possibly saving my life¡­" Said Cath with a frown as she glanced at Alexander, who managed to persuade her, causing him to smile. "Yeah, it''s just a precaution, Cath, and if it turns out I''m being paranoid, which I hope I am, I''ll even come and help you unpack; doesn''t that sound enticing? You''ll get a young, handsome man in your home. I''m curious about what might happen." Stated Alexander with a small smile as he held Cath''s hand, only to lean down and kiss it, causing her to faintly blush while retracting her. "Ho, flirting with me when you''ve got a beautiful Elven woman already? You''ve really learned from Jackal. Alright, alright, you''ve persuaded me; I''ll pack the essentials tonight." Remarked Cath with a slight smirk as she looked at Alexander who wryly smiled while she nodded. "G-Great! I-I''ve got to go, Cath. See you later!" Said Alexander with a joyful smile as he waved at Cath before practically dashing out of the guild, causing her to shake her head slightly before laying her head on the desk once again. ___ ___ Arriving back home, instead of entering the house yet, I took a detour and approached Michelle''s house and knocked on the door a few times, though I got no response, causing me to frown as I reached into my pouch and grabbed a key to her house, which she had given me a few weeks ago. Entering her house, I gently closed the door and expected to see Chloe, only to shake my head when I remembered it was still the weekday. Looking around, I didn''t spot Michelle on the first floor, which prompted me to head toward the second, where I heard the faint sound of rushing water, causing me to enter her bedroom and approach the master bathroom. Opening the door, I peeked my head inside and saw Michelle taking a shower while cleaning and dancing to whatever song she was humming. It was honestly quite adorable watching Michelle gently dance, and even a little arousing the way her hips rocked back and forth, and while I would''ve loved to silently watch, I, unfortunately, didn''t have the luxury to. "Michelle!" Stated Alexander loudly, his sudden voice causing Michelle to squeal loudly as she slipped and fell to the ground while groaning in pain. ''S-Sorry.'' Thought Alexander apologetically as he winced while glancing at Michelle, who was groaning and rolling around, holding her hip in pain. Chapter 149: Preparing "Do you feel better now?" Asked Alexander softly as he looked at Michelle, who was wrapped in a towel and sitting on her bed while rubbing her hip. "A little. Did you have to yell, Alexander?" Replied Michelle softly with a nod before looking at Alexander in annoyance, who sighed before awkwardly rubbing his head. "Haa, no, probably not, but I was in a hurry to tell you something, and I still am, so can we push this matter to the side for now?" Stated Alexander lightly with a shake of his head before tenderly grabbing Michelle''s hand and sitting beside her, causing her to frown and nod. "Haa, yes, but you owe me another date." Said Michelle lightly as she rested her head on Alexander''s shoulder, causing him to wry smile while nodding before suddenly clearing his throat. "Of course, now then. Where should I start? I''ll make it brief for now, and if you wish to know more, I''ll tell you about the details in the future. So, anyway, it happened when Yuki and I were within the dungeon¡­" Remarked Alexander as he softly squeezed Michelle''s hand, only to tap his chin with a thoughtful expression before giving a summary of yesterday''s events. I didn''t tell Michelle everything, making sure to leave out the things regarding how we encountered a monster within the legendary ranked dungeon and how I literally was required to die for Yuki and I to escape safely; however, I didn''t try to downplay the severity of the matter, I ensured Michelle understood the impending dangers. This was a little hard to do given that, from my understanding, Michelle has been mostly sheltered her whole life, not as if she hasn''t experienced the real world, but more along the lines she doesn''t fully comprehend the dangers the real world can pose. Being a farmer and having the occasional encounters with small animals like coyotes, foxes, wolves, and wild dogs is completely different from facing monsters that have no resemblance to sentience whatsoever; beasts can be warded off relatively easily, but monsters¡­ They will either kill you or you''ll kill them. "¡­ That''s why I came practically running in here, so I could warn you to pack your things since, while I hope I''m wrong, we''re most likely going to need to flee Hyphen." Stated Alexander solemnly as he looked at Michelle, who wore a frightened and ugly expression. "I-Is it really that bad, Alexander?" Asked Michelle gently as she stared into Alexander''s crystal-like purple eyes, only for him to nod sternly, causing her to bite her lip while losing her head. "Haa, I-I see. How long do I have to pack?" Added Michelle softly in a depressed tone while leaning against Alexander, who wrapped his arm around her and gently comforted her. "Not long, only a few days. I don''t know much about rampages, and it''s too late to do research on them, but I''m completely confident Hyphen will be wiped off the map; hell, probably even the areas beyond the city limits will still be within the Monster''s limits. We need to be out of Hyphen within six days; I''ll help load all the stuff onto carriages, so don''t worry about that. Just pack all the essentials and necessary items first." Declared Alexander seriously as he rubbed Michelle''s arm, transferring his calming emotions to her, which greatly helped in soothing her, causing her to reluctantly nod while she rubbed her face. "So I''ve only got about five days to pack? That should¡­ Be more than enough; it''s just that everything seems to be happening so quickly. One second, life has just taken a turn for the better, and suddenly, Hyphen is mere days away from being destroyed by a dungeon rampage." Exclaimed Michelle with a frown as she sighed while standing up, only to remove her towel, revealing her stark body before approaching her wardrobe in the distance. "I feel the same, but things happen that are outside of our control, though, with this one, I feel partially at fault." Said Alexander lightly as he nodded in agreement before standing up and nearing Michelle, who was already beginning to pack. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Anyways, I''m sorry, but I''ve got to go, Michelle; I need to acquire one, preferably two carriages so we can move all of our stuff, and I need to still take care of Yuki, not to mention I''ve got to somehow warn the city about the impending doom. Haa, I''ve got a lot to do in such a short amount of time." Added Alexander as he gently kissed Michelle''s cheek before groaning in annoyance shortly afterward, only to her place her hand on his chest. "Just take it easy, Alexander, one step at a time; also, if you need any help, I can''t do much about the other two, but I should at least be able to take care of Yuki while you''re out doing other stuff." Remarked Michelle lightly with a faint smile as she looked up at Alexander, who reached down and grabbed her hand before passionately kissing her, taking her by surprise. "Thank you, Michelle, but it''s fine; I''ve already got someone helping me with Yuki. Besides, you still need to take care of Chloe and tell her everything." Said Alexander lightly with a seemingly reinvigorated smile as he looked down at Michelle while holding her face, brushing her wet hair out of the way, causing her to subtly blush before looking away. "Y-Your welcome; n-now go Alexander, you have things to do." Stated Michelle bashfully as she forcefully pushed Alexander out of her room, causing him to faintly chuckle while looking at her. "T-Though, o-once this is all over, and we''ve found a place to settle down, I-I''d like another n-night together." Added Michelle softly as she hung her head down slightly while standing in front of Alexander, who smirked and nodded. "Of course, my Mistress. Now, then, I must really get going. Bye." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he gave Michelle a peck on the lips before quickly heading down the stairs and exiting the house, leaving an eager Elven woman behind. Stepping out of Michelle''s house, I closed the door behind me and leaped over the fences, landing right in Yuki''s front yard before quickly opening the door, though I made sure to gently close it lest she was sleeping, which seemed unnecessary. "A-Alex?" Asked Yuki weakly as she slightly lifted her head, looking at Alexander while Talis was standing on the table, constantly flapping her wings at her, hoping to cool her off. "Yes, it''s me, Yuki Ho¨Cwhat happened? Why are you sweating so much? Are you okay? Talis, why didn''t you remove the blankets?" Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, using [Heroes Gaze] on her, only to see her profusely sweating underneath the multiple blankets before eyeing Talis with a frown. "Tsk, I''ve been trying! But she only woke up a few minutes ago and do you know how hard it is for me to try and remove the blankets?" Said Talis in annoyance as she clicked her tongue while lowering her wings and eyeing Alexander, who opened his mouth before closing it and sighing. Ignoring Talis''s sound argument, I carefully picked up Yuki before tossing the blankets off her, only to summon a constant gust of wind to cool her down, though from the looks of things, she''s going to first need a towel, she''s been seriously sweating; it was like a small puddle on the couch. "I''ll be right back, Yuki." Said Alexander softly as he quickly left the room before heading upstairs and grabbing a random towel from the closet. Entering the kitchen, I grabbed a random pot and quickly filled it with water before heading back towards the living room; kneeling on the ground in front of the couch Yuki was on, I lifted the pot of water and gently poured it into her mouth as she must''ve lost a lot of water from all that sweating. ''My goodness, Yuki, I didn''t realize you were this thirsty.'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he looked into the empty pot that was previously filled with roughly two liters of water. "T-That''s better." Muttered Yuki softly as she rested her head back on the pillow while closing her eyes, only for Alexander to wipe her down with a towel. Lifting Yuki''s shirt, I cleaned her moistened abdomen before reaching into her cleavage, which was like a swamp, and that made me realize that drying her was a waste of time; she needed another shower. ''If her cleavage is this bad, what about her groin?'' Mused Alexander lightly as he removed the soaking wet towel from Yuki''s cleavage before slightly lifting her pants, only to get hit with the womanly musk that overwhelmed his nose. Swiftly closing Yuki''s pants, I took a few seconds to breathe in the fresh air and not that gas chamber inside her pants. ''Woah, that was¡­ Something.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki''s groin with a weird glint, only to drop the towel into the pot before carefully picking her up in his arms. "So, what happened, Yuki? You looked relatively fine two and a half hours ago, so why are you suddenly sweating so much?" Questioned Alexander in concern as he carefully walked upstairs with Yuki in his arms. "I-I don''t know; i-it just happened a few m-minutes a-after you l-left. I-I started to f-feel h-hot, s-so I decided to sleep b-but when I woke up, I-I was i-in a pool o-of my own s-sweat." Replied Yuki weakly as she breathed irregularly, causing Alexander to frown. Chapter 150: Love Declared Walking down the stairs while carrying a freshly cleaned Yuki, I approach the living room and gently set her back down on the couch, which I had cleaned to the best of my ability given the short amount of time I had, though it still needed a thorough cleaning; however, that can be worried about later, when there wasn''t the threat of a dungeon rampage happening. "Feel better now, Yuki?" Asked Alexander gently as he squatted down beside Yuki, gently rubbing her head, causing her to nod softly. "Y-Yes. My health had started to improve t-the moment you arrived." Replied Yuki lightly with signs of strength as she looked at Alexander, who smiled. "Haa, that''s good. Anyways, are you hungry or anything? I''ve got to do something, but I can make you lunch real quick if need be." Said Alexander with a smile as he sighed in relief before standing up and dusting his hands off while glancing down at Yuki, only to look around, searching for a specific brown bird. "Um, n-no. I-I''m good." Said Yuki softly with a shake of her head as she faintly smiled while patting her stomach, causing Alexander to nod. "Alright, well, I was going to go leave the house again, but since your condition seemed to be constantly changing, I''ll be staying for now; just call me if you need anything; I don''t want you moving around too much, especially since you still might be a little dehydrated." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he folded his arms and looked at Yuki, who was staring back at him, causing the atmosphere to quickly turn weird. "A-Alex, t-there i-" Stated Yuki as she looked away, clenching her fist while her heart rapidly beat in fear, though she was promptly cut off as a pair of lips stole her breath. "S-Sorry, y-you looked too beautiful, so I couldn''t help myself. W-What were you going to say?" Said Alexander awkwardly as he quickly separated his lips from Yuki''s while looking away, though his words caused her to blush softly. "B-Beautiful? O-Only, my Mother has called me beautiful." Muttered Yuki with a deep reddish blush atop her blue skin, causing her cheeks to take on a faint purplish tint while Alexander nodded. "Y-Yeah, you''re not the typical sense of beauty compared to most women, considering your large, muscular, intimidating appearance, but that in itself is quite beautiful. Especially since beneath all that muscle is just a soft, gluttonous yet lovable Oni." Stated Alexander earnestly with a lovely smile as he leaned down and gently tapped Yuki''s chest, right where her heart was, though her massive breasts were in the way. Seeing Yuki just stare at me with those lovely yet piercing yellow eyes was something else; it nearly gave me the same feeling whenever Master looked at me and when I looked at her. It was the mutual feeling of love and affection we held between each other. ''Heh, I guess I really do love Yuki.'' Thought Alexander softly as he gently trailed his hand across Yuki''s cheek while staring deeply into her eyes. I knew I should start packing things of necessity, but as I stared at Yuki''s beautiful face and those lovely lips of hers, I couldn''t help myself, and the next I knew, I was leaning over her breasts and passionately kissing her. Her overgrown fangs kind of got in the way since they would constantly poke my gums, and it was sort of uncomfortable, but even so, I wouldn''t have changed a thing about it; I actually found her overgrown fangs to be quite adorable. I don''t know how long we kissed, but when I felt her constantly patting me back, I reluctantly separated my lips from hers as she began to gasp deeply for air with blush cheeks while she looked at me with cloudly and slightly hazy eyes, which carried within them a bit of lust. "A-Alex, I-I need to-" Said Yuki solemnly in between her uneven breathing as she looked at Alexander, who simply placed his finger over her lips, shutting her mouth. "I already know you have something on your mind that''s preventing you from fully accepting¡­ Our relationship. Just know that I love you, Yuki, and I don''t really care what''s on your mind if I''m being honest; it''s not going to be enough to stop me from developing our relationship." Stated Alexander sternly as he stared into Yuki''s eyes, which began to tear up slightly, only for her to shake her head. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I-I-I l-love you too, A-Alex. I-It''s just-" Remarked Yuki lightly as she blushed while affectionately holding Alexander''s hand, only for him to interrupt again, which was starting to irritate her. "Did you not just listen to me? I said I don''t care; however, if it bothers you so much, I''ll gladly listen to you. But not right now, Yuki; I had just returned from the 15th floor of the dungeon, and the legendary dungeon is taking over the Graveyard dungeon, and once that happens¡­" Declared Alexander with furrowed brows as he gazed at the slightly annoyed Yuki, only to shake his head while his expression turned serve, causing her eyes to widen slightly. "¡­Dungeon Rampage." Muttered Yuki softly as she finished Alexander''s sentence while looking up with an unsightly expression, causing him to sigh and nod. "Haa, yes; once the Graveyard dungeon is fully fused with the other dungeon, a rampage will begin; after all, I can''t imagine how many monsters there must be within that legendary dungeon after going unintended for centuries. Let alone fight them, we couldn''t even escape from a single monster." Said Alexander with an ugly expression while tightly holding Yuki''s hand, only for her to grab her head in sudden pain, startling him. "Yuki, y-you okay?" Asked Alexander in concern as he quickly propped Yuki''s head with his hand while her breathing got slightly worse. "Y-Yeah, I-I j-just remembered about that d-dungeon, t-that''s all." Replied Yuki with a slow nod as she closed her eyes, only for the image of Alexander''s corpse to appear within her mind several along with the scene of herself decapitating him, worsening her condition even more. Watching Yuki''s condition continue to worsen, I quickly cradled her in a hug, trying my best to soothe her. "I''m right here, Yuki, I''m right here. I''m not going anywhere, see? I''m right in front of you." Muttered Alexander softly while grabbing Yuki''s hand and gently touching his face, which helped calm her down as she returned to normal after a few minutes. "T-Thanks." Said Yuki weakly as she looked up at Alexander, who lightly smiled before kissing her cheek. "Of course; now, rest and recuperate; don''t worry about anything. I''ll take care of it." Stated Alexander softly as he gently placed Yuki back onto the couch before standing up and walking away, prompting her to nod while closing her eyes. Gently shaking my head, I left the living room and headed towards the kitchen, hoping to find Talis, who wasn''t there, but the back door was open, and surprisingly, she was in the backyard, watching a group of ants. "Talis, what are you doing?" Asked Alexander as he gave Talis a weird look, though she simply shrugged her wings before walking towards him, looking very adorable while doing so. "Nothing, I was just waiting for you to return after bathing Yuki. Have you mated with her as well?" Replied Talis lightly as she looked up at Alexander before tilting her head to the side curiously, causing his face to constantly twitch while he opted not to punt her like a football. "No, I haven''t mated with Yuki; besides, why would you even think that?" Remarked Alexander, shaking his head as he reached down, prompting Talis to leap onto his arm before he entered the house. "Well, you used to bathe with Mrs. Lavender, and you also mated with her." Replied Talis as she spread her wings, hitting Alexander in the face while he just sighed. "I understand the connection, but, no, at least not yet. Speaking of mates, what about you, Talis?" Asked Alexander as he carefully passed the living room before heading upstairs. "Mate? Eh, I''ve done it, but I don''t get what the point of mating is if it''s not for birthing offspring; it''s just a waste of time; I''d rather spend it flying around." Remarked Talis lightly as she hopped off Alexander''s shoulder and landed on his bed when he entered their room. "Eh? You''ve had sex? When did this happen?" Asked Alexander in slight surprise as he glanced at Talis before opening his wardrobe, grabbing all his clothes, and tossing them onto the bed as he started packing. "Shortly after we arrived in Hyphen, for some reason, I had a powerful urge to mate for a few weeks, which is weird since it''s never happened before. Anyway, after I mated with a few random birds, it went away, and then I stopped; I thought it would feel good since you and Mrs. Lavender always say it felt amazing, but it was boring." Declared Talis blandly as she lowered herself onto her hanging nest while watching Alexander packing his things. "I had even found a weak Windeagle and forced him to mate with me, figuring the birds I mated with previously didn''t have a big enough cock since yours is massive, but even so, it wasn''t pleasurable." Added Talis lightly as she glanced at Alexander''s crotch before closing her eyes while he froze and just blankly stared at her. ''My goodness, to think my best friend is a rapist; well, I suppose it is the law of the jungle. I just hope she doesn''t get raped, but at least on the bright side, if it happens, she won''t care, so I guess that''s good. Sort of. Not really.'' Thought Alexander as he shook his head before sighing while eyeing Talis, looking at her in a whole new light. Chapter 152: Talk With Mayor Sachi "Please, wait right here, sir; Mayor Sachi shall quickly be with you." Said an Elven maid as she opened the door and bowed towards Alexander, who nodded before entering the room and sitting down on one of the futons. ''This mansion is much bigger on the inside than on the outside; it''s also very nice. Hmm, wasn''t Master a Princess? I wonder what her castle would look like.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced at the maid silently standing beside the door before looking around, observing the room. "Well, don''t mind if I do." Said Alexander quietly as he reached towards the table, grabbed the tea that had already been prepared, and took a sip through the helmet. After eating a few of the snacks and waiting a few minutes, eventually, the door to the room was opened, and a man wearing a luxury suit followed by two guards entered; however, he wasn''t just any man; he was a lizardman. I don''t know much about them, as I''ve only ever seen one other lizardman before, and it was merely a passing glance while walking down the street, but apparently, lizardmen are said to descend from Wyverns, which descend from Dragons. Of course, to my understanding, these were just baseless rumors. Other than the fact that they looked more like lizards than humans, I don''t see how they could possibly resemble a Dragon. Looking at Mayor Sachi, he stared at me solemnly as he sat down on the futon opposite me while his two guards flanked either side. "Greetings, Mr¡­?" Asked Sachi sternly as he looked at Alexander, who took a sip before dismissively waving his hand. "My name isn''t important; anyways, I apologize for the sudden intrusion; you''re not the only one who''d like to be lying in bed. It''s just the destruction of Hyphen is coming near, so I figured it''s only right to warn everyone in advance." Stated Alexander lightly as he set the tea cup down and leaned forward, staring at Sachi through his blindfolded eyes, causing him and the three others to frown deeply. "Destruction of Hyphen? Please tell me more; such news is beyond urgent." Remarked Sachi solemnly as he narrowed his eyes, causing Alexander to lightly nod, wasting no time. "Yesterday, as I''m sure you''ve heard, the dungeon was closed by the Adventure guild from the appearance of an anomaly; I happened to be passing through Hyhpen when I heard the news, and out of pure curiosity, I decided to check it out, after all, it''s not every day where an anomaly happens in a dungeon. However, what I found was quite terrifying." Replied Alexander with a nod as he leaned back in his chair while speaking to Sachi, who cared little for his lack of etiquette given such an important discussion. "While it''s right to call what I witness an anomaly, it''s an extremely unlucky one. Underneath the Graveyard dungeon is another dungeon, and thanks to the hole on the 15th floor, the two dungeons are now connected. Unfortunately, the dungeon underneath has been there for most likely a few hundred years at a minimum, and with seemingly no way to get to them, the monsters have been steadily growing, so I''m sure you understand what that means." Added Alexander as he slightly tilted his head and looked at Sachi, who sported a troubled expression. "Dungeon Rampage. Are you suggesting that now that the two dungeons are connected, a dungeon rampage will happen within Hyphen?" Asked Sachi with a deep frown and an unsightly expression, to which Alexander nodded. "Yes, and from my calculations, there are about five days, give or take a day, before the two dungeons become one; once that happens, a rampage will happen, and when it does, it''ll be unstoppable." Said Alexander with a nod, his words causing Sachi to close his eyes as he silently pondered for a few moments before suddenly snapping them open. "How much will it cost to employ you?" Asked Sachi with narrowed eyes, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow, though it was hidden behind his helmet. "My cost is proportionate to the difficulty of the job I''m being offered; however, I''ll have to refuse your request in this case. I''m powerful, one of the strongest adventures, but that doesn''t mean I alone can stop a Legendary-ranked dungeon rampage that has been brewing for centuries. If it were an Epic ranked, I''d be more than willing, but not this; I have no desire to die as of yet." Stated Alexander lightly as he took an apple off the table while Sachi''s large mouth opened in shock. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "W-What¡­ W-What did you just say?" Asked Sachi in utter disbelief as his long tail trembled while he stared at Alexander with widened eyes. "Yes, you heard me correctly. The dungeon underneath Hyphen is of Legendary rank. That''s why I decided to warn everyone, as this city doesn''t have any hopes of defending itself against an Epic-ranked dungeon, let alone one even stronger. I suggest informing everyone of such news and declaring a city-wide energy and completely abandoned Hyphen." Replied Alexander calmly with a nod, his words causing despair to slowly set into Sachi as she lowered his head. "What about the Adventure-" Said Sachi, though before he could finish speaking, Alexander cut him off, his voice sounding much firmer. "This is a Legendary rank dungeon unless multiple S-class adventure groups or above agree to come and help, which I can assure you they won''t; there is no hope for this city. Even if you could get multiple S-class adventure groups to agree, you''d still need to temporarily abandon the city, not to mention this city doesn''t have nearly enough wealth to employ numerous S-call Adventures." Stated Alexander sternly as he squinted his eyes at Sachi, who clenched his knees in anger. "I strongly suggest completely abandoning Hyphen; it''s a dead city with mere days left on the map. Though of course, I''m merely offering advice, you can still do what you wish, but make sure to inform the city; it would be pointless to have tens of thousands of people die for no reason. After all, I''m sure enough will ignore your warning and end up getting culled by the rampage." Added Alexander solemnly with a nod as he finished the rest of the tea before standing up, causing Sachi to quickly look up, opening his mouth to speak, though he was once again interrupted. "Anyways, I need my beauty sleep; farewell, and hopefully, you take my advice to heart." Said Alexander solemnly, and before anyone could say anything, he suddenly vanished from his spot, teleporting out of the Mayor''s estate and appearing in the middle of the street, leaving behind a troubled and tired Mayor. ___ ___ Removing the helmet, I stored it in my space pouch and did the same with the blindfold while I walked down the street. "So, how did I do, Zartha? I copied pretty much everything you said and told me to do, so¡­" Asked Alexander anxiously as he looked up at the night sky, marveling at the three moons shining upon Hyphen and illuminating it through the darkness. ''Passable. You sounded a little too concerned and weren''t aloof enough, but the Mayor definitely got the message, and that''s all that matters.'' Replied Zartha lightly as she, like usual, sat down under the soft sun while Trina ran around in the distance. "Yeah, I suppose that''s all that matters." Muttered Alexander with furrowed brows before nodding and sighing in relief as he jogged through the streets of Hyphen, heading back home. Arriving home after a few short minutes of running, I noticed Chloe''s light was off, meaning Michelle must''ve finally gone to sleep, which is good; she''s going to need it. Entering Yuki''s house, I gently closed the doors and headed upstairs, figuring I should finish packing everything I could; though I left Yuki''s room alone, I would pack it after I brought her upstairs. I didn''t want to snoop around her room without her supervision; I had already learned that mistake with Master, and unlike her, a slap from Yuki would dislocate my jaw. ''I''m not a masochist, so that''s a no for me.'' Mused Alexander as he sneakily exited Yuki''s room after returning her helmet, only to enter the bathroom and begin packing. ___ ___ Placing the boxes on the carriage, I turned around and noticed Chloe helping out as she carried a small box, though as adorable as it was to watch her struggle, I quickly picked the box out from her hands. "Thanks for your help, Chloe." Said Alexander with a smile as he gently rubbed Chloe''s head, causing her to nod enthusiastically before running back into the house. Chuckling, I shook my head and placed the small box atop a few others before following Chole as I entered Michelle''s house, which was rather empty. There was still furniture there, but the walls no longer had pictures, and various other decorations were gone; all in all, it looked oddly similar to Yuki''s house. ''Hmm, wherever we end up living next, I want to start hanging pictures.'' Thought Alexander as he walked up the stairs, only for Michelle to turn from around the corner and bump into him while carrying a large box with difficulty, causing him to sigh. "Haa, I''ve got it from here, Michelle; stop trying to lift things too heavy for yourself; you''re going to hurt your back." Remarked Alexander firmly as he eyed Michelle while taking the box out of her hand, causing her to reluctantly nod. "O-Okay; I-i just wanted to help; I-I feel like I''m not doing anything." Said Michelle softly with a nod as she looked at Alexander, who lightly shook his head before leaning down and kissing her. "I''m not forbidding you from helping; just don''t do something you clearly can''t do. After all, if you hurt your back, how do you expect me to pound you from behind?" Said Alexander with a shake of his head before whispering into Michelle''s ear while groping her large, plump butt, causing her to blush as she meekly nodded. Chapter 153: Fourth Day As I was enjoying the sensation of my Mistres''s plump, meaty butt that I couldn''t wait to dive my face into, I heard Chloe running out of Michelle''s room, causing me to remove my hand as I looked at her carrying a small box filled with pictures, making it decently heavy, but something she seemed to be managing just fine. "Be careful, dear; make sure to walk down the steps." Said Michelle in slight concern as she caught Chloe by the shoulders, stopped her, and released her immediately after, prompting her to walk down the stairs while nodding. "Okay, Momma." Replied Chloe lightly with a nod as she walked down the stairs, only to instantly start running when she touched the floor, causing Michelle to sigh while Alexnder chuckled. "Hehe, you know, I don''t have much desire for children any time soon, but whenever I look at Chloe, I hope my future children will be as good as her." Said Alexander softly with a smile as he used [Heroes Gaze] to look through the walls and eye Chloe, who was storing the box inside the carriage. "Fufu, there is no better compliment than hearing someone praise my little girl." Said Michelle with a proud chuckle and a delightful smile as she stood on her toes and kissed Alexander''s cheek, prompting him to dominantly grab her chin before passionately kissing her, uncaring for Chloe, who had returned. "Ahh, Momma and Alex are kissing again!" Remarked Chloe lightly as she looked at Alexander and Michelle, her innocent, childish voice causing the latter to blush intensely while she tried to escape though he didn''t allow it for several more seconds. "Yep, we kiss all the time, Chloe, so you better get used to it." Stated Alexander with a cheeky smile as he squatted down and rubbed Chloe''s head while Michelle covered her face, too ashamed of herself to look her daughter in the eyes. "Okay." Replied Chloe with a nod and an innocent smile as she enjoyed Alexander''s touch before dashing back towards Michelle''s room, feeling reinvigorated. "Hehe, stop being so embarrassed, Michelle. Chloe is bound to learn of our relationship, so stop trying to hide it; she''s only six, nearly seven, and she won''t even really understand the meaning of our relationship." Said Alexander with a soft chuckle as he held Michelle under his right arm while wrapping his left arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace. "I-I know, but, still, i-it''s so embarrassing, being stared at by my daughter as she watches you kiss me, it''s too embarrassing." Muttered Michelle lightly with a crimson blush as she snuggled into Alexander''s embrace while hiding her head in his chest, just in time for Chloe to come running out of the room and down the stairs before exiting the house. "Welp, just like I told Chloe, you better get used to being kissed when she''s present. Now that I feel reinvigorated by your kiss allow me to get back to work; there is still a decent amount of stuff left between your house and Yuki''s." Remarked Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he kissed Michelle''s cheek before reaching his hand down into her pants and pushing his finger into her arse, causing her lightly jump and squeal. "Eh, are you okay, Momma?" Asked Chloe innocently as she turned around and looked at Michelle, who was deeply blushing while holding her butt while Alexander walked down the stairs, humming a song to himself. "Y-Yes, I-I''m f-fine, Chloe." Replied Michelle with a forced smile to hide her shame, causing Chloe to nod before continuing to run while Michelle glared at Alexander''s back. Finishing my talk with Michelle after teasing her butt, I continued to help her and Chloe with loading the carriage, though for the remainder of the time, Michelle wouldn''t talk to me, and whenever I looked at her, she''d simply pout before looking the other way, pretending as if I don''t exist; it was honestly adorable, but I had learned my lesson: don''t tease her when Chloe is nearby. ''Heh, well, maybe I''ll do so every few months.'' Mused Alexander with a wicked smirk as he licked his lips while glancing at Michelle, only to shake his head and exit the house carrying a few boxes. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Today was the fourth day of our six-day time limit, and things were going swell; there hadn''t been a single hiccup for either Michelle or Yuki and I; well, to be fair, Yuki hadn''t done much other than lay on the couch for the past couple of days, but I was the one who practically forced her to do so. However, while our situation was pretty good, the same couldn''t be said for the rest of Hyphen. After my talk with Mayor Sachi, the immediate morning, I brought all of my saved-up money, which was roughly forty-five silver coins, and headed towards Stable Moving, the same company Michelle''s Ex-husband worked for before he unfortunately or fortunately died, depending on how you wish to look at it. When I arrived, I spent roughly an hour there before I bought the biggest carriage they had in stock, which was nearly all of my money, leaving me with none to buy any beasts that would pull the carriage, which was of minor inconvenience as I was more than strong enough to do such a thing. ''Because of that, I''m currently broke, with only one and a half silver to my name; haa, what''s that saying? Hard to gain, easy to lose? Yeah, that sounds about right.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he placed the boxes on the carriage before grabbing his space puch and looking inside, only to release a painful sigh. Unfortunately, despite buying the biggest carriage, it still wasn''t big enough to carry everything between our two houses, so we''re still required to leave most things behind, but again, as our lives are on the line, it''s a minor inconvenience. However, I''m just glad I arrived first thing in the morning since when I had left with my carriage, there was a massive line outside of Stable moving, and every single person had an anxious expression; it didn''t take long for me to pass a few soldiers spreading the word of an imminent dungeon rampage. Mayor Sachi wasn''t idle with my warning and had quickly warned the entire city first thing in the morning, which I was thankful for, but as word of the inevitable destruction of Hyphen, things began to spiral into a frenzy; luckily, Mayor Sachi must''ve foreseen this outcome since he hired the Adventurer Guild to act as city guards, and that quickly quelled the growing frenzy, especially since most adventurers weren''t as nice as the city guards. I''ve checked upon some of my friends and Avdneturer buddies like Jackal, Oldman Jenkins, CP, etc., within the past day, and most are doing good; some are having a little trouble, and while I did offer to help, they refused, which I''m thankful for since I kind of already have my hands full. Speaking of full, once the carriage was full, we intended to leave hopefully in the evening or tonight; I wanted to be out of this city before tomorrow morning in case the Rampage happened earlier than I expected. "My heart isn''t warning me of danger, so I think we''re still in the clear, but I''m not taking any chances, not when I''ve got three lives to take care of. Talis is capable of handling her own." Muttered Alexander lightly while leaning against the carriage, only to turn around when he felt summon tugging his pants. "Alex, Mom said we''re all good." Said Chloe softly as she looked up at Alexander, who smiled and nodded before gently rubbing her head. "Thanks for telling me and for your service; here you go. 25 copper. Shh, don''t tell Michell." Replied Alexander with a smirk as he reached into his space ouch and handed Chloe twenty-five copper coins, causing her eyes to widen in joy, though before she could say anything, he placed his atop her lips. "O-Okay. Thanks, Alex!" Said Chloe quietly as she rapidly nodded her head before cupping her hands and running back into her house while Alexander chuckled and stood upright. Shaking my head, I looked inside the carriage and noticed that only about one-third of the carriage was filled, causing me to nod as I looked back at Michelle''s house. "This must only be the essentials. If that''s the case, we''ll have some extra room for anything we may want to add." Said Alexander lightly as he headed towards Yuki''s house, entering inside and walking past the several boxes. Despite Michelle and Yuki''s house being roughly the same size, they had far more stuff than us, the boxes in the living room were every box in the house, and there were only about nine; granted, some of the stuff, like Yuki''s armor stand weren''t fitting in boxes, but still, compared Michelle, who had upward of forty boxes, that''s a large difference. "So, how''s my lovely Oni doing today?" Asked Alexander softly as he squatted beside Yuki while gently rubbing her stomach with his eyes full of warmth, affection, and love as he looked at her. "B-Better, though, I''m a little hungry." Replied Yuki with a faint blush as she turned and glanced at Alexander; her heart rapidly pounded in her chest along with a dry throat while she gazed upon him, though the fear within herself was stopping her from truly accepting her emotions. "Well, I''ll make you dinner once I finish packing everything. How does that sound?" Asked Alexander with a faint, lovely smile as he gently brushed aside Yuki''s hair and stroked her cheek, causing her to nod absent-mindedly while staring into his eyes. Chapter 154: Dead City Seeing Yuki silently stare into my eyes, I couldn''t help but chuckle. I''d do that a lot with Master; sometimes, when we were sitting together, I''d end up staring at her for several minutes. To this day, I still don''t know the exact reason why I would do so, but I always assumed it was because just staring at her brought me a sense of satisfaction and pleasure. ''I wonder if that''s the same for Yuki.'' Mused Alexander curiously with a smile as he looked at Yuki, who didn''t respond to any of his touches. Leaning closer towards her, I pressed our lips together and softly kissed her, causing her to finally break out of her trance as she reciprocated it; although her kissing skills were rather subpar, not like mine were that amazing, to begin with, I loved every second of it. Unlike Michelle''s soft lips, Yuki''s were much firmer and allowed for more aggression, though I kept it relatively modest given that she was still sick. As we passionately kissed each other, I could see Yuki''s lust growing as she started rubbing her thighs together slightly, and I wasn''t an exception since my manhood was semi-erect and it was growing by the second, once my shaft was fully erect and pressing against my clothes, I used one hand to lower my pants to my knees, freeing my large erection. I wanted to continue kissing for hours if possible, but from the patting on my back, Yuki needed air, so I reluctantly removed my mouth from her own while she gasped for breath, her massive chest heaving up and down, causing my shaft to constantly twitch in desire. "Did you like that, Yuki?" Asked Alexander softly with a smile as he looked at Yuki, who nodded while gasping for air. "I-It was great." Replied Yuki lightly as she looked at Tut with lust and love-filled eyes, no fear to be seen within them. "Yeah, I loved it too; it got me excited." Said Alexander with a smile as he stood up, displaying his erection for Yuki to see, causing her eyes to widen slightly while she stared at his manhood. As Yuki stared at my manhood, I moved it closer toward her face, causing her to gulp as she leaned forward and took a few sniffs, which seemed to do wonders for her as her eyes briefly glowed while she now stared at my cock in fervor. ''M-Must be the [Enhanced Sex Drive] trait she has.'' Thought Alexander in slight worry as he looked at Yuki, who was aggressively sniffing his manhood. "T-This smell, i-it''s amazing; w-why does it smell so good?" Muttered Yuki quietly in slight fascination as she grabbed Alexander''s thigh and pulled him closer, causing his manhood to be inches away from touching her. Seeing Yuki behave as such, I kind of regretted showing her my manhood, especially since she was still sick, but I couldn''t help myself; despite what it seemed, it wasn''t my lust talking; I wanted to make love with Yuki, just like I''ve done with Master in the past, and I felt such a strong urge that I couldn''t resist. This wasn''t like with Michelle; I only felt lust and affection with her. I didn''t really love Michelle, but I did really like her. However, Yuki¡­ I deeply loved her, nearly as deeply as I cared for Master; I wanted to sheathe myself inside her and make sweet love before pumping her womb full of my semen. The only time I''ve ever felt such a strong urge was when I had forced myself onto Master during my birthday. ''I really shouldn''t be doing this with Yuki; she''s still sick. Besides, I''ve got to finish packing the carriage. Yet, whenever I look at her, I can''t find the strength within me to walk away.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he looked down at Yuki, who was sniffing his testicles. "A-Alex. I-I want what''s in here. H-How do I get it?" Asked Yuki with a heated gaze as she stared fixedly at Alexander''s large testicles, which were packed to the brim with his semen that emitted a strong musk. "I-It''s simple; let me show you." Replied Alexander with a faint, lustful smile as he grabbed one of Yuki''s large hands before setting it upon his erect cock, causing her to subconsciously squeeze while jerking it back and forth. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Y-Yeah, e-exactly like ~Urgh~ that, Yuki." Said Alexander softly as he stood still and watched as Yuki jerked him off, performing a splendid job for the first time. It might''ve been because of how deeply I felt for Yuki, or maybe I was just more sensitive today than usual, but after a few minutes of a mediocre handjob, I felt myself about to cum, which put me in a dilemma: where was I supposed to cum? "Y-Yuki, I-I''m about to ~Urgh~ c-cum, I-I''m g-going to c-cum!" Remarked Alexander softly through grunts of pleasure and bated breaths, his words causing Yuki to speed up while he subconsciously leaned his hips forward just enough for her to suck on the head of his manhood. The moment I felt Yuki''s mouth close around my tip, I lost any control and spewed out everything; I was cumming so hard that my testicles were in pain for a split second, though it was promptly healed. It took about thirty seconds for me to stop cumming, yet even so, Yuki continued to suck all the cum out of my urethra with such force, it felt like she was going to pull the semen straight from my testicles. "Y-Yuki, i-if you do that again, I-I''m going to c-cum, I-I''m still sensitive." Said Alexander in concern as he looked down at Yuki, grabbing her two horns and trying to remove her head, yet she was singlemindedly focused on his manhood and didn''t even hear him. "Y-Yuki! I-I''m going to ~Urgh~ c-cum again! I-I''m ~Urgh~ cumming!" Stated Alexander loudly as he once again spewed out numerous thick ropes of cum, which Yuki slurped up with a determined expression. When I finally finished cuming for the second time within one minute, I forcefully removed my manhood from her mouth and backed away, which she didn''t seem to like, given her glare, yet before anything extreme could happen, the door to our house was suddenly opened with Michelle entering inside, causing both of us to turn and look at her out of reflex. "Mom, can I come in as well?" Asked Chloe from behind Michelle, who was slightly blushing while glancing between Alexander and Yuki. "S-Sorry, I-I should''ve knocked." Said Michelle apologetically as she turned around and closed the door while shushing Chloe behind her. With Michelle interrupting us, it seemed to have broken Yuki out of her weird sex-crazed state as she was now slightly blushing, seemingly having realized what had just happened; pulling up my pants, covering my raging erection, I approached Yuki, feeling a little awkward as well, since this was entirely my fault, I couldn''t control my love for her. "S-Sorry Yuki, t-that was unbecoming of me." Declared Alexander lightly as he knelt beside Yuki, who glanced at his crotch before softly nodding. "I-I''m also sorry; I-I don''t know w-what o-overcame me. I-I smelled your t-thing, and then I-I kind of forgot about everything." Replied Yuki in slight embarrassment as she looked at Alexander, who nodded. "I-It''s fine. Anyways, I''ve got to return to packing the carriage. Love you, Yuki." Said Alexander as he stood up and straightened his clothes before bending down and kissing Yuki. "B-Bye, Alex." Said Yuki lightly, fear clouding her judgment as she waved at Alex before rolling onto her side and looking away while lightly touching her lips. Sighing to myself as I knew Yuki felt the same as I did, yet she was still being so indecisive, I shook my head and pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. I had already wasted several minutes because of my lack of control, and I needed to make up for it. "Focus." Muttered Alexander as he picked up three boxes and exited the house, approaching the carriage, which Michelle was currently rearranging. ___ ___ Exiting Yuki''s house, I looked up at the sky, noting it was around dusk time, before turning around and locking the door for most likely the last time. Stuffing the keys in my space pouch, I turned around and approached the carriage in the distance; looking in the back, I locked the hatch to the carriage and lowered the curtain before walking to the front, where Michelle and Chloe were sitting while Yuki was lying in the back of the carriage since she was still sick. "Thanks again for the delicious meal, Alexander; it was incredibly splendid." Said Michelle with a faint smile while Chloe rapidly nodded her adorable little in agreement. "You''re welcome. Yuki, how are you feeling back there? Good?" Asked Alexander with a smile before looking into the back of the carriage, where Yuki was lying on the floor beside numerous boxes. "Yes." Nodding, I grabbed the reins off the ground and looked up at the sky at Talis, who was flying around in circles; giving her a whistle, I tightly held the reins and started pushing the carriage, going rather slow since this street was a little tight, though once we arrived at the minor street, I was finally able to walk at a comfortable speed. Looking around, I noticed many other people were also leaving the city, and while some had carriages, others only had a few backpacks, and there were even a few who got creative and used a sled to carry some of their belongings, though overall, the city was rather dead. ''I''m going to miss this place; it holds a lot of memories, especially Mimosa Restaurant; it''s going to be hard to find a place with a nice kitchen.'' Mused Alexander with a bittersweet expression as he pulled the carriage through the empty street. Chapter 155: Cath The Unlucky I slowly pulled the street through the carriage, using these last few moments to enjoy the scenery of Hyphen, which, with the lack of people, was relatively lackluster compared to what it usually is, but it still had some of its charms. "Mom, why are we leaving?" Asked Chloe curiously as she sat atop Michelle''s lap while observing the surroundings. "Because something bad will happen, and if we stay, we''ll get caught up in the bad stuff. You don''t want bad things to happen to you, do you?" Replied Michelle softly with a motherly smile as she looked down at Chloe and lightly rubbed her head while she aggressively shook her head. "No! I don''t want bad things to happen to me." Said Chloe firmly with a frown, causing Michelle to chuckle from her cuteness before teasing her. "Ho, only you? What about your own mother? Do you not care what happens to me?" Asked Michelle with a sad, teasing expression as she covered her eyes, pretending as if she was crying, which easily fooled Chloe. "Eh, n-no! I-I don''t want bad things to happen to you, Momma or Alex!" Declared Chloe quickly in concern as she hugged Michelle, trying to cheer her up, while Alexander smirked at her teasing. "Hehe, I''m glad to hear that, Chloe; I''m sure Alexander is as well, aren''t you?" Said Michelle with a lovely smile as she planted kisses all over Chloe''s face before looking at Alexander, who lightly nodded. "Yes. Who wouldn''t be honored to know someone as amazing as Chloe was worried about you?" Replied Alexander with a faint smirk, his words causing Chlow to nod happily while Michelle rolled her eyes with a smile. "So, will we return once the bad things are over?" Asked Chloe lightly as she turned around and faced forward while sitting on Michelle''s lap. "N-No, most likely not, Dear. the bad thing is super bad, and we most likely won''t ever return to Hyphen." Replied Michelle softly with a look of pity as she tenderly rubbed Chloe, who slumped and hung her head in sadness. "Awe, really? I''m never going to see my friends then." Said Chloe softly with a saddened expression as she looked towards the ground, causing Michelle to bite her lip and sigh. "Haa, I-I''m sorry, Dear, but there''s nothing we can do." Stated Michelle as she tried to soothe the sniffling Chloe with tender rubs. ''Haa, I don''t really wish to leave either, Chloe.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced back at Chloe before sighing and shaking his head. While walking down the road, I felt the ground beneath my feet subtly tremble, just a faint tremble, and it happened only once but still served as a sign that we would be forced to cut these final moments even shorter than before. ''Yep, there it is, my heart; it''s finally warning me of danger.'' Thought Alexander as he picked up speed, going from casual walking to a light jog speed, garnering Michelle''s attention. "Umm, Alexander?" Asked Michelle in concern as she avoided saying anything to make Chloe worry while gazing at Alexander, who understood her thoughts. "Everything is fine." Replied Alexander calmly as he winked at Michelle, who slowly nodded before returning to soothing Chloe. The warning my heart was giving me was only slight and was not of much concern right now, so I truthfully wasn''t worried since by the time it got to the point where I should be worried, we would be long gone, though, it was better to not stick around and test my luck. "My luck seems incredibly high, but there is a ceiling for everything." Muttered Alexander lightly as he jogged down the street, heading for the city gate, only to suddenly come to a halt when he noticed a familiar person walking down the street. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Eh, Cath?" Said Alexander in slight surprise as he stopped and stared at the back of Cath, whose white tail suddenly stood upright while her ears twitched before she turned around. "Eh, Alexander? You''re still here?" Asked Cath lightly as she eyed Alexander and the large carriage he was pulling. "Well, for now, we''re in the process of leaving, but what I want to know is, why are you still here? I spoke with Jackal two days ago, and he said he would take you with him; did something happen with him?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Cath, who was approaching him, only to furrow his brows in concern. "Hmph, that horny man, yes, he did visit my residence, yet do you know what he said?" Asked Cath in annoyance as she stood to the side with her arms folded and aggressively stomped her foot, causing Alexander to smile wryly. "Let me guess; he would only take you with him if you agreed to go on a date?" Replied Alexander lightly with a knowing smile while Cath snorted and shook her head. "No! He wanted a one-night stand! That horny bastard!" Stated Cath with a huff of annoyance as she grumbled under her breath while Alexander awkwardly chuckled. "Hehe, w-well, Jackal is quite horny, but I''m pretty sure he was joking around; he''s a pretty good guy, and he seems to actually care about you, so I doubt he was being serious. Well, maybe a little." Remarked Alexander softly as he rubbed his head while watching Cath''s tail aggressively sway. "Haa, I know; I''ve known that horny man for quite some time; he was just messing around, though I''ve got no doubt he would''ve pulled stunts during the trip. However, the reason I refused him was that he was already taking care of his family, and I didn''t want to add to his burden; the outside world isn''t the safest, and I didn''t want to make it more difficult for him, so I intended to travel using Stable Moving¡­." Said Cath lightly as she shook her head and calmed down, only to sigh towards the end. "¡­However, by the time I went to Stable Moving, every carriage was already gone, even the ones they used to transfer people to different cities. By that point, I decided to bite the bullet and find Jackal; he was a friend, so although he wouldn''t force me, I wouldn''t mind compensating him with my body, though he had already left. With no other options, I decided to just test my luck and asked several people if I could accompany them, and well, it seemed my age had finally caught up to me since my body wasn''t enough to tempt them, and I didn''t really have anything else to offer other than that. I only had one and a quarter silvers to my name, my bills weren''t cheap, and my job wasn''t exactly lucrative by any means." Stated Cath in a depressed tone as she placed her hands on her hips and sighed while her ears and tail hung downwards. "Had?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow, his words causing Cath to nod while grumbling under her breath. "Yeah, had. Given my desperation, I ended up managing to join a shady group, and I didn''t even get out of the inner city before they stole all of my belongings, though I suppose I should be thankful I wasn''t raped or killed. Now, I just decided to say fuck it and walk to the next closest city with my trusty dagger for self-protection. Maybe if I''m lucky, I''ll become a sex slave to Orcs instead of Goblins. I heard being a sex slave to Orcs is similar to being a maid; all you must do is cater to their needs and bear their children, and you''ll live a rather good life in their settlements." Said Cath with a small dagger and a forced expression as she eyed Alexander while radiating an aura of someone who has already given up on life. "Oh my." Muttered Michelle in pity as she looked at Cath, who sheathed her small dagger. "Now then, if you''ll excuse me, Alexander. I need to start training in my maid services. Yes, Master Orc." Declared Cath lightly as she looked at Alexander before turning and bowing to an imaginary orc, causing him to sigh while rubbing his face. Shaking my head, I set the reins down and approached Cath, only to pick her up before turning around and placing her right beside Michelle. "Eh, Alexa-" "Nope. Shut up, Cath, I''m taking you with us." Said Alexander sternly; he didn''t even look back and merely grabbed the reins of the carriage before pulling once more. "Haa, thank you. Just know, if bandits, Orcs, or Goblins attack, you can use me as a meat shield." Said Cath with a soft smile while looking at Alexander, whose face constantly twitched at her words. "Haa, can you not be so pessimistic, Cath?" Asked Alexander with a sigh of annoyance as he approached the city gate in the distance. "I''m not being pessimistic; I''m just being realistic; there is a good chance I''ll die on this journey, so I should be mentally prepared for it." Stated Cath solemnly as she glanced at Alexander, who merely shook his head in silence while Michelle suddenly grabbed her head before forcing Cath into her ample chest. "It''s going to be all right, young one; everything will be fine." Said Michelle softly as he soothed Cath, who closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth provided by the two watermelons. "Eh, I never have asked, but how old are you, Michelle?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Michelle, who pouted before replying. "221." Said Michelle, her answer causing Alexander to tilt his head in confusion. ''What the? I-I have so many more questions about her marriage now.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he shook his head. Chapter 156: Leaving Hyphen While wondering how the hell Michelle even had an arranged marriage at the age of one-hundred-eight or something, I continued to push the cart toward the city gate, which was empty; there weren''t even guards standing on the sides of the gate. Once we exited the city, I stopped and turned the carriage sideways so we could all gaze at the city one last time. "My time here wasn''t the best, but I will miss this place." Muttered Michelle softly as she gazed at the city before looking down at Chloe who waved her hand at the city with a saddened expression, causing her to tightly embrace her in a motherly hug. "I''ve actually lived here most of my life and have rarely ever left the city, so this will be a new experience for me. I just hope I don''t die." Remarked Cath lightly with a sad smile as she looked at Hyphen before shaking her hand and glancing at the dirt road behind her, leading to who knows where. "I''m going to miss this place; it''s where I met all of you guys, so it means quite a lot. Yuki, I know you''re not feeling well, but it''s the last time we''ll ever see Hyphen; I think you should say something." Stated Alexander softly with a bittersweet smile as he looked at Hyphen, his words causing Cath and Michelle to glance at him with a smile before he turned and looked at Yuki. With my words, a grunt was heard, followed by the entire carriage trembling slightly as Yuki emerged from the front of the carriage, leaning against the front seats in between Michelle and Cath, with the latter being quite surprised. "I don''t have many fond memories of this place, but I''ll also miss Hyphen¡­ It''s where Alexander and I met." Said Yuki softly as she gazed at Hyphen before glancing at Alexander, who looked at her lovingly, only to blow her a kiss, causing her to faintly blush while returning inside the carriage. "Eh? I-I''m confused. A-Are you and Ms. Yuki in a relationship?" Asked Cath with a slightly confused look as she turned and glanced between Yuki and Alexander before carefully eyeing Michelle, who was happily playing with Chloe. "Yes." Stated Alexander firmly and passionately, his voice overpowering Yuki, who wasn''t even allowed to open her mouth while Cath''s mouth was wide open. "Oh my, I-I didn''t know about this; what about Michelle?" Asked Cath as she covered her mouth and glanced at Yuki, who was sporting an uncomfortable expression, before turning and eyeing Michelle. "What about me?" Asked Michelle with a beautiful smile as she looked at Cath, who gestured between Yuki and Alexander, causing her to chuckle softly. "Hehe, I''m Alexander''s Mistress." Said Michelle softly as she whispered into Cath''s ear while cupping Chloe''s, causing the former to slightly widen her eyes and look at Alexander. "And here I thought Jackal was the horny one. It seems the student has surpassed the master." Muttered Cath lightly with a shake of her head, causing Alexander''s face to twitch as he jogged down the dirt road, pulling the carriage with him. "Yep, you''re too late, Cath. Only Michelle and Yuki will be getting a taste of my large chocolate stick." Said Alexander with a teasing smirk as he turned and looked at Cath, who folded her arms and rolled her eyes while Yuki''s eyes glistened and Michelle blushed. "Chocolate stick? Can I have it, Alex?" Asked Chloe innocently with a curious gaze as she looked at Alexander, causing his expression to stiffen while Michelle glared at him with a blush. "C-Can I also have it?" Asked Yuki with a hungry gaze as she picked her head above the back of the carriage. "Y-Yes, you can have it, Yuki; as for you, Chloe, um, a-ask your Mom." Replied Alexander with an uncomfortable expression as he glanced at Yuki, who smiled while Chloe nodded before looking up at Michelle. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Mom, can I-" "NO!" Stated Michelle sternly as she looked down at Chloe, who pouted and hung her head down. ''Haa, why do I have a feeling only Yuki was the one who didn''t know what I was referring to? Excluding Chloe, of course.'' Mused Alexander with a wry expression as he shook his head and continued jogging down the dirt road, furthering the distance between them and Hyphen. Since it was already rather late in the day, we didn''t travel for long, only for a few more hours, only deciding to stop once I no longer felt my heart warning me of danger. We''ve gotten far enough away from Hyphen where the road wasn''t as good, so now it was becoming slightly harder to pull the carriage without damaging it, but it''s nothing I can''t deal with; I just need to be a little bit slower than I''d like. "How is everyone feeling?" Asked Alexander as he turned and looked at everyone, only to see Michelle and Chloe sleeping, along with the sound of deep growls coming from the back of the carriage. "They''re all asleep." Said Cath lightly as she yawned a little before stretching her arms and tail, only to look at Alexander. "Yeah, I figured. We should stop for the night then." Said Alexander with a nod as he looked up at the sky, summoning Talis with a whistle. "How are you feeling, Talis?" Asked Alexander lightly as he outstretched his hand, prompting Talis to softly perch herself on his arm. "A little sleepy. Are we going to head to sleep?" Replied Talis as she rubbed her head using her wings while looking at Alexander, who nodded. "Yeah, I was just hoping you could spot us a place to rest for the night; pulling the carriage through the forest will be a hassle, so I''d only like to do it once." Stated Alexander with a faint smile as he scratched Talis''s under beak while she purred like a kitten, only to nod afterward. "Yeah, give me a few minutes." Said Talis as she spread her large wings and flapped, swiftly flying through the sky above the surrounding forests. "She is a weird bird." Muttered Cath lightly as she looked up at the sky before glancing at Alexander, who chuckled with a nod. "Yes, she is." Replied Alexander softly with a wry expression. ___ ___ "Alright, there, that should be much more comfortable for you three." Said Alexander as he placed the boxes on the ground before looking at the nearly empty carriage. "Thanks, A-Alexander. G-Goodnight." Said Michelle with a tired expression as she kissed Alexander on the cheek before entering the carriage with Chloe and falling asleep. Seeing Michelle fall fast asleep, I couldn''t help but chuckle; for the past few days, she had been working quite hard and had only gotten a few hours of sleep, so she really needed this, though I bet she''ll feel sore after she wakes up. "Yes, thank you, Alexander, for everything really. I seriously owe you; even if I don''t survive this trip, I''m still very grateful." Said Cath with a smile as she gave Alexander a friendly hug, which he reciprocated with a faint smile. "Yes, you''re welcome, and stop being so pessimistic, Cath. And if you wish to repay me, I wouldn''t mind you offering your body, of course, if you wish." Said Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he released the hug and looked at Cath, who rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Haa, you''ve got two women, and you''re still so lustful, unbelievable. But yes, I have no qualms about doing so; if I can''t somehow repay you any other way, I''ll gladly do so if it means I show you how much I appreciate this." Stated Cath with a sigh and a shake of her head as she looked at Alexander with gratitude before grabbing his large hand and placing it on her small breasts. "I was merely joking, Cath. Anyway, have a nice sleep." Muttered Alexander with a shake of his head as he picked up Cath before putting her inside the carriage, causing her to chuckle before laying beside Michelle, falling asleep a few minutes later. With those two sleeping, I shifted my focus to Yuki, who had woken up and was leaning against a tree, even though she should be lying on the ground. ''Haa, why is she so hard-headed?'' Mused Alexander as he approached Yuki before grabbing one of her arms and forcing her to lean onto him. "Yuki, what did I say about standing up? You''re still sick." Remarked Alexander with a faint frown as he looked up at Yuki, who lightly shook her head. "I-I know, but I''m feeling better." Said Yuki lightly with a smile, her voice sounding stronger than before, though still not normal. Sighing to myself, I suddenly picked up Yuki before tossing her onto the ground, followed by leaning over her and grabbing all four of her large hands, only to press my lips against hers as we kissed aggressively. We kissed for a long time, and we only separated our lips when I felt her pinch my hand, causing me to retract my head as I stared at her lovely expression that aroused me to no end, further hardening my already erect manhood. "Ugh, what is it, Yuki!? Why won''t you accept your own feelings!?" Exclaimed Alexander in slight anger as he looked into Yuki''s eyes, observing the fear that threatened to suppress her love, affection, and lust for him. Chapter 157: Oni/Monster(R18) After venting my emotions with a yell, I sighed and released Yuki as I propped her up against a tree while I sat in front of her, waiting for her to speak. "Tell me, Yuki, what''s stopping you." Asked Alexander sternly as he calmly sat in front of Yuki, who bit her lip before taking a deep breath. "Alexander, you¡­You viewed my status panel, correct?" Asked Yuki softly as she looked at Alexander, who nodded before lowering his head. "Yes, I did. I did so to figure out what was wrong with you, though still, it''s a breach of privacy and trust, and I''d like to apologize for doing that without your permission, Yuki." Replied Alexander apologetically as he thought back to Yuki''s status panel while she shook her head. "I-It''s fine, m-my circumstance was unique, so I-I don''t blame you; however, even if you tried to ignore most of my status, you still¡­ Saw it." Stated Yuki lightly as she looked at Alexander while her heartrate steadily increased, pumping fear throughout her body. "Y-Yeah, I did, especially the trait, [Enhanced Sexdrive]; I-I may have stared at that one slightly longer than the other''s." Said Alexander lightly with a faint blush as he awkwardly rubbed his head, though Yuki once again shook her head. "No, t-that''s not what I meant, Alexander. I-I meant my species¡­ I-I''m only half Oni m-my other half is¡­ Is monster. T-The same kind of monsters inside dungeons." Declared Yuki as he clenched her fist while lowering her head, telling Alexander the truth while refusing to look him in the eyes, too terrified to know what his reaction would be. "Hmm, yeah, I figured. I''m not like you, Yuki; I can use my context clues to put two and two together." Said Alexander lightly with a nod while glancing at Yuki, slightly mocking her in the process. "Actually, now that I think about it, monsters are soulless and don''t even have the basic instincts to reproduce, so how would this even work?" Added Alexander curiously as he rubbed his chin before looking at Yuki, who gritted her teeth in anger before suddenly standing up and slamming her fist against the tree she was previously leaning on, snapping it in half like a twig despite being sick. "D-DON''T YOU GET IT!? I''M A MONSTER! I''M A DISGUSTING, VILE MONSTER! I-I''m a monster." Yelled Yuki furiously in anger as she glared at Alexander while thinking back to her past, only to collapse onto her knees, sobbing in sadness. Seeing Yuki cry, I got on my knees and hugged her, causing her to dig her face into my neck while she cried. I didn''t say anything and simply acted as a shoulder to lean on while affectionately petting her back, and after a few minutes, she finally stopped crying, causing me to grab her soft cheeks as I stared into her beautiful yet piercing yellow eyes. "Listen, Yuki, you''ve clearly had a rough life if that''s how you think of yourself, but all I''m going to say is¡­ I love you. I love you with all my heart, and I don''t care if you were a full monster; I''d still love you just as much." Declared Alexander solemnly as he used the language of trees, transferring his raw emotions into Yuki while staring into her teary eyes, causing all the fear within her heart to slowly vanish, allowing the love, affection, and lust to blossom fully. "A-Alexander." Muttered Yuki softly as she stared into Alexander''s purple, crystal-like eyes, only to faintly smirk before gently kissing her. "Hmm, aren''t you supposed to say something?" Asked Alexander with a mischievous smirk, causing Yuki to suddenly wipe her face before adorning a loving smile. "I¡­ I love you, Alexander." Said Yuki softly with a slight blush, causing Alexander to smirk as the two passionately kissed, and now that nothing was suppressing her true feelings, things moved quickly. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. While Yuki and I were passionately kissing, she suddenly pushed me onto the ground and held my arms above my head, similar to what I did to her earlier, and aggressively kissed me while using her two other arms to rip off my clothes, freeing my fully erect shaft that poked her in the stomach. Feeling her large hand grasp my shaft, she began to jerk it aggressively, not enough to hurt me, but as if she needed my semen right this instant, and I couldn''t help but grunt in pleasure. "Y-Yuki, I''m ~Urgh~, g-going to cum!" Said Alexander in between passionate kissing as he looked up at Yuki, who increased her speed, jerking his manhood even faster. "Cum, give me your cum!" Stated Yuki with an incredibly lustful expression as she quickly moved down to Alexander''s shaft before sucking on the tip with a hungry look, sending him over the edge. "~Urgh~ I-I''m cumming!" Declared Alexander as he grabbed Yuki''s horns and shoved all of his manhood inside of her mouth, reaching the back of her throat while spewing numerous thick ropes of semen. I''m pretty confident Yuki hasn''t had sex before, but the way her tongue coiled around my shaft while I emptied everything side of her was so amazing it made me think she''s had experience. Once I finally stopped cumming, I was about to remove my manhood, but before I could, Yuki firmly held me down by the waist and looked up at me with a lewd and naughty expression while sucking on my shaft; I thought I was going to cum again. "More. I want MORE." Said Yuki sternly with a hungry, almost crazed look in her eyes as she bobbed her head up and down while her longe tongue coiled around Alexander''s shaft, causing him to grunt in pleasure. Watching as Yuki gave me one of the most aggressive blowjobs ever, I couldn''t help but be amazed at how much of a natural she was; she wasn''t as good as Master or let alone Lily, but my goodness, I''ve got no doubt she''ll reach Masters level in no time and coupled with her aggressive nature, I was going to be cumming almost constantly. Feeling myself cumming once more, I did the same as before and slammed my hips against her face, reaching the back of her throat as I cummed once more, even slightly more than last time, before quickly retracting my shaft lest Yuki went for a third time. "Alex, I want more. Give me more, Alex; put it in here." Stated Yuki with a hungry look as she eyed Alexander, only to suddenly rip her own clothes off before spreading her legs, inviting him to her very wet vagina. ''M-My goodness, how can you be so sexy, Yuki!?'' Thought Alexander with a gulp as he eyed Yuki''s wet womanhood, only to quickly approach her. Keeping Yuki''s legs spread, I kneeled right before her and ground my cock against her wet vagina, causing her to moan slightly; I would''ve loved to return the favor and eat her out, but given how badly she seemed to want my cum, she might not last that long. ''Speaking of long, the one time I''m thankful for having such an unreasonable-sized cock.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smile as he inwardly thanked Lily before squatting over Yuki''s vagina, which was eagerly waiting for his shaft. However, because of our massive size difference, with her being nearly four entire feet taller than me, there was no way I was able to kiss her, which was unfortunate, but I could still suck upon her massive breasts, which were so enticing. "I love you, Yuki." Said Alexander softly as he gently kissed Yuki''s pink nipple before sucking on her breast, causing her to slightly moan. "I-I love you too, Alexander. N-Now, please, I-I need your cum; I-I can''t wait much longer." Remarked Yuki with a faint smile as she gently rubbed Alexander''s head before slightly wiggling her ass, causing him to smile as he lowered his cock into her. To be honest, I had expected her insides to be a little loose just because of our sheer size difference, but it was the complete utter opposite; her insides were clamping down on my cock so tightly it was insane to think this was even a woman''s insides. Once I stuffed all of myself inside of her, I couldn''t help but grunt in pleasure as I cummed for the third time, painting her insides white while she also moaned before squirting me with her juices. "A-Are you sure y-you''re not part S-Succubus?" Asked Alexander with uneven breathing as he looked at Yuki, who shook her head, prompting him to nod as he began to slowly thrust inside of her while the two were in a mating press position. I didn''t want to be aggressive on our first night together since it was, well, our first night, but a look from Yuki was all I needed to know she wanted more, so with a mighty thrust, I started to pound her vagina as if I was trying to impregnate her, reaching the deepest spots I could and casing her to start truly moaning. "~Ahh~ s-so ~Ahh~ good! G-Give me your ~Ahh~ c-cum already!" Said Yuki loudly with a womanly voice full of love and lust as she stared at Alexander attacking her insides without remorse, causing her massive breasts to sway around, nearly hypnotizing him. "~Urgh~ d-don''t worry, ~Urgh~, y-your insides are ~Urgh~ s-so tight, I''ll cum ~Urgh~ a-any seocnd!" Replied Alexander as he relentlessly pounded the same spot repeatedly, hitting one of Yuki''s G-spots with the head of his cock, causing her to moan every few seconds. Chapter 158: Alexander & Yuki(R18) Thrusting one last time within Yuki, I felt her meaty, wet hole tightly squeeze my cock as I ejaculated for the second time within her vagina, spewing my vigorous semen to the depths of her cervix as if I was trying to impregnate her, which I wasn''t but at the same time, I wouldn''t be mad if I did. Grunting in pure pleasure, I released rope after rope of semen within Yuki while she, herself, moaned loudly with a lovely expression as she squirted onto my groin, staining me in her love juices as if trying to mark my crotch as hers. After numerous seconds, I removed my cock from her vagina and stood up from our mating press position before I laid down on her, resting on her breasts while grabbing her chin and passionately kissing her, which she gladly reciprocated. "Mhm, I-I love you, Y-Yuki. ~Ahh~ I-I love you as well, Alex." Stated Alexander and Yuki, respectively, in between their passionate kissing as they fully embraced their love for each other. Yuki and I kissed for several minutes. I would''ve given her a chance to breathe, but from how tightly her four arms were wrapped around me, I had no room to move, so I just enjoyed this long, deep kiss that sent waves of pleasure through both my body and soul, as I reached what I''d call the peak of happiness, something I''ve only ever felt with Master. "Y-Yuki, y-you, n-need to breathe, y-your face is going p-pale." Said Alexander in between their kissing as he looked at Yuki''s slightly pale face in concern, trying to retract his lips from hers, though she ignored his words and continued to suffocate herself on his lips. Nearly fifteen minutes passed with us doing nothing but kissing each other before Yuki finally released my lips, prompting her to instantly gasp for air as if her life depended on it while I just rested my head on her beautiful breasts that heaved up and down while she composed herself. "T-That, w-was a-amazing!" Stated Yuki with a lovely smile while gasping for air as she looked up at the night sky while lying on the ground, feeling various emotions she''d never knew even existed. "Yes, it was, but please, Yuki, don''t nearly suffocate yourself. My lips aren''t going anywhere; you can kiss them¨C" Remarked Alexander softly with an affectionate smile as he gently stroked Yuki''s cheek while looking up at her, causing her to nod before she promptly sealed his lips with her own for another ten minutes. Once Yuki released my lips for a second time, I just looked at her with a wry expression before rolling onto the ground beside her while holding one of her hands, which made me feel a little like a child, and I couldn''t help but chuckle. "Hmm, what''s funny, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she turned and looked at Alexander, who raised their conjoined hands, causing her to look at him in confusion. "Your hand is so much bigger than mine; now that I think about it, do you think our relationship is strange? I mean, I''m a human, and you''re an Oni, well, half Oni, but still, tomato tomahto." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at their hands before looking at Yuki, who tilted her head before shaking it. "No. I know you''ve been rather isolated most of your life, but here, in the Center or Mezcla continent, inter-species marriage is common; I don''t know exactly, but some years ago, I think I heard or read from somewhere that not even 5% of all marriages on the Mezcla continent are of the same species." Replied Yuki lightly as she looked at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Not even 5%? Well, the more you know. Though, for you to bring up marriage on your own accord, does that mean you intend to marry me and become my lover?" Remarked Alexander with a nod before rolling onto his side and staring into Yuki''s eyes with a teasing smirk, only for her nod. "Of course. I heard that when two people really love each other, they get married, and since we love each other, we''ll get married; I just don''t know which church we should do it at; I don''t pray to gods." Stated Yuki without an ounce of embarrassment as she nodded with a lovely smile looking at Alexander, who was slightly taken aback. ''Well, that''s not how I expected this to go, but I should''ve expected that, Yuki isn''t one to be easily embarrassed.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he gently shook his head before lightly kissing her nose. "Has anyone ever told you you''re adorable when you smile?" Asked Alexander softly with a faint smile as he glanced at Yuki''s overgrown fangs, which seemed to charm more than intimidate him while she deeply blushed from his words. "A-A-Adorable!?" Exclaimed Yuki in shock as she awkwardly looked away while her cheeks were adorned with a deep crimson hue against her bluish skin. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ''Well, I might have to take back what I said about her not being easily embarrassed.'' Thought Alexander with a wicked grin as he anticipated his future teasing, only to return to normal while gently fondling Yuki''s massive breasts. "So, you don''t have to talk about it if you don''t want to, but what makes you think you''re a monster, Yuki? You''re not a saint, neither am I, but I''ve seen you try to help people, and despite how beautifully aggressive you look, you''re a kind woman." Asked Alexander curiously as he gently played with Yuki''s nipple while intently staring at her face, causing her to bite her lip as several painful memories flashed through her eyes, yet any negative emotions were whisked away as Alexanders own emotions coursed through her very being, filling her with untold amounts of happiness. "No, it''s fine; they used to cause me to feel pain, but now that I''m with you, I feel great." Replied Yuki softly with a lovely smile, causing Alexander to pout lightly. ''Hmph, how can someone be so utterly cute yet so dangerous?'' Mused Alexander with a faint frown, only to shake his head and focus on Yuki. "After¡­ After my Mom died while protecting the village from a dungeon rampage, I wanted to follow in her footsteps, and so, at the age of 9, I left the village with nothing but my Mother''s armor, which is now broken beyond repair, and set off to become an adventurer. My Mom would tell me stories of her adventuring days before she quit, so I had a basic idea of what to do, and it didn''t take me hard to find a city to officially become an Adventurer; back then, I was still affected by my Moms death, so I spent most of my time within Dungeons, wanting to enact a sort of revenge. However, I wasn''t good with weapons; I would just swing them around without any care while relying on my abnormal physical strength¡­" Said Yuki lightly as she recalled her younger days before Alexander was even reborn. "¡­ During that time, I came across a small group of adventures; they were surprisingly nice and kind; they helped me with many things my Mother hadn''t had the chance to teach me and even put me on the path of being a tank given my large stature, I can attribute all of my achievements thanks to them; they were essentially a family to me." Added Yuki with a faint smile as she reminisced while Alexander quietly listened before frowning. "Then they found out about you being half monster, and things went bad?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow, causing Yuki to sigh before reluctantly nodding, though his quick kiss cheered her up. "Yes. They asked me to join their party, and I was so excited I forgot about my Mother''s warning to never show my status panel to anyone, so when they saw it, their whole persona changed. No longer were they a friendly group whom I could look up to as elder siblings; instead, they treated me like an enemy that needed to be killed. They didn''t even hesitate before attacking me, trying to kill me using all of their strength; it was terrifying for people you thought of as family to suddenly turn their backs on you and try to kill you." Remarked Yuki lightly with an unsightly expression as she looked up at the sky. "Throughout the whole fight, they would constantly call me a monster and things like that; I tried to escape, yet they didn''t allow it, and in the end, I-I was forced to kill them. To kill the very people I viewed as my own family, h-how could I not think of myself as a monster? I-I know it was to preserve my life, and they attacked me first, but t-they were like older siblings to me, yet to kill them with my own four hands." Added Yuki lightly with a pained expression as she looked down at her hands, vividly remembering how ferocious she had behaved. There was nothing I could say to cheer Yuki up; being forced to kill people you viewed as your own family, I couldn''t and didn''t wish to fathom such a thought, so I just stroked her cheek while transferring all of my loving emotions to her, soothing her. "E-Ever since then, I isolated myself and worked alone, and for the next three decades, I didn''t make any friends until you came along, Alex. I-I didn''t want to befriend you initially since I was worried I''d hurt you, but, for some reason, I felt so calm, so peaceful around you that I didn''t wish to stay separated, and well¡­" Said Yuki softly as she rolled onto her side and stared at Alexander, who smile before kissing her, interrupting her. "¡­Here we are now. My own lovely little monster." Said Remarked Alexander with a smile as he stroked Yuki''s cheek, only for him to suddenly roll on top of her. "After that, I think I should improve your mood, don''t you think so?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he ground his cock against Yuki''s vagina while planting tender kisses on top of her abs, causing her trait [Enhanced Sexdrive] to come into play. "M-Make me forget about my past, Alex; I-I only want to imagine our future together." Stated Yuki with a lustful look as she stared at Alexander while spreading her legs, causing him to smile. Before I entered inside Yuki, I used [Expand] upon myself, causing me to grow until I was roughly the same size as Yuki, including my cock, which, if I had to guess now, was approximately eighteen inches, even I didn''t know if Yuki could take it all, though when I saw her staring fixedly at my manhood, I had a feeling she was going to be able to. "I didn''t want to do this for our first time because I wanted it to be special, but now I can kiss you both up here and down here." Remarked Alexander with a lovely smile as he passionately kissed Yuki while slowly sheathing his cock, which was larger than even an Orc''s, inside of Yuki, spreading her insides before reaching past her cervix and finally poking against her womb. I was surprised Yuki actually took all of my cock, yet, I didn''t dwell on it for long and began to do slow yet deep, powerful thrusts while passionately kissing her, making love for the first time since Master''s passing. "~Urgh~, I-I love you, Yuki! ~Ahh~ I-I love you, Alex!" Said Alexander and Yuki, respectively, tightly embracing each other and refusing to let go as they made passionate love all through the night, not even stopping when the first rays of sunshine appeared. Chapter 159: Lost In Love(R18) Holding Yuki''s muscular yet sexy leg over my shoulder, I deeply thrust inside her incredibly tight vagina while licking all over her thighs, which may not be as meaty or as soft as Michelle''s, but it definitely had its own charm, not to mention she tasted so delicious. "~Ahh~ A-Alex, d-don''t lick my ~Ahh~ l-leg!" Said Yuki with a lustful voice as she gazed at Alexander with love-filled eyes, though he promptly ignored her. "I ~Urgh~ c-can''t help it, Yuki, I just ~Urgh~, love e-everything about you, and your l-legs, they''re ~Urgh~, so d-delicious, I-I could lick them for eternity!" Remarked Alexander with a passionate gaze as he sucked and kissed Yuki''s muscular thighs, causing her vagina to convulse as she loudly moaned before squirting out her juices onto the ground. "~Urgh~ d-did you o-orgasm again, Yuki? W-What ~Urgh~ did I say about o-orgasming without m-me?" Asked Alexander with a slight frown as he switched positions and forced her onto her stomach, pounding her from above while grabbing her chin from behind and passionately kissing her. "~Ahh~, I-I''m sorry, b-but, it just felt ~Ahh~ t-too good!" Replied Yuki apologetically between her moans of ecstasy as she passionately kissed Alexander, causing her mind to go blank with love from the intense lovemaking. Feeling myself reaching my limit, I increased my speed, thrusting within Yuki faster while my hips slammed against her large, muscular butt, and just before I was about to cum, I reluctantly removed my massive cock from Yuki''s vagina before resting it atop her thick butt as I ejaculated copious amounts of semen onto her muscular back, marking her as my woman. "~URGHHH~ y-your vagina, it''s too freaking good, Yuki." Said Alexander as he softly rubbed his cock against Yuki''s muscular butt, only to watch as she used her four arms to scoop the semen off her back and greedily drink it. "~Ahh~, s-so delicious." Muttered Yuki with a large, lovely smile as she drank Alexander''s semen, a sight that aroused him to end, causing his massive cock to twitch aggressively. "Y-Yuki, t-that''s ~Urgh~ n-not fair." Remarked Alexander with a slight pout as he sheathed himself within Yuki once more before kissing her, uncaring that she had just slurped his semen. Yuki and I were so lost in our love for each other that neither had even noticed morning had arrived, nor did we see the cat demihuman watching us make love from a distance; to be honest, even if we knew, there was a chance we wouldn''t care. It wasn''t for another thirty minutes and three orgasms later that I finally noticed her; well, I say that, but if she purposely hadn''t made herself known, I don''t think I would''ve ever spotted her. "~Urgh~, Y-Yuki, I-I''m about to cum; y-your wet, tight hole is making me cum!" Said Alexander softly as he whispered into Yuki''s mouth while passionately kissing her, causing her to squeeze even tighter in joy. "~Ahh~ I-Inside, p-please, I-I want it inside me!" Remarked Yuki pleadingly as she begged for Alexander''s semen inside of her, and it nearly managed to work, but he overcame her temptations. "~Urgh~ I-I can''t Yuki. Y-Your mouth, o-open your mouth!" Said Alexander as he removed himself from Yuki before standing over her while she promptly turned around with her mouth wide open, her four hands placed before her mouth to catch anything she missed. Using my hand to finish the orgasm, I reached my limit once again before spewing out numerous thick ropes of cum all over Yuki''s mouth and face for over ten seconds before my cock finally calmed down. ''M-My goodness, seeing Yuki covered in my cum; t-that''s so sexy.'' Thought Alexander with a loving yet lustful expression as he looked down at Yuki, who greedily consumed all of his semen, and just when she was about to suck on his erect cock, someone cleared their throat, garnering their attention. "I don''t want to interrupt you two since you guys seemed very passionate, but there is a child in the carriage, and morning is already here, so you might want to start calming things down." Said Cath lightly as she looked at Yuki and an enlarged Alexander, who was blushing. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "M-Morning?" Muttered Alexander and Yuki simultaneously as they briefly looked at the sky, only to spot the rising sun. "Yeah, when I had used the bathroom in the middle of the night, you two were doing it then as well, so if I had to guess, it''s been at least six hours? Anyway, I personally don''t mind if you guys continue. It was quite the spectacle, and I enjoyed watching, but Chloe, Michelle''s child, could wake up any second, and I wouldn''t want a seven-year-old child to be exposed to such things as of yet." Replied Cath with a nod as she looked at Alexander''s curiosity before shifting her attention to the semen-drenched ground. "And maybe clean up; you had released quite a lot of semen, Alex." Added Cath softly as she gestured to the ground, prompting Yuki to sigh sadly when she noticed all the wasted semen while Alexander''s blush deepened. "T-Thanks for t-telling us, C-Cath; t-though did you h-have to watch u-us?" Asked Alexander in embarrassment as he looked at Cath, who faintly smirked before shaking her head. "Nope, but like I said, I enjoyed it; seeing you and Yuki go at it like a pair of lovers¡­ it was enjoyable; in fact, I''m even a little jealous. Haa, I want a man to go down on me like that." Said Cath with a slight mischievous smirk before sighing and muttering the last part to herself. Sighing to myself as I was far from satisfied, and I still wanted to make passionate love with Yuki, but Cath was correct; I didn''t want Chloe or any young child to see such a scene just yet; besides, Michelle would be quite upset if with me if that happened. Shrinking back down to my normal size, I turned toward Yuki and was about to speak to her, but before I could, she suddenly grabbed my hips and consumed my erect shaft with her mouth, taking me completely to the base while her throat tightened around my tip. "Y-Yuki, C-Cath is watching!" Said Alexander with a frown and an embarrassed blush while looking at Yuki, who ignored his words and started bobbing her head back and forth. "D-osht cal; aa I wap ish you eishou coc! (Don''t care; all I want is your delicious cock!)" Said Yuki firmly as she continued to aggressively blow Alexander''s manhood, uncaring that someone was watching them in the heat of the moment. I wanted to stop Yuki as I was by no means an exhibitionist, and I tried to stop her, but she held my waist firmly with all four of her hands, preventing me from going anywhere while she aggressively sucked me off and as I looked down at my sexy little monster swallowing my cock with cum stains still on her while her white, shoulder length hair swayed, I felt myself already reaching my limit. "~Urgh~, Y-Yuki, I-I''m going to c-cum. ~Urgh~ Y-Yuki I-I''m urgh~, c-cuming!! ~URGHHHH~." Said Alexander loudly between his grunts of pleasure as he tightly held Yuki''s horns as if they were handlebars and shoved his cock as deep as possible before spewing his semen directly down her throat. Once I finished, I tried to quickly remove myself, but that didn''t happen, and I was forced to cum within Yuki''s mouth three more times before she finally released me, and even then, she wasn''t satisfied; we were only forced to stop since Cath had warned us Chloe had awoken. ''S-So sexy.'' Thought Alexander with a gulp as he looked at Yuki sucking her fingers clean of his cum, only for her gaze to linger on his erect crotch in desire, thoguh she managed to contain it. For now. ___ ___ Exiting the river, after a thorough cleaning, I grabbed my clothes and gave them a quick rinse before wearing them, only to use my wind and fire mana to create a continuous warm gust of wind that dried me off. "Oh my, I didn''t know you could do this with mana." Muttered Michelle in slight surprise as she exited the river while slightly shivering, only to sigh in relief when she approached Alexander, feeling the warm gust of wind. "Mana is incredibly versatile; so long as you can imagine it and you''ve got the necessary willpower, you can create it; that''s what my Master always said, and she was an incredible mage." Remarked Alexander with a joyful smile as he looked at Michelle before wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her, causing her to chuckle. "Hehe, you seem unnaturally happy, Alexander. Was having sex with Yuki that amazing?" Asked Michelle curiously with a faint smile, only to softly blush when she felt something poke her large, meaty butt. "We didn''t have sex; we made love; there is a difference, and yes, making love with Yuki was so utterly amazing that there aren''t even words to describe how it truly feels, not to mention she''s also healed. I don''t know why, but she says she''s in perfect health, and I saw nothing wrong with her, so how could I not be happy?" Stated Alexander with a lovely smile as he tightly hugged Michelle while gently kissing her, causing her to also smile as well. "Y-You''re not going to suddenly throw me away now that you''ve got a lover, are you?" Asked Michelle curiously with a small smile that she used to hide her nervousness as she lightly rubbed her large butt against Alexander''s manhood, only for him to suddenly push her against the tree he was leaning on. "Instead of words, Michelle, why don''t I show you? Chloe is with Yuki and Cath, so she won''t find out." Said Alexander softly with a smile as he whispered into Michelle''s ear while lowering his pants, only to plunge roughly half of his cock inside, which was nearly her limit, causing her to moan loudly. "~Ahhhh~ b-but I just ~Ahhhh~" Said Michelle softly with a blush as she looked back at Alexander, who began pounding her large, plump butt, causing her to forget what she was going to say. Chapter 160: Yuki & Alexander Fighting!? "Hmm, where is Michelle, Alexander?" Asked Cath curiously as she sat in the trunk of the carriage while Chloe sat in her lap, only to look up at Alexander, who awkwardly rubbed his head. "Eh, she''s taking another bath; she got dirty right after exiting the river and needed another one." Replied Alexander softly as he approached Cath, whose gaze narrowed as she stared at him suspiciously. "Hmm, sure." Muttered Cath skeptically as she glanced at Alexander before shaking her head and forgetting about it. I had accidentally gone a little hard on Michelle because I was still excited about Yuki and I, and I ended up covering her back, butt, and thighs in my semen, which kind of forced her to take another bath; she wouldn''t return for another ten minutes at least. ''Well, on the bright side, at least she can still walk fine.'' Mused Alexanded awkwardly as he picked up the numerous boxes on the ground and began storing them in the carriage, preparing to set off for the day. "Oh yeah, where is Yuki, Cath?" Asked Alexander curiously as he placed a large box beside Cath before sliding it towards the front of the carriage. "Ho, you''ve only been separated from her for half an hour. Don''t tell me you already miss her?" Asked Cath with a slightly teasing smirk as she played with Chloe''s hands while looking at Alexander, who coughed before nodding. "A little." Muttered Alexander softly while avoiding eye contact, causing Cath to chuckle softly before gesturing into the forest. "Hehe, you really are head over heels for her; well, I''m glad to see a friend of mine finding love. She had walked into the forest for some reason." Stated Cath with a small smile as she motioned her head towards the west, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow before nodding. "Thanks." Said Alexander as he continued storing their boxes inside the carriage. "You''re welcome; just try not to get all lovey-dovey, if you know what I mean." Said Cath with a faint smirk as she eyed Alexander, who rolled his eyes and nodded while Chloe tilted her head in confusion. "Lovey-dovey? What''s that?" Asked Chloe curiously as she tilted her head and looked up at Cath, who awkwardly coughed before quickly telling a lie. "Umm, it means to kiss each other a lot. You see, Chloe, when two people really love each other, they''ll want to kiss all the time, and we call that being love-dovey." Said Cath with a slight smile as she looked down at Chloe, who nodded and looked at Alexander. "Mom and Alex kiss a lot. Does that mean they really love each other?" Asked Chloe, her words causing Alexander to flinch slightly while Cath wore a wry expression before shaking her head. "I-It''s a little more complicated than that, Chloe; y-you''ll come to understand when you grow older." Stated Cath as she and Alexnder nodded with a smile while he continued to transfer the boxes to the carriage. ___ ___ Storing the last box onto the carriage, and with Yuki no longer needing to lay in the back, there was a good amount of space left, though if I had known this was going to happen, I would''ve taken some spices with us. ''Not like I could''ve known Yuki was going to heal right up after we made love, and speaking of spices, I should quickly make some food; we''re already spending quite a lot of time here when we should be on the road.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he gazed at the carriage before shifting his focus to Cath, Chloe, and Michelle, only for everyone to shift their focus towards the left when they heard thumping. "Alex, I''m hungry!" Stated Yuki loudly as she emerged from the forest alongside Talis, holding a sizeable deer corpse by the leg. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Yes, yes, I''m right here. There''s no need to yell, Yuki." Said Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he approached Yuki, while Talis spread her wings and flew off her shoulder. "I see you and Talis went hunting; great timing since I was just about to do that myself." Added Alexander with a small smile as he glanced at Talis, who perched herself upon his shoulder, practically demanding scratches before looking at Yuki, who nodded. "Yes. Talis is very helpful in finding prey. Hurry up and cook this; I''m hungry!" Replied Yuki with a nod only to outstretch her arm, handing the dead deer to Alexander, who nodded with a wry smile. "Welp, I''m glad to see you''re back in full health; I felt a little bad that we made love when you were still sick. Anyways, thank you, my lovely little monster." Said Remarked Alexander with a nod as he held the deer corpse while looking at Yuki, only to suddenly lift her shirt and gently kiss her abs as he was far too short to kiss her face. Planting a few loving kisses on Yuki''s impressive abs, which I''m still slightly jealous of, I turned around and headed toward the carriage to grab a pan, yet before I could, I felt a large hand grab my shoulder as I was suddenly pulled into Yuki''s embrace while she grasped my crotch. "Alex, can we do it again? I want to make love with you." Asked Yuki with a slightly lust-filled voice as she rubbed Alexander''s crotch, causing his manhood to quickly harden. "Haa, Yuki, make up your mind. Do you want to make love with me, or do you want to eat?" Asked Alexander with a sigh as he looked up at Yuki, who was beginning to pull down his pants, prompting Michelle to quickly cover Chloe''s eyes and turn her around. "Both!" Declared Yuki with an eager expression as she licked her lips in her hunger while constantly glancing between the deer and Alexander''s erection. ''T-This woman; haa, I love her.'' Mused Alexander with a shake of his head, only for him to suddenly vanish from Yuki''s embrace by using [Blink] while he pulled his pants back up. "We''ll talk about this after I finish cooking. Cath, could you come and assist me." Said Alexander as he eyed Yuki, who pouted while her four arms dangled by her side, only for him to turn and look at Cath, who nodded. "But I want to make love now." Muttered Yuki sadly as she gazed at Alexander, only to approach Michelle and Chloe before plopping on her butt beside them. ___ ___ "Alright, everyone ready?" Asked Alexander as he grabbed the reins to the carriage while gazing at Cath, Michelle, and Chloe, who all had stuffed bellies and satisfied expressions. "Yes. Yes. Yep." Said Cath, Michelle, and Chloe, respectively, prompting Alexander to nod with a smile before shifting his focus to Yuki, who was wolfing down the last tidbits of food. "Yuki!" Said Alexander loudly, his voice snapping Yuki out of her trance as she turned to look at him with a mouth full of food, unable to speak. "C''mon, hurry up, it''s time to go." Added Alexander, his words causing Yuki to nod as she jogged towards them while hardly chewing before swallowing. "So, where are we going?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked down at Alexander while grabbing the reins from him, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "No idea as of yet, so for now, you should just sit back and enjoy the ride." Said Alexander with a smile as he snatched the reins from Yuki''s hands, causing her to frown. "You should be the one to sit down and relax, Alex; you''ve been taking care of all of us, especially me." Remarked Yuki with a slight frown as she grabbed the reins out of Alexander''s hands before picking him up and setting him down beside Michelle, only for him to suddenly vanish. "It''s fine; I''m the only man here, so it naturally falls onto my shoulders to take care of them; besides, I see caring for you as a privilege. So, you should just sit down and relax." Stated Alexander with a lovely smile as he tightly held the reins while looking up at Yuki, refusing to let go. "Sit down, Alex; let me pull the carriage." Declared Yuki as she squinted at Alexander, who promptly shook his head. "No. I''m pulling it." Replied Alexander solemnly with a firm expression. Just as it felt like Yuki and I were about to fight over who would pull the carriage, Cath''s voice snapped us out of our little staring contest. "How about you two take turns pulling the carriage instead of arguing?" Remarked Cath with a raised eyebrow as she folded her arms while glancing at Alexander and Yuki, who both nodded. "Smart thinking, Cath; alright, Yuki, I''ll take the first turn; you can relax and recuperate. I''m sure hunting our food was exhausting." Stated Alexander with a slight smile as he patted Yuki''s arm, only for her to shake her head. "No, not at all; I feel great. Why don''t you let me take the first turn, Alex? You loaded the carriage and made our food; such actions must''ve taken considerable stamina." Declared Yuki with a faint smile while her glare intensified, only for Alexander''s to do the same, the two entering a staring contest once more. "Haa, unbelievable; these two are ridiculous." Muttered Cath in exhaustion as she rubbed her head in frustration while gazing at Alexander and Yuki. "Hehe, they just love each other that much." Said Michelle quietly as she glanced at Cath, who nodded with a sigh, watching as Alexander and Yuki fought over who''d pull the carriage, though the true battle was something much more profound. Chapter 161: Roar Of A Rampage Since neither Yuki nor I were able to decide who would pull the carriage, we settled on us both pulling it, which neither of us was happy with; I wanted to care for my little monster, and from her behavior, she wished to do the same for me, but since we were both pulling the carriage, it didn''t matter anymore. We are currently walking down the dirt road while pulling the carriage; we''ve been doing so for about the last couple of hours, and noon is just around the corner; this wouldn''t have been a bad time to stop, but we took our sweet time during the morning so we were going to power through it and only stop towards night time. "Yuki, there is a child behind us; please keep your hands to yourself." Said Alexander quietly, walking directly next to Yuki, their skin touching as they pulled the carriage while she groped his semi-erect manhood. "She can''t see; we''re walking too close together; besides, I''m still unsatisfied from this morning." Stated Yuki softly with a lustful expression while glancing down at Alexander, tightly gripping his shaft, causing him to nearly grunt in pleasure. "Yuki, I love you, and I promise we''ll do it in the future, but not before a child, alright?" Remarked Alexander softly with serious expressoin as he kissed her arm while staring into her yellow eyes, causing her to bite her lip before nodding. "Haa, alright." Muttered Yuki with a sigh as she removed her hand from Alexander''s crotch, causing him to smile as he kissed her arm once before leaning his head onto her. "Hehe, don''t worry; I promise the next time we make love, I''ll make sure to satisfy my adorable little monster." Said Alexander quietly with a faint smirk, his words causing Yuki to nod eagerly, only for her to blush towards the end. "What are you two lovers talking about?" Asked Cath curiously as she folded her arms and looked at Alexander and Yuki, who was too embarrassed to respond. "Hmm? Nothing, just professing my endless love for Yuki. Why? Did you want me to do the same for you?" Replied Alexander with a small smile as he glanced at Cath, only to wink at her. "Well, that would no longer make me feel slightly uncomfortable, wouldn''t it?" Said Cath sarcastically while rolling her eyes as she glanced at Michelle, who was playing with Chloe, before shifting her focus to Yuki. Chuckling, I was about to say something, but before I could Talis suddenly swooped down from the sky and perched herself onto my shoulder, though she seemed to be frowning. "Is something the matter, Talis? Did you spot bandits or something?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Talis, who shook her head before pointing towards the sky with her wing. "No; the wind, it''s behaving really unnatural. It just started flowing in the opposite direction from out of nowhere." Replied Talis with a troubled expression as she released cute little chirps, causing Alexander to frown before his eyes softly glowed. Using [Heroes Gaze], I gazed into the sky, looking through all the mana floating in the air, only to see it was all moving in the direction we were walking, away from Hyphen. ''This is beyond unnatural, for every different mana to be moving in the same direction? It''s more like they''re being forcefully pushed, if anything.'' Mused Alexander with a deep frown as he stopped walking and gazed at the sky, causing Yuki to halt as well while looking at him in slight concern. "Is everything okay, Alex?" Asked Yuki, furrowing her brows as she gazed up at the sky while both Cath and Michelle looked at them. "I would like to say yes, but I don''t know for sure; the mana is moving weirdly." Replied Alexander with a slight frown as he dropped the reins and turned around, observing the way they had come from, watching as the mana rushed through the sky. While staring in the direction of Hyphen, observing the atmospheric mana, I squinted my eyes as I witnessed a wall of brown or earth mana surging towards us, forcefully pushing all of the atmospheric mana, seeing how active and fast it was compared to the usual slow and docile mana in the atmosphere, I immediately knew this mana belonged to someone, and whoever it was, they were incredibly powerful. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ''It''s not slowing down.'' Mused Alexander with an ugly expression as he eyed the rapidly nearing wall of earth mana, only to swiftly run towards the front of the carriage. "Yuki, protect Michelle and Cath!" Yelled Alexander solemnly as he grabbed Talis and Chloe, curling into a ball, protecting them with his body while Yuki quickly did the same, covering both Michell and Cath with her large body. Yuki didn''t waste a second idling about and swiftly did as I told; not even five seconds later, the wave of earth mana enveloped us while a familiar roar resounded throughout what felt like the whole world. Gritting my teeth, I withstood the mighty roar that aggressively shook my entire body for a few seconds before the roar and the wave of earth mana finally passed us. "Ugh, i-is everyone okay?" Asked Alexander as he stood up with Chloe and Talis in his hands while using [Heroes Gaze] to check for any injuries. "Yeah, I''m fine." Replied Talis with a nod as she spread her wings, checking herself for injuries "Chloe! Are you okay, Chloe!? Do you hurt anywhere!?" Exclaimed Michelle worriedly as she forced her way out of Yuki''s embrace and rushed towards Alexander, nearly knocking him over. "M-My head head hurts a little." Muttered Chloe with slightly teary eyes as she rubbed her ears, which were bleeding, though before Michelle could freak out, Alexander placed his hand on her shoulder. "She''s fine, Michelle; she merely ruptured her eardrum, nothing even close to life-threatening." Stated Alexander firmly, his powerful voice overpowering Michelle''s fear as she breathed a sigh of relief while tightly hugging Chloe. "Haa, thank goodness; I don''t know what I''d do if something happened to my little girl." Muttered Michelle with a relieved expression, not even realizing she, herself, was bleeding from her nose. "Yuki, Cath, are you two okay?" Asked Alexander as he quickly approached Cath, who rubbed her head while nodding. "Ugh, yeah, my head also hurts a little, but thankfully, Yuki took the brunt of the impact for me, though that roar came from the direction of Hyphen, so does that mean the rampage is already occurring?" Replied Cath with a nod, wiping the blood dripping from her nose before turning around and gazing in the direction of Hyphen while fearfully gulping. "It should be, but that''s also our queue to get the fuck out of here." Said Alexander solemnly with a nod as he picked up Cath and placed her on the carriage before doing the same to Michelle and Chloe. "Your guy''s injuries are going to have to wait for now. Yuki, are you okay?" Added Alexander as he glanced at the three before looking at Yuki, who had been motionlessly standing still. Not getting a response, I ran up to Yuki and shook her aggressively; now wasn''t the time to take things slow, and it seemed to work as it snapped her out of whatever trance she was experiencing. "S-Sorry, Alex, t-the memory of that incident appeared in my head." Replied Yuki with an apologetic expression, causing Alexander to nod. "I understand, but how are you feeling? Injured?" Asked Alexander as he grabbed the reins from off the ground while observing Yuki, who also grabbed the reins. "I''m fine; now let''s get moving. I want to get as far away from that as I can!" Declared Yuki solemnly with a hardened gaze, prompting Alexander to nod in agreement while Talis spread her wings and took to the skies. Using [Mana Enhancement], I strengthened the entire carriage, which would otherwise break down once Yuki and I get to run, and if I''m being honest, I''m surprised our carriage is still intact, though from what I remember, that monster roar hadn''t damaged our armor at all. ''Whatever, I can think about that stuff later; for now, let''s freaking leave!'' Mused Alexander as he tightly clenched the reins and nodded at Yuki, only for them to both start running across the dirt road while pulling the carriage. ___ ___ Slowing down from a full-on sprint to a light jog, I looked up at the setting sun before turning around and looking in the distance, only to sigh in relief. ''Zartha, we should be safe from this distance, right? I''ve been running non-stop for several hours.'' Asked Alexander softly as he turned into the forest, heading off the trails and using the cover of nature to conceal them from potential bandits. ''Yes, unless that monster is somehow able to target you specifically, you''re completely safe from this distance.'' Replied Zartha coldly as she kicked her leg into the crystal-clear water, splashing Trina in water. "Haa, that''s good to know." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he slowly walked through the forest, searching for a spot, only for Talis to swoop down through the canopy of trees. "Alex, this way, I found a decent spot." Said Talis with a yawn as she landed on a tree branch while pointing towards the right, causing Alexander to nod as he folded her through the forest. After squeezing the carriage between some trees, we finally arrived at the spot Talis was talking about; it was a small clearing beside a large tree; unfortunately, from what she said, there was no nearby river, but that was fine. "Today felt so long; glad it''s finally over; I could use the sleep." Muttered Alexander as he parked the carriage beside the tree before looking inside it, finding Chloe, Michelle, and Cath sleeping in the back while Yuki was quietly sitting in the front with her head down. Chapter 162: Sky Gazing Setting the reins on the ground, I stretched my body a little before searching through a sack, only to grab a thick blanket, which I covered Michelle, Cath, and Chloe with; it was a little chilly outside, and I didn''t want them getting cold. "Thanks for your help, Talis; you should also get some sleep as well." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Talis perched upon his shoulder before scratching underneath her beach, causing her to purr like a kitten. "Yeah, I will; I''m tired and hungry. I want a large breakfast when I wake up, Alex." Said Talis with a nod as she yawned while flying past Yuki and entering the carriage, only to lay atop a random box after curling into a comfortable position. Rolling my eyes, I shook my head before looking at Yuki, who had been quietly sitting on the carriage for the past few hours; even though she has incredibly physical attributes, she''s still prone to exhaustion. However, that''s not why she stopped pulling the carriage; I could tell her mind was preoccupied with something, so I had practically forced her to sit down in hopes of clearing her mind. Though from the looks of things, she still seemed troubled by whatever was on her mind; she hadn''t spoken since she sat down on the carriage. "Yuki, are you okay?" Asked Alexander softly as he sat down beside Yuki, who sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I''m¡­ I''m fine. I just couldn''t get that memory out of my mind. Sorry." Replied Yuki lightly with a nod, her words causing Alexander to frown as he tightly grabbed her hand, transferring his emotions into her. "Which one? If it''s the one that happened in that dungeon, I''m right here in perfect health." Said Alexander firmly as he gently stroked Yuki''s hand, only for her to lift him and set him on her lap while she used her three remaining arms to embrace him. "Both." Muttered Yuki quietly as she hugged Alexander, who rested his head against her enormous, firm breasts. "W-When I killed that group that had taken me in, I-I hadn''t done it in my right state of mind; I wouldn''t have been able to defeat all four of them by myself. I say I was a monster because I truly behaved like one; I was nothing but a mindless beast during that fight, and only when I killed them all did I finally return to normal while all the memories came vividly flooding into my mind. When I was like that, I couldn''t differentiate between friend and foe, and now, with our relationship, I-I''m worried that maybe one day, it''ll happen again, a-and I''ll kill you while in a mindless frenzy." Added Yuki softly as she tightened her arms around Alexander, her voice quivering in fear while the memory of her killing him constantly replayed within her mind. "Haa, I understand your worry, Yuki, and I know this isn''t the best thing I can say, but even when you did kill me so you could escape from that monster, did I not come back to life? That wasn''t a special skill or trait; I had truly died, yet I came back to life only a few minutes later. Even if you ever kill me, I''ll just come back to life; there is no need for you to worry so much." Remarked Alexander firmly with a loving smile as he tilted his head upwards and looked at Yuki, who bit her lip while shaking her head. "I-I know, b-but that situation was different; I was entirely conscious of what I was doing. Yet, if I descend into that mindless state and kill you? H-How could I ever trust myself to be around you? I-I would never forgive myself for killing you. I-I was already disgusted with myself for taking your life the first time, yet if I were to do it again¡­ Wouldn''t I truly be a monster?" Questioned Yuki in a hurt and terrified voice as she squeezed Alexander tighter as if she were trying to absorb him, causing him to wince slightly. "I''ve told you once, Yuki, even if you''re truly a monster, I''d still love you; I don''t care how many times you kill me, I''ll still love you all the same. Wouldn''t you love me the same if our roles were reversed?" Remarked Alexander softly as he forcefully escaped Yuki''s hug and landed on the ground before slightly bowing and outstretching his arm while gazing at her with a smile. "Y-Yes, b-but-" Replied Yuki hesitantly as she grabbed Alexander''s hand, only for him to suddenly yank her off the carriage and into his arms. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Then no buts; if you''d feel the same if our situations were reversed, there is no point in furthering this argument." Declared Alexander as he held Yuki in his arms while looking down at her, only to sit down and lean against the tree. Resting Yuki''s head on my lap, I glanced down at her and gently stroked her cheek while transferring my love to her, causing her to smile softly as she calmed down. "I-I''m really glad I met you, Alex; I''ve never been happier." Said Yuki with a smile as she looked up at Alexander, staring into his purple eyes, causing him to smirk. "I could say the same; I was in quite the slump before I met you, but your presence worked wonders in cheering me up. I can''t remember ever feeling sad when I was with you." Replied Alexander with a faint smirk, his words causing Yuki to display her sharp teeth amidst her grin as she lifted her head and kissed him. "I love you. I love you too." Said Yuki and Alexander, respectively, as they passionately kissed, conveying their deep love through the touch of their lips. Separating our lips, I reached my hand down to Yuki''s large breasts, and she must''ve had the same idea as she pulled my pants down, revealing my erect manhood; however, neither of us seemed to be in the mood to make love, and instead we just gently pleased the other. "The sky is beautiful today, isn''t it?" Asked Alexander softly while gently fondling Yuki''s large breast, his loving touch filling her with warmth and joy. "Yeah, it really is." Muttered Yuki with a nod as she slowly stroked Alexander''s cock while occasionally kissing it. ___ ___ "Thank you for the food, Alex." Said Cath with a slight smile as she grabbed the bowl handed to her and began eating. "You''re welcome. Though, just so we''re clear, this isn''t the fullest extent of my cooking capabilities." Stated Alexander solemnly as he narrowed his eyes at Cath, who awkwardly nodded, causing him to smile. "Yes, if you ever get the chance, Cath, I suggest you taste a dish of his once we finally find a place to settle down and call home; his cooking was godly." Declared Michelle seriously as she sat beside Chloe while the two ate from a bowl, her words causing Cath to raise an eyebrow. "Eh, really? Haa, not only are you young and handsome, but you''re also a great cook? Haa, life truly isn''t fair." Remarked Cath in surprise as she looked at Alexander, only to shake her head and sigh. "Michelle is merely exaggerating; I can cook pretty good, but not godly." Said Alexander lightly as he placed a small bowl on the ground beside him, which Talis started to eat from, only to hand Yuki the pot off the campfire once he grabbed his bowl. "Michelle, you must tell me, how did you acquire such a perfect man? I need to learn before my beauty starts to fade." Asked Cath seriously as she turned and looked at Michelle, who awkwardly blushed, nearly choking on her food. "Hehe, t-that''s a secret, s-sorry." Replied Michelle bashfully with an apologetic expression, her words causing Cath to sigh only for her to look at Yuki. "So, Yuki, as his lover, mind teaching me how to get someone like Alexander, seeing as his mistress isn''t saying anything." Remarked Cath as she looked at Yuki, who suddenly stopped eating and lowered the pot form her mouth while Alexander winced. ''Told you, Master, you should''ve told Yuki.'' Said Trina with a nod as she folded her arms while looking up at the sky, causing Alexander to roll his eyes. "Hmm, Alex, is Cath speaking the truth? Is Michelle your Mistress?" Asked Yuki curiously with a frown as she eyed Alexander, her words causing Cath to widen her eyes while Michelle awkwardly froze. "O-Ohh, so you hadn''t told her yet? I-I think I''ll excuse myself. C-Come here, little Chloe; I''ll show you something amazing." Stated Cath with an awkward expression as she set her bowl down and stood up, walking away from the campfire while taking Chloe with her. Once Cath and Chloe were a good distance away, I coughed to hide my awkwardness before nodding; with the cat now out of the bag, there was no point in beating around the bush. "Y-Yes, she is, Yuki." Replied Alexander firmly as he glanced at Michelle, who also firmly nodded, only for them to both look at Yuki. "So she really is your Mistress? Huh, I knew something was going on between you two." Remarked Yuki with a raised eyebrow as she glanced between Michelle and Alexander, only for her to shrug her shoulders and continue eating. "Eh!?" Exclaimed Michelle, Alexander, and Trina in surprise as they looked at Yuki. "Y-Your not upset, Yuki? Y-You''re essentially sharing me with her." Asked Alexander carefully as he looked at Yuki, who let our a loud burp, having finished all her food despite it only being roughly two minutes since she started eating. "No. I know you''ll still love me all the same, so what''s there to get upset about? Besides, polygamy is pretty common; my Mom once told me she had three lovers at the same time long before I was born, though." Remarked Yuki with a shrug of her shoulders as she looked at Alexander, only to shift her focus towards his food bowl. "Just know, I want his cock first." Added Yuki firmly as she turned and eyed Michelle, who lightly blushed before nodding while she and Alexander sighed in relief. Chapter 163: Where To? Knowing Yuki didn''t seem bothered by Michelle being my mistress was great, and I knew she wasn''t lying either; she genuinely didn''t mind Michelle''s existence, which was nice, but at the same time, I felt still slightly awkward. Maybe it was because I''d never been in this situation before or because I loved Yuki but not Michelle. ''Haa, well, so long as Yuki is happy.'' Mused Alexader with a slight shake of his head, only to feel a slight vibration from his bowl. Feeling my arm shake a little, I turned and looked at my bowl, only to see Yuki leaning down and slurping my food out of my bowl, causing me to frown as I stared at her blankly. I was about to say something, but as I looked at her mouth and the way her tongue moved, I was quickly aroused, and before I knew it, I was already pitching a massive tent in my pants, something Yuki promptly noticed. "Oh, do you also want to do it right now, Alex?" Asked Yuki with a slight smile as she looked at Alexander''s bulge, only to reach down and forcefully pull his pants, revealing his erection to both her and Michelle. "Y-Yuki, Chloe is still here, not now." Said Alexander with a slight frown as he began pulling his pants up, only for Yuki to stop him as she promptly laid on her stomach and gobbled his cock to the base. "If''s fie, she''s behid the carge, s-she cat shee." Replied Yuki lightly with Alexander''s cock in her mouth as she glanced up at him while pleasuring him with her tongue, causing his body to tremble subtly. "W-What did you say, Yuki? I-I can''t understand you when you''re sucking on my cock." Asked Alexander with a slightly lustful expression as he looked down at Yuki, watching as she aggressively sucked his cock, as if trying to forcefully pull the semen directly from his testicles. "I-I said it''s fine. She''s behind the carriage, so she can''t see us. Besides, I''ll only use my mouth for right now." Stated Yuki as she removed her mouth from Alexander''s cock with a plop and jerked it before taking it back to the base while bobbing her head up and down. "O-Oh my, s-such skill, she''s taking everything." Muttered Michelle with a slight blush as she set her bowl down and approached Alexander, staring fixedly at his cock, which was currently getting a blowjob. "D-Does that feel good, Alexander?" Added Michelle curiously as she intently gazed at Yuki, bobbing her head up and down while slurping on Alexander''s massive cock before glancing at him. "Y-Yeah; i-it feels g-great. T-Though c-can you help me stop, Yuki? Y-Your child is only a few meters away,e-even if she''s behind the carriage with Cath, w-we shouldn''t really be doing this." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Michelle, who nodded only to gesture to the carriage, causing her to furrow her brows before looking at Yuki. "I-I would, b-but it''s not really my place as the mistress to get in between you two, b-besides, Y-Yuki had said she''ll only use her mouth, s-so it should be fine." Replied Michelle with an awkward expression as she looked at Yuki, who glared back while bobbing her head, causing her to look at Alexander apologetically. "A-Also, I-I can use this chance to learn from Yuki." Muttered Michelle quietly as she also lay on her stomach and intently watched Yuki, taking mental notes on how to better please Alexander. Thanks to Michelle''s lack of assistance and the fact that I was enjoying this despite what I was saying, another six or so minutes passed with Yuki continuously blowing my cock, and eventually, I reached my limit as I felt pressure well up with my testicles. "Y-Yuki, I-I''m ~Urgh~ about to cum, m-making sure to ~Urgh~ t-take everything! I-I''m c-cumming ~URGHHH~" Said Alexander with grunts of pleasure as he looked down at Yuki, who increased her intensity, only to grab the back of her head and forcefully raise his rips into her face, shoving his entire cock into her mouth. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Spewing out ropes of my thick semen into Yuki''s mouth, she drank everything, and even when I finished, she continued to suck the remaining semen out of my urethra while also cleaning my cock in the process. "~Ahh~, that was good, Alex. Can we go again?" Asked Yuki with a lovely expression as she licked her lips before glancing at Alexander with lust-filled eyes while stroking his shaft, only for him to suddenly vanish, reappearing a few feet to the left. "No, Yuki, alright, save it for later, please? You''re not the only one finding this difficult, you know?" Asked Alexander with a slight frown and a shake of his head as he pulled his pants up and eyed Yuki, who pouted before nodding while Michelle awkwardly raised her hand. "U-Umm, does that mean I-I get A-Alexander''s c-cock next, Yuki?" Asked Michelle softly with a faint blush, her words causing Yuki to furrow her brows before shaking her head. "No, I''m still not satisfied. Also, are you going to finish your food?" Replied Yuki firmly, her words causing Michelle to nod, only for her face to twitch afterward. Watching Yuki finish my and Michelle''s food, I was about to sit back down, but before I could, Chloe came running out from behind the carriage, and she was heading right for me. "Alex, are you okay?" Asked Chloe in concern as she grabbed Alexander''s leg and looked up at him, causing him to tilt his head in confusion before nodding. "Yeah, of course, I''m fine; why do you ask?" Replied Alexander with a slightly confused look as he squatted down and gently rubbed Chloe''s head. "I heard you grunting, so I thought you were in pain." Said Chloe, her words causing both Alexander and Michelle to freeze. "N-No, I-I''m fine, Chloe." Said Alexander awkwardly as he gently pushed Chloe towards Michelle, who was blushing, ashamed of her earlier behavior. "No more of that, Yuki. We''re waiting until we find a place to live." Said Alexander firmly as he narrowed his eyes at Yuki, who was too preoccupied with eating to listen to him. ___ ___ "Michelle, Cath, we exited Hyphen from the North gate, correct?" Asked Alexander lightly as he gazed at the map of Mezcla, which was of the entire continent, before glancing at Michelle and Cath. "Yes. Yep." Replied Michelle and Chloe with a nod as they sat to Alexander''s right, causing him to nod as he furrowed his brows. Looking at the map Marlin had given me, I looked at the places we could possibly establish as a home, and since we were already heading north, I looked at our options that were on our path; while there were a lot, including a few kingdoms, I didn''t know whether what was a good option or not. ''I had only gone to Hyphen because my heart wanted me to, but right now, I''m getting nothing. Hmm, where to go.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he looked at various options up north. I thought about calling Lily, Simba, or Marlin for advice, but I didn''t want to bother them with something like this, though that was mainly my pride speaking if I''m being honest. ''Haa, I will if I have to, but, for now, let''s just visit the next closest city in the meantime.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he folded the map and stored it in his space pouch. It''s already been a few days since we left Hyphen, four to be exact, and so far, everything has been peaceful; other than the occasional groups that were taking the same path as us, we didn''t see much of anyone. Oh, we did happen to bump into a large herd of deer that happened to be crossing the dirt road, but other than that, there was nothing interesting to mention. "Oh, how I''d wish for a car right about now." Muttered Alexander lightly with a bored expression as he rested his head on his hand, only for him to glance at Yuki, who was pulling the carriage. ''I can''t wait to take a piece of that.'' Mused Alexander with a lustful glint as he eyed Yuki''s large, muscular butt, only for a brown blur to suddenly appear in the corner of his eyes. "Alex! Come quickly!" Yelled Talis anxiously as she floated above the carriage, her voice filled with urgency that caused Alexander to frown as he leaped onto the ground. Talis didn''t elaborate and swiftly flew over the forest, causing me to frown as I turned back toward everyone. "Stay right here, I''ll be back." Said Alexander quickly as he glanced at Yuki, Michelle, and Cath before dashing off the dirt road and disappearing into the forest. Following Talis''s figure through the canopy of trees, I speedily dashed through the forest while summoning Trina from my body, just in case she was needed. However, after running for a little bit, I began to hear the familiar voice of a woman, causing me to speed up quickly, only to spot a fox demi-human woman running through the forest with a small child in her arms while another one followed behind her. ''Kurina?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he glanced at the fox demi-human, who suddenly turned to look at her expression brightening up almost immediately. "Alexander!? Thank goodness, it''s you! Please, Yokich, he needs your help! Please help him, Alexander!" Exclaimed Kurina desperately as she ran towards Alexander, begging him as tears streamed down her face while she collapsed in exhaustion. Chapter 164: Slaughter Catching Kurina in my arms before she collapsed onto the ground, I gently leaned her against a nearby tree and used [Heroes Gaze] to check her and the two children for injuries, but other than exhaustion, they were completely fine, causing me to sigh in relief, though it was only briefly as I focused on what she had said earlier. "Jackal? What''s wrong with Jackal, Kurina?" Asked Alexander in concern as he looked down at Kurina, who was gasping for air while tightly holding her children. "Bandits. P-Please, Alexander, h-help him, please! I-I''ll do anything! Please." Replied Kurina pleadingly as she anxiously looked at Alexander, who deeply frowned before nodding. "Of course, Jackals a good friend of mine." Stated Alexander firmly, his [Heroes Aura] helping to soothe her and her children while he glanced up at Talis, who was perched on a tree. "Talis, lead them to the carriage; I''ll find Jackal." Added Alexander as he gestured to Talis while helping Kurina and her child onto their feet. "Okay, be careful; once I bring them back to the carriage, I''ll quickly find you!" Stated Talis seriously as she flew off the tree and hovered in the air before Alexander. "Alright, follow me." Said Talis as she waved her wings before slowly heading back towards the carriage, her chirps leading the way for Kurina and her children. With Talis leading them toward the carriage, I gave Kurina a reassuring smile as I swiftly dashed through the forest, heading in the same direction that they were initially running from, using [Lightning Cloak], [Speed Augment], and [Wind Steps], I speedily ran through the forest, easily breaking through the sound barrier in the process. Intently eyeing my surroundings, searching for any signs of battle, after a few seconds of running, I eventually exited from the forest and arrived back on the dirt road; not too far off in the distance, I spotted a broken down carriage, the same one Jackal and his family had departed in. However, as I narrowed my eyes, I noticed what looked to be numerous bodies sprawled all over the ground, and when I arrived at the scene a few seconds later, my assumption was correct, as several corpses were lying everywhere. Limbs, blood, guts, weapons, and decapitated heads littered the ground surrounding the carriage, prompting me to summon also Zartha as I upped my guard while intently eyeing everybody, searching for Jackal. ''Please don''t be a body with no head.'' Thought Alexander anxiously as he tightly clenched his two greatswords while leaving behind bloody footprints. Arriving at the front of the carriage, there were even more bodies sprawled out on the ground, at least thirty men in total, which only made me more worried for Jackal; he was a C-class Adventurer, so he wasn''t weak; heck, he could most likely defeat me in combat. However, everybody I spotted only lowered my confidence, and just when I was about to search the scene again for Jackal, I suddenly saw a body leaning against the tree in the distance; when I saw that face, I immediately knew who it was. Jackal had been stabbed through by two swords in the chest, a spear through his leg, and a battle axe embedded into his back, yet despite all of that, he was still tightly clutching his sword in hand. "J-Jackal!?" Exclaimed Alexander as he swiftly lunged towards Jackal, only to kneel before him. Although Jackal looked like he should be dead, he was still breathing, though he was currently drowning in his blood, so without any hesitation, I reached into my space pouch and grabbed a vial of my golden blood, yet before I fed it to him, I carefully removed the two swords, spear and axe in his body, causing him to bleed everywhere. "C''mon, you better not die, Jackal." Muttered Alexander as he laid Jackal onto the ground before popping the cork off the vial of his golden blood. Pouring my blood into his mouth, I made sure it slid down his throat, and when it finally reached his stomach, it began working its magic as he was swiftly healing; within one minute, he was in perfect health, causing me to sigh in relief, though it wasn''t over yet since he was still drowning in his blood. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Placing my hands on his stomach, I began pumping, hoping to stir the blood out of his lungs, though whether it worked or not was up for debate since a few moments later, Jackal regained consciousness and began coughing blood. "How are you fee-" Asked Alexander in concern as he leaned closer to Jackal, who punched him instantly after noticing him. Skidding across the ground from the unexpected punch, I slammed into the carriage and quickly covered my nose, which was bleeding slightly, though it healed almost immediately; wiping my nose, I removed myself from the carriage and eyed Jackal. "Ugh, that''s not a nice way to greet your savior, Jackal." Remarked Alexander in annoyance as he stared at Jackal, whose expression began to soften. "Alex? I-Is that you?" Asked Jackal in confusion as he rubbed his head while slowly standing up with the help of the tree and gazed at the slaughter he had caused. "Yeah, it''s me. So, are you going to apologize, or what?" Asked Alexander with a slight frown as he approached Jackal before grabbing his swords and holstering them onto his back while he nodded. "S-Sorry, I-I was still in attack mode." Muttered Jackal apologetically with a slight frown as he leaned against the tree, only to suddenly widen his eyes before turning around and dashing through the forest. Seeing Jackal run into the forest, most likely searching for his family, I used [Teleport] to appear right before him, causing him to slam into me as we rolled over the ground before crashing into a tree. "Let go, Alex! I need to find Kurina!" Yelled Jackal angrily as he tried breaking free from Alexander''s hold, yet it proved to be rather difficult. "T-They''re alive, c-calm down!" Yelled Alexander as he aggressively headbutted Jackal, causing him to hold his head in pain while he began calming down. "T-They''re alive!?" Asked Jackal anxiously as he grabbed Alexander by the shoulders, his sharp nails digging into his flesh, nearly drawing blood. "Y-Yes, Kurina and your children are alive. They''re with my group, and they''re doing fine." Replied Alexander with a nod, his words causing Jackal to sigh in relief as he collapsed onto the ground beside him. "Alex! There you are!" Stated Talis loudly as she dived through the canopy before softly landing atop Alexander''s chest, causing him to sit upright while stroking her. "Yeah, so, did you bring Kurina to the carriage?" Asked Alexander curiously as he held Talis in his hands while Jackal quickly looked at them. "Yep, Cath and Michelle are taking care of them." Replied Talis with a nod, causing Alexander to nod before standing up, prompting Jackal to do the same. "Alright, Jackal, let''s get you reunited with your family." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he gestured to Jackal, who sported an eager expression. ___ ___ "You should''ve seen the slaughter he caused; there were at least 30 to 40 corpses." Said Alexander lightly as he sat in between Cath and Michelle while they watched Jackal and Kurina hugging in the distance. "Well, what do you expect? His family''s life was on the line. He''s a pervert and not the most faithful husband, but he dearly loves his family." Said Cath faintly with a slight smile as she looked at Jackal, causing Alexander to nod. "Haa, I''m jealous of Kurina." Muttered Michelle with a sigh as she enviously stared at Jackal and Kurina, only to suddenly squeal. "Those aren''t things you should be saying when I''m sitting right next to you, Michelle." Said Alexander with a blank expression as he eyed Michelle, who softly blushed while rubbing her side. "I-I''m speaking on behalf of Chloe, y-you know that, Alexander." Said Michelle lightly with an awkward expression as she grabbed Alexander''s hand, placing his arm between her voluptuous breasts, causing him to scoff before looking away. "Hmph, sure." Muttered Alexander with a fake pout, causing Michelle to suddenly kiss him on the cheek. "Um, is that better?" Asked Michelle with a blush as she looked at Alexander, who smirked before grabbing her head and kissing passionately. "Hey! I also want to be kissed!" Stated Yuki with a frown as she folded her fours arms and eyed Alexander, who was dominating Michelle with his superior technique. "Heh, of course, Yuki, you know I''d never forget about my lovely little monster." Said Alexander with a lovely smile as he removed his mouth from the blushing Michelle before standing on the carriage and staring Yuki in the eyes. Grabbing the back of Yuki''s head, we passionately kissed, our tongues dancing about in each other''s mouth, yet even though I had superior technique, her aggressiveness was hard to combat, and before I knew it, she had me completely on the defensive, her tongue dominated my mouth. "Haa, ridiculous. I''m leaving." Muttered Cath in slight annoyance as she looked at Yuki, Michelle, and Alexander before shaking her head and walking away. While Yuki and I passionately kissed, expressing our love for one another, someone pulled me by the leg, causing me to fall, though Jackal caught me as he tightly embraced me, even going so far as to kiss my cheek several times. "I love you, Alex!" Stated Jackal happily as he kissed Alexander''s cheek, only for him to suddenly vanish from his embrace. Chapter 165: The Party Grows "Ugh, Jackal, I know you''re happy, but for the love of god, keep your lips to yourself. I''m clearly a straight man if you hadn''t just seen me kissing Michelle and Yuki." Remarked Alexander with an ugly expression as he stared at Jackal after using [Blink] to escape from his hug while aggressively wiping his cheek. "Hahaha, I apologize; I got a little too caught up in my joy." Said Jackal with a hearty laugh and a joyful smile as he looked at Alexander, only to reach down and pick up his child. "Haa, well, I''m happy for you, but please, no more kissing; I''ve got no desire to be kissed by a man, especially a middle-aged one." Muttered Alexander lightly as he approached the carriage before reaching down and grabbing the reins while slapping Yuki''s butt, which had next to no jiggle. ''Welp, there are pros and cons to having a muscular physique.'' Mused Alexander with a wry expression as he eyed Yuki''s butt while she just turned and glanced at him. "We''re switching, Yuki; you''ve been pulling for some time; Jackal, Kurina, you four hop in as well. We''ll take you to your carriage." Said Alexander as he pushed Yuki towards the carriage before glancing at Jackal and Kurina, gesturing to the carriage as well. "A-Are you sure, Alexander?" Asked Kurina hesitantly as she stood next to Jackal while glancing at Alexander before looking at the carriage. "Yeah, c''mon, don''t hesitate, Kurina, we''re far from strangers; how many times have I visited your house? Besides, there is plenty of space in the back; we''ve got a pretty large carriage, after all." Replied Alexander with a friendly smile as here reached forward and grabbed Kurina''s hand, gently pulling her towards the front of the carriage, where Cath, Michell, and Chloe were. "C''mon, Honey, I know how you feel, but after all of that running you and Canzer did, you two definitely deserve a little break." Stated Jackal with a faint smile as he grabbed Kurina''s waist before setting her down on the seat directly beside Cath, only to do the same with Canzer. "Eh, Cath? I didn''t know you were with Alex; hehe, is that why you''ve been rejecting all of my advances? Do you have some secret feelings for Alex?" Added Jackal in surprise as he widened his eyes at Cath before leaning forward and whispering to her while glancing between her and Alexander, who heard him. "Heh, now that you mention it, she probably does." Muttered Alexander with a playful smirk as he stood beside Jackal, the two intently eyeing Cath, who blankly stared at them, with Kurina doing the same, though only with Jackal. "I''ll admit you''re quite the hunk of a man, Alex, but no, I''ve got no secret ''feelings'' for you, so can you stop trying to create excuses as to why I''m constantly rejecting your ugly self?" Remarked Cath calmly as he glanced at Alexander, who playfully winked at her with a chuckle before backing away, only for her to eye Jackal grabbing his chest. "Ugly? Ouch. But okay, since you insist, I''ll stop with my advances for today." Said Jackal with a faint smile as he retreated, Kurina''s expression frightening a little bit too much. "Tch, keep acting like that; I''ll find myself a better man." Declared Kurina as she eyed Jackal, who chuckled while Alexander raised his hand. "I''m a better man." Said Alexander, causing Jackal''s facial expression to constantly twitch while everyone else chuckled. "Hehe, alright, let''s get moving; otherwise, we risk something happening to your belongings." Added Alexander lightly as he grabbed the reins and eyed Jackal, who nodded. "Yeah, you''re right. Here, let me help-" Muttered Jackal with a nod as he turned to grab the reins, only for his hands to be violently swatted while two voices resounded. "NO!" Stated Alexander and Yuki sternly as they glared at Jackal, who retracted his hands while shrinking back in slight fear and confusion. "O-Okay, s-sorry." Said Jackal softly while glancing between Alexander and Yuki, who was sporting an angry expression. "N-No, y-you''re fine; I-I just don''t want anyone else to pull the carriage, that''s all, Jackal; sorry about my outburst. Just sit in the carriage." Remarked Alexander in slight embarrassment as he quickly composed himself with a cough before gesturing to the carriage. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "O-Okay." Said Jackal softly with a look of slight confusion as he squeezed past Cath and Kurina before sitting down in the trunk of the carriage besides Yuki. "S-So, the terrifying Yuki was actually a woman and a beautiful one as well? What are the odds?" Asked Jackal with a slight smile as he looked up at Yuki, trying to lighten the awkward atmosphere. "Don''t call me beautiful; I only want Alex to call me that." Stated Yuki firmly as she folded her four muscular arms and eyed Jackal, who awkwardly laughed before looking away. Hearing Jackal settling in nicely with Yuki, I lightly chuckled and started pushing the carriage down the dirt road toward Jackal and Kurina''s carriage, which took about ten or so minutes before we arrived; the kids were put in the back of the carriage with Michelle and Kurina, who seemed to already behave like good friends. "Haa, man, I really am the third wheel. I''m the only one here who isn''t in a relationship; I feel like a loser." Muttered Cath with a sigh as she lowered the curtain, separating the inside of the carriage from the rest of the world. "Ah, don''t say that, Cath, you''re not alone. Talis is also single, so if anything, you and she are losers together." Said Alexander softly, his words causing Cath to smile slightly, only for her face to stiffen while Jackal laughed. "Tsk, you son of a bitch." Remarked Cath quietly as she folded her arms and glared at Alexander, who chuckled. "Ay, you don''t need to say that; Mother was most likely a wonderful woman, well, at least a wonderful Mom." Said Alexander lightly as he stopped the carriage and glanced at Cath, who rolled her eyes while scoffing. "We''ve arrived, and there is such a potent smell of iron. How many people did I end up killing?" Asked Jackal lightly as he glanced at his carriage while sniffing the air, only to shift his focus to the numerous corpses sprawled on the ground with a murderous look. "Calm down, Jackal, they''re dead. They will never harm your family, and when I was searching for you, I counted 37 people in total." Replied Alexander as he patted Jackal''s shoulder, calming him down while he, Cath, and Yuki leaped onto the ground. "It''s a little hard for me to imagine you caused all of this; I''m usually used to your humorous, perverted, and friendly side, not the furious, murderous, dangerous side." Remarked Cath softly as she watched where she stepped, avoiding guts spilling onto the ground. "That was the same with my Mother; everyone has different sides to them." Muttered Yuki lightly as she stood up after looting a corpse, getting a blank look from Alexander, causing her to look away. "People will do anything if their loved ones are on the line." Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he ignored Yuki before approaching the carriage. "I see no beasts. Were you also pulling the carriage, Jackal?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at the reins before looking inside the broken-down carriage. "Yeah, it saved quite a bit of money, and if we''re going to relocate, we were going to need a lot." Replied Jackal with a nod as he grabbed the top of the carriage before ripping it off the trunk, allowing easy access to the insides. Although the carriage was severely broken and far past repairable, their belongings were relatively undamaged; a couple of arrows pierced a few boxes, but other than that, everything looked good. "Alright, let''s transfer them to our carriage." Said Alexander as he reached down, grabbing a random box while Jackal sighed before softly smiling. "Haa, thanks, Alex." Mutted Jackal earnestly, causing Alexander to chuckle slightly with a nod. "Hehe, of course, I''ll always help a friend in need. Now, c''mon, I''m not your servant; you better start helping me." Remarked Alexander with a light smile as he walked past Jackal, heading to the carriage with a box in hand With the four of us transferring all of Jackal''s belongings to our carriage, it didn''t take long, especially since Yuki was hauling several boxes at the same time; if anything, rearranging the carriage to fit everything properly probably took longer. Once we finished that, Yuki, Jackal, and I piled all the bodies into the broken carriage while Cath stood by the carriage since, unlike us, she wasn''t really accustomed to all of this, even if she didn''t seem too bothered to all of the death. "Hurry up, Yuki." Said Alexander with a slightly annoyed look as he stared at Yuki, who was looting the last corpse. "G-Give me a second!" Remarked Yuki lightly as she continued to search through the pile of corpses. "So, Yuki and you are lovers? Have you two done the deed yet?" Asked Jackal curiously as he ogled at Yuki''s swaying butt, only for Alexander to blankly stare at him. "Yes, Yuki and I are lovers, so keep your eyes fixed on her face, and secondly, yes, we''ve made love; before you ask any more questions, I''m not telling you about my love life with her. That''s for her and me only." Replied Alexander as he grabbed Jacka''s chin, forcing him to look up before folding his arms while appreciating Yuki''s muscular butt, only for him to stare at her chest when she turned around. "Damn, and there are two massive reasons for me to know as well." Muttered Jackal with a gulp as he noticed Yuki''s massive chest, causing Alexander to scoff before hitting his head. "Eyes up there, Jackal; those are for my eyes only." Declared Alexander firmly while Jackal apologized. Now that Yuki had finished looting everyone, I summoned a [Fireball], only to toss it towards the carriage and pile of corpses, which ignited almost instantly, turning into a bonfire in the middle of the road. Chapter 166: Mosen City Walking down the dirt road while pulling the carriage full of people and our belongings, I looked up at the clear, sunny sky, enjoying Talis''s beautiful figure flying circles around our carriage similarly to a vulture. ''Huh, I''m curious, do Vultures exist in this world?'' Mused Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders and looking ahead of him. It''s been roughly ten days since we left Hyphen and about seven days since Jackal and Kurina joined us; with their presence, our group has become much more lively, and I was quite enjoying it if I''m being honest. Michelle and Kurina quickly became friends, and the same is true with their children, Chloe and Canzer; if I had to guess, I''m assuming it''s because they are both mothers, which makes perfect sense. Jackal has been his usual self, and despite his incessant attempts at flirting with Cath, they were always met with harsh refusals from both her and his wife. He did try flirting with Michelle once, but before he could pull those little ''stunts'' that he likes to call on her, I told him about our relationship, and while he is a horny man, he does know how to keep his boundaries, so he never bothered trying to flirt with either Michelle or Yuki. ''However, this bastard still ogles at Yuki! I don''t mind nearly as much when he does it with Michelle, but I greatly dislike it when he does it with Yuki.'' Mused Alexander in annoyance as he looked behind him and eyed Jackal, who was looking after his youngest, while Kurina and Michelle relaxed. ''Hypocritical much, Master?'' Said Zartha coldly as she gently hugged Trina, who was sleeping, while the two lay down together. ''Haa, yeah, it does sound very hypocritical, considering both Michelle and Yuki are my women, but hey, just because I have the class of a [Hero] doesn''t mean I''m not human, not to mention a man. I''m not perfect, and neither are you.'' Replied Alexander lightly with a sigh as he lowered his head, only to shake it while faintly smiling, his words causing Zartha to nod. ''Yes, I suppose you''re correct; even God''s aren''t perfect. Though you''re most definitely a man, Master, you dared to have an erotic dream about your own weapon, even for a man you''re¡­ What''s the word? Down bad? I believe that''s how you use that word.'' Remarked Zartha softly with a nod as she gently stroked Trina''s face, only to frown while gazing at the sky indifferently, causing Alexander to blush softly. ''I-It happened one time, Zartha! You can''t keep bringing this up! B-Besides, it''s not like I''ve been keeping it a secret or anything; you know fully well if you weren''t a spirit artifact, I''d be more than interested in you. You''re far too gorgeous for any man not to be somewhat interested in; if only you didn''t have a face that screamed disgust, it''s such a turn-off for me.'' Stated Alexander in embarrassment as he yelled at Zartha, only to calm down with a sigh while speaking his heartfelt thoughts, causing her to nod. ''Hmm, well, I can''t blame you; Father had made me into his ideal woman. A little weird if you ask me, but who am I to question my Father? Though, I''m just thankful that dream was about me and not about Trina; otherwise, we''d need to have a serious talk.'' Said Zartha with a thoughtful expression while tapping her chin before lightly shaking her head, only for her to narrow her eyes. ''Ugh, just because I may have a preference for petite women doesn''t mean I like children. Trina may be ancient, even older than Master, but she looks like a 13-year-old. I don''t even know if I would actually get aroused by someone that young, and I plan to never test that theory of mine.'' Replied Alexander as he shivered in disgust while imagining such an outcome, only to raise his head when he spotted Talis diving through he air. Outstrethcing my arm, I waited a few seconds for Talis to arrive as she spread her wings to slow her descent before perching herself onto my arm. "Alex, I just spotted the next city ahead; it''s not too far away." Said Talis lightly as she gently shook her feathery body before glancing at Alexander while chirping. "It''s about time; I knew we must''ve been pretty close. Thanks." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he looked ahead before rubbing his face against Talis''s since his hands were preoccupied. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Hehe, the Queen of the Skies is just that amazing! Anyways, I''m going to take a break." Stated Talis pridefully as she puffed out her chest, spread her wings, and pointed her beak toward the sky before calming down and leaping onto Yuki''s lap behind him. "What were you two talking about?" Asked Yuki curiously as she glanced down at Talis, who curled herself on her lap before she looked at Alexander. "We''re just getting close to the city, which means we''ll probably end up parting ways with Jackal and Kurina." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who calmly nodded. "You know, Yuki, you should try to make some friends; I know you''ve got some hesitations considering your past, but you really should try to have a friend. Preferably a woman, if I''m being honest, but I''m not too picky. Maybe a little." Remarked Alexander lightly with a slight sigh as he looked at Yuki, who lowered her head. "I don''t know. I only became your friend because being around you made me feel good and calm, and even then, I tried to somewhat keep my distance but failed quickly after we moved in together." Said Yuki softly as she looked at her hands before glancing at Alexander, who lightly smiled before shaking his head. "Well, I''m not forcing you or anything, Yuki; I''ve told you several times in the past, but you''ve never bothered to heed my advice. So I stopped trying to force you, but now that I know more about your past, I really think you should get a friend." Stated Alexander seriously as he stopped the carriage and eyed Yuki, who bit her lip while flashes of memories surfaced in her mind before he started pushing the carriage once more. "Anyways, like I said, if you really don''t want a friend, that''s fine. I''ll always be here for you; it''s just a piece of advice from someone who deeply cares about you." Added Alexander lightly while shrugging his shoulders as he continued to walk while the carriage descended into silence, only the sound of the wooden wheels turning across the ground. ___ ___ "NEXT!" Yelled the Guard loudly as he returned to his post and gazed at the long line. Walking forward, I stopped the carriage next to the guard and handed him my adventurer license; Yuki and Jackal did the same, while Cath, Michelle, and Kurina handed the guard their own IDs; as for the children, they didn''t require such things. "Alright, let me check the carriage, and you''ll be free to enter." Said the Guard with a nod as he handed the IDs to Alexander, who then redistributed them to their proper owner. They didn''t do a thorough search or anything, only a quick glance before they gave us the go-ahead; after thanking the guard, we continued into the city. The city we were in was smaller than Hyphen and was called Mosen; from the notes Marlin left on the map he gave me, he described it as a minor city with next to no importance. "Alright, Alex. I think it''s time we part ways; we can''t keep leeching off you." Said Jackal as he stopped Alexander while patting his shoulders, causing him to sigh before nodding. "Haa, yeah, I saw this coming from far away. Though, just so you know, despite your tendencies to ogle at my lover, you''re still a friend, and I''ll always help a friend." Said Alexander lightly as he narrowed his eyes at Jackal before softening his expression, causing him to chuckle. "They''re just passing glances, I swear; besides, between you and I, Yuki isn''t really my kind of woman. She''s got magnificent assets, but her massive size is a bit of a turn-off to me." Replied Jackal with a slight smile as he defensively raised his hands, only to whisper into Alexander''s ear while glancing at Yuki, who was standing by herself. "I''m offended that you''d say that, but I''m mostly happy." Muttered Alexander with an uncomfortable expression as he looked at Yuki before glancing at Jackal, who shrugged his shoulders. "Anyways, Alex, thank you for helping my family during that time; it really means a lot, more than I''ll ever be able to put into words. I''m quite old, and you''ll most definitely surpass me, but if you ever need my help. I''m there. Just try not to call me to join some suicide mission." Said Jackal solemnly as he tightly hugged Alexander, who reciprocated the hug. "Well, on the bright side, if that ever happens, at least you know you''ll have a young, handsome, well-endowed man to care for Kurina." Remarked Alexander with a sly smile as he eyed Jackal, whose face twitched before he eventually nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you''re not wrong." Muttered Jackal with an uncomfortable expression as he eyed Alexander. Chuckling, we all began to say our farewells to each other while Kurina ended up profusely thanking me; after a few minutes of saying goodbye, they were about to leave, only for Jackal to suddenly hit himself in the face. "Haa, I''m freaking stupid. We still don''t have a carriage. How are we supposed to take our stuff?" Said Jackal as he pointed at the carriage before looking at Kurina, who gave him a blank look. "Haha, well, you can surely stay with us for a few more days; it''s not like we''re immediately leaving." Said Alexander with a laugh, his words causing Jackal to sigh with a nod as he and his family approached them. "Well, that was awkward." Remarked Jackal, his words causing everyone to nod. Chapter 167: Roswald or Blacy Kingdom? After that awkward farewell with Jackal and Kurina, which turned out to be pointless, we all headed towards a nearby Inn and acquired ourselves a room for a few days while I stored the carriage in the Inn''s stable; once that was done, the first thing I did was head up to the room I rented and plopped on the bed. "Ahh, this feels nice, an actual bed to lay in; oh, how I''ve missed this feeling." Muttered Alexander with a small smile as he enjoyed the soft, comfortable mattress while staring at the ceiling. While lying on the bed, I heard Michelle, Cath, and Chloe in the room next to me; if it were just Michelle, I would''ve had her sleep in the same bed as me, but I didn''t want to separate her from Chloe, and having her also in my bed would''ve been slightly too uncomfortable, not to mention this is a chance for me to engage in some lovemaking with Yuki. ''Damn, just thinking about it has gotten me hard.'' Mused Alexander as he glanced down at his crotch with a wry smile before shaking his head and standing up. Yuki had gone to look for a blacksmith or a weapons shop for shields since her original ones were lost in that dungeon, so right now, I''m alone in this room; however, luck must''ve been on my side, since I heard Michelle leaving her room, while Cath took care of Chloe. Quickly approaching the door, when Michelle passed right outside my room, I swiftly opened it and dragged her inside before picking her up and carrying her to my bed. "Eh! A-Alexander, I-I''d like to take a bath please, c-can we do it afterwards?" Asked Michelle with a soft blush as she looked at Alexander, who gently placed her on his bed before raising an eyebrow. Mounting Michelle on all fours, I leaned down to sniff her body, yet other than a slight scent of nature, she smelled completely fine to me; well, there was a slight musk to her, but it didn''t smell bad; it simply gave her a more womanly smell, like she was in heat almost. "Nope, you smell good to me; besides, it''s not like you''ve done anything that''s gotten you dirty; a little sweat isn''t going to hurt anyone." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile as he kissed Michelle before reaching down and removing her shirt, then her bra, finally freeing her massive breasts, which were slightly glistening from the thin layer of sweat covering them. "Haa, f-fine, I can tell you''re not going to allow me to leave, b-besides, I-I''d been wanting this. C-Can you promise me we''ll just take it easy? I-I won''t be able to contain my moans if we go at it like usual, and I don''t want Chloe to hear me." Stated Michelle with a slight blush as she sighed before pulling off Alexnder''s shirt, revealing his six-pack, toned stomach, and impressive pectoral muscles, which she trailed her hand across. "M-My goodness, so hot." Muttered Michelle with an audible gulp as she stared at Alexander''s body, causing him to chuckle as he pulled down her pants before doing the same with his own hand. "Hehe, I could say the same about you, Michelle, this plump body of yours is the epitome of a Milf''s body." Said Alexander with a small smile as he grasped Michelle''s love handles by her waist, causing her to slightly squeal with an embarrassed look. "W-Well, I''m glad someone loves this body of mine. Though, what''s a Milf?" Asked Michelle as she glanced at Alexander, who was grinding his manhood across her plump stomach. "Eh, I''ll tell you about it later; for now, I want to enjoy you." Said Alexander with a smirk as he kissed Michelle before slowly sheathing roughly half of his length inside of her, causing her to hold her mouth lest she loudly moans. __ ___ Laying down in my bed with Michelle after having spent a few hours having sex together, I stared at the map of the Mezcla continent, searching for where our permanent housing should be. ''Hmm, there are only a few options regarding independent cities like Hyphen; however, they''re all smaller, and Marlin seems to have given them a worse rating, so let''s hold off on going there.'' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he intently stared at the map while Michelle opened her eyes and glanced at him. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "What are you doing?" Asked Michelle curiously while resting her head on his chest. "Nothing, just searching for somewhere for us to permanently live; you don''t have any specific requirements, do you? After all, you''ll also be living with us." Replied Alexander lightly as he wrapped his arm around Michelle and gently fondled her breasts while observing the map. "Requirements? Well, if I''m being honest, there are many things I would like, but we don''t seem to exactly be in a position where we can be picky; all I really want is a safe place for Chloe to grow up." Said Michelle with a raised eyebrow before shaking her head, causing Alexander to nod. "Well, that''s a given; I don''t want to live somewhere our lives could be in danger. I just don''t know where to go; I see two good options on the map. One of them being the Roswald Kingdom and the other being the Blacy Kingdom; from the notes on the map, they both seem to be pretty good options to live, with the Blacy Kingdom having two Epic dungeons in their territory, compared to the Roswald Kingdom''s one, though both got several Rare dungeons." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he gestured to the map in his hand, indicating two different kingdoms, prompting Michelle to look. "My hus- Ex-husband''s family was originally from the Blacy Kingdom; he didn''t remember much since they left when he was still young, but I heard from his father that it was a nice place to live; just watch out for Nobles and Mages associated with Mage Guild." Stated Michelle softly with a nod as she gently tapped the map, causing Alexander to nod with a pondering expression. "You said your ex-husband''s father was an Adventurer, right? Given his line of work and Adventurer class, interacting with Nobles might''ve been common, and speaking of the Mage Guild, I need to visit one. My Master was part of the Mage Guild, and I''d like to see what her office was like." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at the Blacy Kingdom before glancing at Mosen, guessing the distance between them. "Mosen and the Blacy kingdom isn''t exceedingly far away; it looks to be about a fortnight''s travel at most, well, that''s if we decide to go there; on the other hand, the Roswald Kingdom is going to be about a month''s journey." Added Alexander with furrowed brows as he looked at the two kingdoms, only for Michelle to tilt her head in confusion. "Am I missing something, Alexander? If we take this road, it looks about the same distance as the one to the Blacy Kingdom?" Asked Michelle with a slightly confused expression as she pointed towards the shorter route. "No, you''re right, Michelle, its just, we won''t take that road if we happen to go to the Roswald Kingdom. We''ll take this one instead." Replied Alexander with a nod as he squeezed Michelle''s breast, causing her to moan softly before he grabbed his hand and pointed it at a different road more towards the left, which looked roughly twice as long as the previous one. "W-Why is that? It cuts right through the middle of a forest, and while I love the forest, it unnecessarily prolongs our journey." Remarked Michelle with a confused expression as she looked up at Alexander, who grabbed her head before placing it atop his heart. "Listen closely, and then you might understand." Said Alexander with a faint smile, his words further confusing Michelle, though nonetheless she did as told and focused her ears on his heart. Looking at Mosen, the city we were currently in, I shifted my eyes to the longer path towards the Roswald Kingdom, and the instant I did so, I felt a powerful sensation pulling me towards it as my heart rapidly began beating; it was the same sensation as when I first laid eyes on Hyphen. I had no idea why my heart was urging me to take that path, but I knew I needed to. "Your heart, it''s beating really quickly." Said Michelle lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who smirked before folding the map and storing it inside his space pouch, which caused his heart to swiftly return to normal. "Yes. I won''t go into detail, but essentially, my heart can lead me to places where I need to go, and as I''m sure you can now understand, I need to take that road. That was actually why I arrived in Hyphen; it was because my heart urged me to go there. Hyphen had something I needed, though, to this day, I still don''t know what it was. Though between you and I, I feel it was Yuki." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile as he looked down at Michelle, grabbing her hips and placing her atop him while he played with her nipples, causing her to moan softly. "W-Well, if you say so, I-I won''t question you, Alexander." Muttered Michelle with a nod as she ground her crotch against Alexander''s erect shaft only to lift herself up while positioning it into her vagina. Before it could enter her womanhood, I grabbed her hips and moved her forward slightly, stuffing my tip directly into her anus, causing her to freeze as her body convulsed slightly. "Ho, I merely put the tip in, and you orgasmed a little? I swear, Michelle, your whole body is so sensitive." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he looked at Michelle while slowly spreading her anus as he sheathed himself fully inside of her. ''Ah, that''s the spot, so tight; I love anal.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at Michelle, who was having trouble processing this new sensation. Chapter 168: Oni Meets Oni? "Hehe, sorry about that, Michelle, I quite like anal, so I lost a little bit of control." Said Alexander awkwardly with a sheepish smile as he glanced at Michelle, who was hunched forward, holding her back while semen leaked out of her arse and down her thick thighs. "I-It feels great to be lusted by such a young man, but, please, c-can you go a little softer next time? I-I was barely able to contain my moans, and my back is now sore." Remarked Michelle with an uncomfortable expression as she slowly approached the door while occasionally hissing in pain "S-Sorry, doing anal combined with doggy style was a little too much for me; I-I''ll make sure to tone it down next time. Here." Replied Alexander softly as he reached down and handed Michelle her clothes, causing her to slowly put them on, uncaring for the semen leaking from her arse. "I-I''m going to take a shower and then go to sleep. G-Goodnight, Alexander." Said Michelle lightly as she opened the door and walked outside, only for Alexander to poke his head out of the room and kiss her. "Goodnight, Michelle, and again, I''m sorry; if you''re still sore in the morning, I''ll give you a potion." Muttered Alexander quietly as he whispered into Michelle''s ear, causing her to nod slightly while shuffling down the hallways, leaving behind small droplets of a white sticky substance. Watching Michelle walk away, I wryly smiled before retracting my head back into the room while closing the door behind me before I turned and glanced at the bed where he had sex for roughly three hours. ''Is this how sex is supposed to be, or am I just messy?'' Thought Alexander in slight confusion as he looked at the sheets, which were covered in semen, sweat, saliva, juices, and a few other bodily fluids. Well, either way, my bed was no longer usable, though it was fine; I could just sleep atop Yuki; her breasts would serve as great pillows. "Speaking of Yuki, what''s taking her so long? Didn''t she say she was just trying to get some shields? It''s been nearly four hours since then." Said Alexander softly with furrowed brows as he put on his pants and looked out the window, glancing at the evening sky and passing strangers. I wasn''t really worried about Yuki''s safety, but I was confused about why she was taking so long, so, out of concern, I put on my shirt, left my room, and headed downstairs before exiting the Inn. ''Now then, where are you, Yuki?'' Mused Alexander with a pondering expression as he began walking down the street while trying to think like Yuki. "Hmm, if I was Yuki, what would I do? After getting some shields, what would I first do? Testing them out isn''t a bad idea." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he thought through the mind of Yuki. If I didn''t find Yuki at the blacksmith''s or weapon shops, I''d head to the closest gate leading out of the city, hoping to find her in a nearby forest, fighting against a random beast to break in her new shields. After a few minutes of walking, I eventually spotted my first weapon shop; I didn''t go inside and just did a quick look through the building with my [Heroes Gaze], hoping to spot Yuki, which didn''t happen. With the first weapon shop being a bust, I headed towards the next one, which surprisingly wasn''t too far away, and did the same, only to end up with the same outcome; next, I happened to come across a blacksmith, and unsurprisingly, the outcome was the same as the previous two. I spent the next twenty or so minutes looking through multiple different buildings, but they were all a bust, causing me to click my tongue as I now headed toward the nearest exit in search of Yuki. However, while walking down the street, out of pure coincidence, I happened to look down an alley and, to my absolute surprise, spotted Yuki, causing me to freeze as I tilted my head in slight confusion. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ''What the? I guess I don''t know Yuki as well as I thought I did.'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he began walking towards Yuki, only to notice another person, who was slightly smaller than her, standing in front of her. "C''mon, what do you say? There aren''t many of us Oni''s in the Mezcla Continent; we should spend the night together and create a child; it''ll help our species." Said the large, dark-blue Oni with a seemingly friendly smile as he looked up at Yuki, who slightly tilted her head to the side. "No, thank you. I''m already in a relationship." Replied Yuki with a shake of her head as she prepared to turn around, only for the Oni to grab her shoulder, stopping her. "That''s fine; I''ll beat them up and display my superior strength, and then you''ll be forced to have my child." Declared the Oni with a confident smile, his words causing Yuki to frown, only for someone to suddenly intervene. "Excuse me, sir; as you heard earlier, she already has a lover. So, please back off." Stated Alexander softly with a frown as he stood between Yuki and the Oni, his sudden voice causing them to look down at him. "Eh, who are you?" "Alex?" Asked the Oni and Yuki respectfully as they looked at Alexander, who cleared his throat. "I''m Yuki''s lover, so if you could please release her shoulder." Replied Alexander with a frown as he reached upwards and grasped the Oni''s wrist before forcefully pulling his arm away. I had half-expected the man to back down after I introduced myself, but I also expected he''d push even harder since he was an Oni, and it was a good thing I prepared in advance since he did exactly that; the instant I said I was Yuki''s lover, he suddenly punched me, causing me to swiftly raise my arms, blocking his fist. "What the hell was that for!?" Exclaimed Alexander in slight anger as he looked at the Oni, who simply smiled before punching once more. "It''s how we Oni''s settle disputes! I want your woman, so I must fight you for her, and you must fight to protect her!" Declared the Oni with a slight smile as he continued to assault Alexander with his four arms that were lined with muscles all the way to his shoulder. Blocking the man''s punches, I turned and glanced back at Yuki, hoping she''d say something, but all she was giving me was an encouraging look, causing me to inwardly groan as I swiftly ducked before closing into the man and punching his stomach, pausing his relentless assault. "I don''t really want to fight, but fine, since this is how you Oni''s settle things, I''ll do so as well; I can''t have the woman I love being disappointed in me." Stated Alexander sternly as he removed his shirt and flexed his muscles while intently eyeing the Oni with his purple eyes, causing him to smile. "Haha, yes, there is nothing personal about this; this is just how we Oni''s operate. Strength is the only language we speak!" Declared the Oni as he removed his shirt before lunging towards Alexander, who did the same. "GO! ALEX!!" Yelled Yuki loudly with a passionate expression as she stood on the sides while cheering Alexander. The man I was fighting was quite strong, and he forced me to infuse my body with mana just so I''d be physically equal with him, but I''m just glad he wasn''t on the level of Yuki; otherwise, I''d need to use next to everything to beat him, and even then it would be questionable. Dodging three of his fists, I blocked the fourth one before trying to step in closer toward him since he had a massive reach advantage, yet he stepped backward while kicking me, causing me to quickly stop, as he just barely missed. Weaving his relentless assault of fists, I tried to step in closer, but finding an opening in his attacks was difficult, and whenever I managed to find one, I was never able to get closer. What made this even worse was that I was more focused on not getting hit by him since the last thing I wanted was for him to draw my blood; I didn''t want to kill him. This was all kind of annoying, if I''m being honest, but I didn''t want to kill him; he wasn''t a bad person; this was just how Oni''s lived, so I couldn''t really be mad at him. ''If anything, I should be mad at Yuki for encountering this fool!'' Thought Alexander as he used his slightly superior agility to dodge the Oni''s four relentless fists. I could''ve very well used other skills and mana, but my pride as Yuki''s lover and a man were preventing me from doing so, so I just sucked it up and continued to fight the Oni before me. Blocking his fists, I spotted another opening and took it; quickly stepping forward, instead of trying to attack him, I ran right past him, causing his kick to miss me while I tried kicking him in the back, yet he managed to turn around quick enough and block it. However, now that I got him on the defensive, I didn''t want to let this opportunity go to waste, and I constantly pummelled him, punching his arms every time he should move them, eternally forcing him to defend, though he seemed to have had enough of it as I punched his stomach while in exchange, he tightly grabbed my wrist. ''Tsk, well, this isn''t good.'' Mused Alexnder with an awkward look as he eyed the smiling Oni. Chapter 169: ?????, Spice, ????????????????? Quickly raising my other arm, I tried to block the Oni''s relentless assault, which resulted in my forearm bruising his from the might behind his fists; thankfully, it all healed before his next fist punched me. Since we were holding one of my arms, my movements were quite limited, but I knew if I allowed things to stay like this, I''d eventually make a mistake, one neither he nor I would like to make, so readying my mind, I took a deep breath, and when I blocked one of his fists, I was given a brief respite, which I took advantage of and used. Twisting my body while adorning a painful expression, I dislocated my shoulder before stepping closer and attacking the Oni, digging my elbow into his stomach as I followed up with leaping into the air, slamming my head right into his chin, forcing him to take a step backward. However, even so, he still hadn''t released my arm, causing me to grunt as I quickly placed my foot behind his leg before powerfully punching him in the chest, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall onto his back, yet to my surprise, he managed to catch himself with two of his arms as he pushed himself back onto his feet. ''At least he''s bleeding a little.'' Mused Alexander with a wry smile as he glanced at the blood leaking from the Oni''s nose. With my plan having failed, the Oni smiled at me before attacking again, leaving me in the same position as before. Blocking his fists, I was beginning to get thoroughly annoyed at this whole situation since I was practically forced to fight with a hand tied behind my back as I couldn''t allow myself to suffer an injury of any kind. ''Tsk, at this rate, it''s going to happen anyways, so I might as take a risk.'' Thought Alexander as he swiftly lowered his head, using the top of his skull as a makeshift shield to block the Oni''s fists while he lunged towards him again. I wasn''t hardheaded, but my skull damn sure was as I managed to block the Oni''s attacks, not without feeling pain, obviously, but it was very short-lived; slamming my head into the top of his groin, getting a face full of his crotch, I wrapped my arm around one of his legs before lifting him over my shoulder as I stood upright. "BEAT HIM UP ALEX!" Stated Yuki loudly with a smile as she looked at Alexander, who flashed her a smile before violently slamming the Oni onto the ground, creating a small crater. Quickly mounting the Oni, I raised my other arm, which he was still holding onto, before kneeing him right in the elbow, threatening to break his arm if he didn''t let go, which he didn''t, and following his lack of actions, the crunching of bones was heard while he grunted in pain, yet for the love of Goddess Eywa, he was somehow still holding onto my arm. However, I wasn''t able to do anything as I was suddenly punched in both the stomach and chest; however, instead of grunting, I used the force from the two mighty punches and kicked off the Oni''s stomach, finally managing to free my arm. However, before I could inwardly rejoice, I was forced to swiftly turn around as I grabbed my mouth, stopping myself from coughing blood. ''Tsk, dammit! This is pissing me off!'' Thought Alexander with an annoyed expression as he drank his golden blood before turning around and eyeing the Oni, who was standing back up. "Letting me stand back up rather than taking advantage? Seems you know more of the Oni culture than I thought." Said the Oni with a smirk as he eyed Alexander while one of his arms motionlessly hung from his side. He was completely wrong; if it weren''t because I was trying to indirectly save his life, I would''ve definitely taken advantage of him while he was on the ground, but I just decided to stay quiet while I set my shoulder back in place. ''If only I could make him blind, then this would be over quickly.'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he speedily lunged towards the Oni, who did the same with his large figure. Now that he had one less arm, and I had an extra arm, it was so much easier to fight him; I was even able to get in a good few hits, but nothing really substantial, which annoyed me as I was playing a dangerous game right now, but I kept calm, knowing an agitated mind would only mess me up. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ''Ugh, at this rate, we''ll be fighting well into the night; I know firsthand how much endurance and stamina an Oni has. Tsk, we''re definitely going to miss dinner.'' Mused Alexander with a frown as he dodged and blocked a few punches before counterattacking with his own, punching the Oni in the stomach, causing him to lightly grunt, though other than that, he seemed unaffected. "DINNER!?" Exclaimed Alexander with widened eyes, his sudden outburst confusing the Oni while Yuki''s eyes lit up in hunger. Crossing my arms, I blocked the Oni''s punch and went with his force as I was flung back a few meters before landing on the ground. I quickly reached into my pocket, grabbing my space pouch, inwardly thanking myself for bringing it with me. I searched through it while my opponent charged right for me. ''Haa! Found it!'' Thought Alexander with a large smile as he grabbed a small bottle, only to see a fist aiming right at his face. Getting violently punched in the face, I squeezed the bottle in my hand, breaking it before throwing it at his face, specifically his eyes, as I was forced to take several steps back from the force of his punch. "Ahhh!! My eyes!!" Yelled the Oni in pain as he grabbed his eyes while Alexander smiled. Wiping the blood leaking from my nose, I smiled and was about to attack him, but before I could, he suddenly removed his hands and glared at me with bloodshot eyes. "Dammit! Everything is red now!" Stated the Oni angrily as he eyed Alexander, who froze before frowning. "Everything?" Asked Alexander carefully as he eyed the Oni, who aggressively nodded while rubbing his eyes. "YES! What did you do!?" Exlciamed the Oni furiously as he glared at Alexander, who furrowed his brows before suddenly grinning. ''It''s not what I had in mind, but this should suffice.'' Thought Alexander with a slightly wicked smile as he intently eyed the Oni. "Nothing; just tossed some spices into your eyes; c''mon, you can still see; let''s fight." Replied Alexander with a smile as he lunged at the Oni. Dashing towards the Oni, I saw him raise his fist and punch me, yet instead of blocking it, I let it land right on my face, breaking my nose and causing me to bleed; yet as I looked at his uncaring expression while he eyed my golden blood, I smiled as I closed the distance before punching him in the face. Now that I didn''t worry about my blood, my fighting style changed; I completely gave up on the defensive and focused entirely on the offensive. I was by no means a brawler or anything of the sort, but I could heal from most minor wounds in mere seconds, so why not take advantage of such an ability? Besides, I was already somewhat annoyed, and I wanted this fight to end. Getting punched in the stomach and face, I spat out blood, only to ignore the pain that vanished in mere seconds as I lunged forth and wrapped my arms around his torso before slamming him onto the ground. Mounting him, I began bombarding him with punches containing all of my strength while he did the same, yet, unlike him, he wasn''t able to heal, so his desire to try to drain my endurance was for naught since after a few minutes, he finally stopped attacking me. "I-It''s my loss." Said the Oni softly between his heavy breathing as he looked at Alexander, who smiled in response. "Fucking finally." Muttered Alexander with a smile as he stood up, only for Yuki to suddenly embrace him in a tight hug. "I knew you could do it, Alex! Now, let''s eat dinner, I''m hungry!" Stated Yuki with a large smile as she hugged Alexander, who sported a wry smile only for him to suddenly vanish from her embrace. "Yeah, give me a second, Yuki." Said Alexander as he used [Blink] to vanish from Yuki''s embrace, causing her to nod as she impatiently waited. Burning any evidence of my golden blood on the ground, I approached the Oni, who was also covered in my blood, causing me to sigh as I grabbed my shirt and started wiping him down, causing him to give me a weird look, though he seemed too exhausted to even care and just ignored me. "Sorry about the eyes, and so, will you be okay?" Asked Alexander apologetically as he stored his shirt in his space pouch after wiping the Oni down. "Y-Yeah, I''ll be fine. G-Good fight. It''s not every day I come across such a ferocious fighter. Make sure to fuck her real good and give her a lot of children." Remarked the Oni with a nod as he glanced at Alexander with a faint smile as he stood upright before outstretching his hand towards him while gesturing to Yuki. "Children? Well, we''re not in the position to do that, but once we''re finally ready, I''ll pump her full of our children." Stated Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Yuki before nodding with a smile and shaking hands with the Oni. After saying our farewells, the man walked away, leaving just Yuki and I. ''Huh, a pregnant Yuki; for some reason, I have a feeling I''ll be pleasantly surprised.'' Thought Alexander as he eyed Yuki''s stomach. Chapter 170: Nightly Love "Thanks for the help, Yuki; glad to know the woman I love always has my back." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki while the two walked down the street, his words causing her to smile as she nodded. "Of course, we''re lovers; I''ll always have your back." Stated Yuki with a smile as she gave Alexander a thumbs up, causing his facial expression to twitch while he lowered his head with a sigh. "I was being sarcastic, Yuki. Don''t tell me my future wife is a little slow in the head department. I could''ve sworn you were smart." Remarked Alexander blandly as he eyed Yuki before leaping onto her back and tapping her head, causing her to frown as she aggressively shook her body. "Hmph, I''m not stupid; I-I''m just not the smartest when it comes to things like that; I rarely ever have such interactions with people." Said Yuki with a slight frown as she flung Alexander off with all her shaking, causing him to gracefully land on the ground a few meters away. "Tsk, I suppose that''s a good enough excuse." Muttered Alexander lightly as he folded his arms while eyeing Yuki, who continued walking. "Anyways, out of curiosity, say I lost to that, man, what would''ve happened? I can tell you wouldn''t have actually gone with him, so what was the whole point of me fighting him?" Asked Alexander curiously as he quickly caught up to Yuki while slapping her butt in the process. "Well, if you had lost, he would''ve needed to defeat me in combat as well, and like most species, female Onis are generally weaker than male Onis; my mom is quite the outlier in that regard, though." Replied Yuki lightly as she pointed at herself before glancing upwards at the dimming sky, causing Alexander to faintly chuckle. "Yeah, the first person you think of is your Mom and not yourself; I''ve got no doubt you''re an even larger outlier than she is. I mean, look at you, Yuki, you''re freaking massive! I had thought all Onis were around your size, but I don''t know any more after seeing him." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he lightly tapped Yuki''s arm, only to stand in front of her with his arms spread apart. "W-Well, unlike me, my Mom is a full Oni, and no, most Onis are around that man''s size, while female Onis tend to be shorter and not nearly as muscular. Though speaking of my size, I''ve actually been feeling lighter than usual; I think I''ve lost some weight." Remarked Yuki with a shake of her head as she lifted her shirt and looked at her toned abdomen with a frown. "Eh, well, considering you were sick for multiple days and hardly ate, that makes sense; though, you don''t need to worry, Yuki, you look amazing; all your weight went to all the right places. And these thighs, my goodness¡­ This how I want to die." Stated Alexander with an understanding nod, only for him to smirk as he raised his hands and lifted Yuki''s massive breasts, only to stare at her muscular legs while gulping. "Hmm, what did you say, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously with a raised eyebrow while Alexander lowered his hands before turning around and awkwardly coughing. "N-Nothing, I-I just said your pants are tight, that''s all." Replied Alexander with a faint blush as she glanced at Yuki before gazing at her thick, muscular thighs, causing his imagination to run wild. ''Sister, I think this is a new low for our Master.'' Muttered Trina with a defeated expression as she sat on Zartha''s lap. ''I understand what you''re getting at, Trina, but no, this isn''t Master''s new low; I''m sure you remember how he assisted Lavender whenever she needed to use the bathroom.'' Said Zartha lightly with a shake of her head, her words causing Trina to nod while Alexander''s blush slightly deepened. Ignoring my two nosy weapons, I relieved some fond memories with Master before shaking my head and returning to the present as I trailed behind Yuki while gazing at her butt without restraint. "Oh, yeah, back to the question from earlier; I didn''t try to interfere because that''s just how we Onis operate. If you had asked me, I would''ve stepped in to stop it, but you seemed deadset on proving yourself, and I didn''t want to interfere." Stated Yuki with a nod as she turned and looked at Alexander, who nearly bumped into her. "Well, I didn''t really want to fight him, but maybe a part of me did want to prove myself to you; who knows? But my pride also played a large part. He wanted you for himself; what kind of man would I be if I had asked my woman for assistance? I would''ve been ashamed of myself; my brother has taught me that since I''m a man, I must always protect my family, and that''s what I''ll do." Declared Alexander solemnly as he folded his arms and looked at Yuki, who nodded with a smile before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "M-My Mom also told me the same thing. Also, do you know what usually happens after an Oni wins in protecting their lover?" Said Yuki softly as she eyed Alexander, who seemed exceedingly happy after her kiss. "What is it? Is it another kiss from you? If that''s the case, I hope that Oni returns." Asked Alexander with a smile as he looked up at Yuki while grabbing one of her hands. "Well, they usually spend the entire night having se- making love." Replied Yuki with a heated gaze and slightly uneven breathing as she stared at Alexander, who gulped before rapidly nodding his head. "I''m loving this increasingly; c''mon, let''s go!" Stated Alexander with a large smile as he tightly held Yuki''s hand before running forward, only for him to be suddenly picked up. "I want to do it just as badly, but I''m hungry; let''s eat first, and then we''ll make love." Said Yuki softly as she carried Alexander in her arms while walking down the street, garnering a few occasionally weird looks. "Haa, fine, just, please try not to eat too much; we, or at least I, have very little money; I can''t afford to feed this pretty mouth of yours." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he gazed at Yuki with a troubled expression before kissing her cheek, causing her to blush deeply. "P-Pretty?" Muttered Yuki with crimson cheeks, causing Alexander to chuckle as he rested his head on her chest. ____________________________________________________________________________ Once we returned to the Inn, we had a small meal, well, I wasn''t hungry, so I didn''t eat, but Yuki did, and even though she held herself back, she still ate enough to feed six grown men. After we finished eating, we said goodnight to everyone as it was pretty late, with both Michelle and Chloe already sleeping, though that was mostly my fault since it seemed I had exhausted Michelle after our little session. "S-Sorry, I saw Michelle, and I couldn''t help myself." Muttered Alexander with an awkward look as he glanced at Yuki, who was staring at his bed. "Tsk, well, so long as there is plenty enough of your semen for me, I don''t really care." Said Yuki in slight annoyance as she sat on her bed before folding her arms and looking the other way, causing Alexander to sigh as he sat beside her. "You''re clearly lying, Yuki; even without my unique eyes, I can tell you''re annoyed. Listen, Yuki, if you don''t like Michelle and me doing it, I''ll stop; I love you, not her." Stated Alexander softly as he affectionately rubbed Yuki''s thigh, soothing her. "Haa, no, I don''t mind Michelle''s presence at all; a mistress doesn''t bother me. It''s just I said I wanted to have your cock first, yet she had it first, and it''s annoying." Replied Yuki with furrowed brows as she glanced at Alexander, who faintly smirked. "Hehe, so that''s why my lovely little monster is upset? She''s merely jealous since she didn''t get my cock first? I swear, you''re so utterly adorable, Yuki. I don''t know how, but I somehow love you even more." Said Alexander with a mischievous smirk as he kissed Yuki''s blushed cheek before kneeling in front of her. Spreading Yuki''s legs, I stuffed my face into her crotch, getting a strong whiff of her womanly odor, which smelled quite sweet, something you wouldn''t expect from her appearance. ''Blueberries? That''s a weird smell, but the scent is good, so I''m not complaining.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow, only to shrug his shoulders while retracting his face. "You''re always pleasuring me with your mouth, Yuki, so let me service you for a change." Stated Alexander with a smile as he looked up at Yuki while pulling down her pants, showing her underwear, which he promptly removed as well, revealing her womanhood. Staring at Yuki''s beautiful, pinkish-blue vagina that was surrounded by a thin white bush of hair, I further spread her legs before leaning forwards and gently kissing it, causing Yuki''s legs to subtly twitch. "You know, I never had a chance to appreciate how beautiful your vagina is, Yuki." Said Alexander with a smile as he continued to gently kiss Yuki''s vagina while staring into her eyes, causing her to deeply blush as she hid her face with her hands. Chuckling at how utterly adorable an embarrassed Yuki was, I stopped kissing and started to actually give her cunnilingus as I aggressively licked her vagina, causing her body to twitch, which only got more aggressive when I stuck my tongue inside of her. ''Hmm, I can''t seem to find her sweet spot.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown as he licked about within Yuki''s vagina while she softly moaned in pleasure. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find Yuki''s sweet spot naturally, and I was forced to use [Heroes Gaze] to help me, which was a blow to my pride as a man, but if it meant I could further please Yuki, it was well worth it in my opinion. Once I finally found Yuki''s sensitive spot, I aggressively attacked it with my tongue while sucking on her vagina, causing her body to tremble as I felt her insides slightly constrict, followed by her squirting juices onto my face and into my mouth. "~AHHHH~" Said Yuki with a loud moan as she subconsciously spread her legs, orgasming all over Alexander''s face. ''And it tastes like strawberries. So weird.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he drank Yuki''s juices. "Alright, time for round two, my lovely little Monster." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he eyed Yuki before diving right back into her vagina with even greater enthusiasm than before. Chapter 171: Farewell Standing beside the carriage alongside Yuki, Talis, Michelle, and Chloe, we looked at Jackal, Kurina, Canzer, and Cath as we prepared to set off to the Roswald Kingdom. "We''ve already stayed here for a few days and restocked on a few supplies. It''s time for us to go now." Said Alexander lightly as he stood between Yuki and Michelle, glancing between the three, who all nodded. "Well, it was bound to happen; I just wish you could''ve stayed longer; you and I could''ve found a few women interested in having some nightly fun." Stated Jackal with a faint smirk as he winked at Alexander, only for Kurina to pull on his tail, causing him to hiss in pain. "Hmph, stop trying to rub your bad habits onto Alexander; as a matter of fact, it''s probably best if they leave now; I wouldn''t want to see him turn into a version of you." Said Kurina in slight anger as she eyed Jackal while pulling his tail, causing him to rapidly nod while Canzer softly chuckled. "Anyways, please ignore that fool, Alexander." Added Kurina lightly as she released Jackal''s tail before approaching Alexander, only to hug him. "Hehe, well, if you say so." Muttered Alexander with a faint nod while reciprocating the hug with Kurina, who tightly embraced him. "Thank you, Alexander; as lustful as my husband can be, I''d hate to live without him. Really, thank you. There aren''t words to describe how grateful I am." Remarked Kurina earnestly as she tightly embraced Alexander, who softly nodded while patting her back. "You don''t need to worry; I can tell how grateful you are, trust me." Said Alexander with a nod as he glanced down at Kurina, using [Heroes Gaze] to see her emotions while she nodded. "Now, how about we separate? I think Jackal is starting to get a little annoyed with me." Added Alexander lightly as he glanced at Jackal, who stared at him with narrowed eyes, causing him to wryly smile. At my words, Kurina finally released me, though not before kissing me on the cheek, which caused Jackal''s facial expression to twitch while I chuckled. Kurina then went to talk with Michelle while Chloe talked with Canzer, prompting Jackal to approach me while leaving just Yuki and Cath, though I gave my little Oni a boost. Placing my hand atop Yuki''s butt, I pushed her towards Cath, causing her to give me a weird look, but I simply gave her a thumbs up while she awkwardly approached Cath. "So, how did that kiss feel?" Asked Jackal with a bland expression as he eyed Alexander''s cheek, causing him to roll his eyes before hugging him. "Payback from all those times you ogled my lover and mistress." Replied Alexander with a smirk as he wrapped his arms diagonally across Jackal''s body while he did the same. "I told you it only happened once, at least with Yuki; I may have taken a few extra glances at Michelle. I mean, you can''t really blame me. Especially since I heard you and her going to town in the middle of the day yesterday." Remarked Jackal with a slight smirk as he patted Alexander''s back while the two separated from each other before he gestured to Michelle. "Michelle really has a perfect body; you know her Ex-husband called her fat and ugly? Insane, right?" Stated Alexander with a faint nod as he eyed Michelle, who lightly blushed when she caught him staring at her, only to glance at Jackal. "Fat and ugly? What fucking idiot would say that? He must like men if that''s the case." Said Jackal with widened eyes as he looked at Alexander, who nodded with an equally surprised expression. "If he hadn''t made a child with her, I would''ve thought the exact same thing, but hey, I''m the last person to complain. After all, because of his weird taste in women, Michelle is now my mistress; you know what they say: one man''s trash is another man''s treasure. It feels wrong to call Michelle trash, but you get what I''m saying." Remarked Alexander lightly with a smile as he nudged Jackal, who nodded in agreement. "Heh, yeah, I can imagine; I''m even a little envious. You better pump her full of children when you get the chance; you can''t really call a woman yours until they''ve given birth to your children." Stated Jackal with a nod as he turned and looked at Alexander, who wryly smiled while nodding. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "I don''t know about Michelle; if I''m being honest, maybe my feelings will change in the future, but as of right now, I don''t really want her to bear my children; after all, I don''t truly love her; our first interaction wasn''t exactly the best one." Said Alexander lightly, shaking his head as he looked at Michelle before shifting his focus to Jackal. "Well, it''s not my place to question how you manage your women, Alex. Anyway, these past several days have been one hell of a ride, and while I do hate to see a friend go, you''re off to bigger and better things in the Roswald kingdom." Said Jackal with a shrug of his shoulders as he looked at Alexander with a smirk. "I wouldn''t quite say bigger and better, but you''re not entirely wrong." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he and Jackal hugged again before separating. Watching Jackal join Kurina and Michelle''s conversation, I approached Yuki and Cath, who were surprisingly still talking; if I''m being honest, I had expected Yuki to stop talking with her. "Speaking of Alex, he''s right here. So, tell me, do you enjoy keeping me awake the whole night or what?" Said Cath with a raised eyebrow as she folded her arms and eyed Alexander, who tilted his head before glancing at Yuki for information. "Um, I think she heard us last night." Said Yuki lightly as she rubbed her head, causing Alexander to faintly blush while awkwardly coughing. "Well, to be fair, the one making all that noise was Yuki. I had told her to try and keep it down, but she doesn''t exactly know who to keep things secretive." Remarked Alexander softly as he eyed Cath, who rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Well, who was the one causing her to moan loudly like a wild beast? Besides, just because you weren''t as loud doesn''t mean I couldn''t hear your grunts; did you have to yell every time you were going to cum?" Questioned Cath in annoyance as she narrowed her eyes at Alexander, whose blush deepened at her words, while Yuki seemed unbothered. "W-Well, I wasn''t trying to impregnate Yuki; we got lucky the first time we made love that she didn''t get pregnant, and I''m not trying to bet on luck again. Besides, since I don''t impregnate her, she likes to drink it; she says it''s tasty." Replied Alexander awkwardly as he avoided eye contact with Cath before gesturing to Yuki, who nodded without an ounce of shame. "Yes, Alex''s semen is really good. I had asked him to use it as a spice on my food, but he refused and said that''s weird. Do you want to try it, Cath?" Replied Yuki with a faint smile as she looked at Cath before grabbing Alexander''s pants, trying to remove them, though he stopped her. "HEY!? What are you doing, Yuki? We''re in the middle of the street! You can''t just pull down my pants." Exclaimed Alexander as he swiftly backed away from Yuki, glaring at her while Cath''s expression twitched. "Eh, well, you and Cath can do it in the carriage quickly before we leave. Is that better?" Asked Yuki as she titled her head to the side, her words causing Alexander to rub his face while sighing. "I-I appreciate the offer, b-but I''m good, Yuki. If it were during the month of Chloe, then I''d probably have already taken you up on that offer." Said Cath awkwardly as she glanced at Yuki, who nodded while Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Month of Chloe? Wait, you''re also affected during that month? But when I first met you, you seemed completely fine and didn''t seem to be in heat at all." Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he stood beside Yuki while holding onto his pants just in case. "Well, that''s because the week before you and I first met, I was¡­ I-I was at home pleasuring myself like crazy." Replied Cath with a blush as she looked the other way while Alexander merely nodded. "Oh, that''s it? I thought you would''ve been doing it with a whole bunch of random guys." Said Alexander lightly with a faint smile, causing Cath to shake her head. "No, thankfully, while Cat demi-humans go into heat, it''s not super intense and can be dealt with by pleasuring oneself. Anyways, can we stop talking about this subject? It''s a little embarrassing for me." Stated Cath as she glanced at Alexander, who chuckled before suddenly hugging her. "Hehe, I''m going to miss these weird ass conversations we have, though at least now, I don''t have to worry about someone peeping on Yuki and I." Said Alexander with a smile as Cath reciprocated the hug while faintly smiling. "It happened once. Don''t make it seem like I''m a pervert; besides, I was mainly acting as a guard in case Chloe had woken up." Remarked Cath as she eyed Alexander, who gave her a skeptical look before nodding. "Hmm, if you say so." Muttered Alexander, causing Cath to sigh in defeat. Serpating from Cath, Yuki and I backed away toward our carriage and watched Michelle and Cath have their little farewells while we sat in the front of the carriage. "Not going to say farewell, Talis?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Talis, who had been resting inside the carriage. "Nope, they wouldn''t even understand me anyway." Replied Talis lightly, shaking her head as she stretched her wings before exiting the carriage and resting on Alexander''s lap. Nodding, I turned to Yuki and forcefully kissed her passionately as we waited for Michelle to finish speaking with everyone, which took a few minutes, but she eventually approached the carriage. "Alright, we''ll continue this later, Yuki." Said Alexander with a nod as he separated from Yuki''s lips while handing her Talis before hopping off the seats and grabbing the reins. "Goodbye!" "Bye!" "Seeya!" "Bye-bye!'' Said Kurina, Cath, Jackal, and Canzer, respectively, as they waved at Alexander, Yuki, Michelle, and Chloe. Waving goodbye, I began to pull the carriage as we turned around and headed towards the exit of Mosen city, beginning our month-long journey toward the Roswald Kingdom. ''Adventure. Here we come.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smirk. Chapter 172: Entering A Storm "Mom, I''m bored." Said Chloe lightly as she sat on Michelle''s lap while mindlessly kicking her feet, her words causing Alexander to wryly smile as he pulled the carriage. "C-C''mon, Chloe, I know you don''t have Canzer to play with anymore, but you can''t be bored already; we''ve only departed from Mosen a few hours ago." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Chloe, flashing her a smile, though unlike normally, it only caused her to pout further. ''Haa, well, I can already tell this is going to be a long trip.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he shook his head before focusing back on the road. It''s only been about three hours since we left Mosen City and separated from Jackal, Kurina, and Cath; speaking of them, Jackal and Kurina had decided to stay within Mosen City for some time while he takes a few jobs for the Adventurer guild since they need some more money to buy a carriage. Cath, on the other hand, actually plans to go to the Roswald Kingdoms as well, though she refused to travel with us simply because she didn''t want to be a nuisance to us, which I would disagree with; having her around was quite fun in my opinion, gave Michelle and I a friend to talk too, but I respected her decision. Of course, since she''s a friend, I had stuffed some coins in her pocket when we had hugged; not a crazy amount, considering I only have about one silver to my name now, but I did give her about fifty or so copper coins, which was roughly a third of my wealth at the time. That amount should be enough for her to survive for a month, and hopefully, by then, she''ll have found a way to make it to The Roswald Kingdom. ''Though I feel like it''ll take her a long time to make enough money to get to the Roswald Kingdom.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced up at the sunny, cloudy sky, noticing a thick layer of dark clouds in the distance. "Huh, looks like it''s going to rain." Muttered Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he gazed at the incoming wave of dark clouds, only for a brownish blur to suddenly swoop into the carriage. "Slow down, Talis. You could''ve hit someone, which would''ve ended bad for both you and the person you hit; unless it were Yuki, then it would''ve been just bad for you." Remarked Alexander as he eyed Talis, who stood atop a few boxes inside the carriage while promptly ignoring his words. "There''s an incoming thunderstorm. It''s going to be quite heavy, you''ve been warned, Alex." Said Talis solemnly as she glanced at Alexander, only to shake her body, spraying her drenched body onto the boxes and floor. Rolling my eyes at how overly dramatic Talis sounded, I shook my head and continued down the dirt path, though I hadn''t ignored her words, and started looking for places we may need to rest until the storm passes. "Yuki, Michelle, a storm is coming, so you may want to hide within the carriage." Said Alexander, his words causing Michelle to nod as she and Chloe gazed at the dark clouds, only to see lightning and the sound of thunder followed soon after. "C''mon, Chloe, let''s head inside; I don''t need you getting drenched." Said Michelle lightly as she and Chloe entered the carriage''s interior while lowering the curtain, separating them from the outside, leaving just Yuki and Alexander. "You''re not going, Yuki?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Yuki, who shook her head while playing with her shield. "No, it''s just water; it won''t hurt me." Replied Yuki with a shake of her head as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded before eyeing her shield. "Speaking of hurting you, why did you only get one shield?" Asked Alexander curiously as he eyed Yuki''s shield, which was much smaller than the ones she had previously used, yet it was still rather big. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Eh, no reason, really, just to save some money in case of emergencies." Replied Yuki lightly as she played around her shield, only to gently set it down beside her. Nodding at Yuki, we promptly descended into silence while walking down the dirt path, heading closer to the incoming storm; as the minutes passed, thunder became louder, and lightning bolts became all the more common as we watched them strike the ground before disappearing. Eventually, we finally entered the storm, and at first, it started off with a drizzle, which progressively got worse until we were getting battered with aggressive winds and rain from what felt like every angle. I had already infused the cart with mana using [Mana Enhancement], so the carriage should be safe from harm, but I''m sure Michelle, Chloe, and Talis can feel how intense the storm was from inside, and the crazy part is, we''re not even in the center of the storm. "This is freaking crazy; I''ve never been in such a terrible storm, not even in my past life." Muttered Alexander with a deep frown, his voice lost within the loud winds, violent rain, and constant thunder. ''This isn''t some kind of hurricane, is it?'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked up at the dark sky, only to be battered with droplets hitting his face. At this point, the intense thunderstorm was greatly hampering my vision, and I probably couldn''t see anything further than ten meters away from me, which prompted me to use [Heroes Gaze], allowing me to clearly see everything as if it were a sunny day and it was, the storm is just blocking it. While the storm was powerful, even managing to uproot some of the smaller trees, at the end of the day, it was only a storm, and I wasn''t a normal human from my past life; so all in all, it really wasn''t that dangerous to any of us, well, maybe Michelle and Chloe, but they''re inside and safe. While checking for possible tornadoes, I continued to pull the carriage through the storm, which only continued to slowly get stronger, eventually reaching a level of strength where I was required to ask Yuki for some slight assistance. "Just one second, and you can return to sitting on your lovely butt." Said Alexander as he glanced at Yuki, who couldn''t hear him thanks to the storm, while searching through his space pouch. ''Aaha! Found you.'' Thought Alexander with a smirk as he grabbed his gravity belt and wrapped it around the reigns of the carriage before injecting his mana into it, causing the carriage''s wheels to sink into the dirt trail. With the carriage now several times heavier, I didn''t need to worry about it flying off into the sky, though while it would make pushing it slightly harder, it should be fine. "Thanks for the help, Yuki." Said Alexander as he jumped into the air and kissed Yuki''s cheek, causing her to nod while she sat back down in the carriage. Pulling, or dragging, the carriage across the dirt path, we continued deeper into the storm; however, along the way, to my surprise, I happened to spot two silhouettes walking along the dirt path far into the distance. One seemed to be a woman, given her more petite figure, and the other was a hunched-back older man wearing a cloak. At first, I was shocked, but then I quickly shook my head and started running after them while pulling the carriage with me, causing it to bump a little along the way. After a minute, I finally caught up to the two people and quickly stopped in front of them as I raised my hand and created a large flame, giving us light that illuminated the surroundings and allowed us to see each other. The first person I looked at was a woman who seemed very young, probably the same age as me; she had neck-length light pink hair, bright blue eyes, and a small, dainty nose that I found to be specifically beautiful for some reason. She had a petite body, one that I couldn''t help but take two looks at, partially because she reminded me of Master; unlike Master, the woman before me had a thinner waist, which made her curves all the more prominent even though they were roughly the same size as Master''s. She had pale white skin without a single blemish on her entire body, as if the skin of a newborn, and funnily enough, just like me, she wasn''t wearing any shoes, allowing me to view her small feet; I had no fetish for feet, but I could now somewhat understand why men do. Once I got my fill of the woman, I turned to look at the man, and if I''m being honest, I didn''t really care what he looked like, but he was an old man with a somewhat sickly appearance that could simply be from old age or something more; his eyes contained wisdom and a great deal of sadness, yet whenever he looked at the woman to his left, all of that seemed to vanish and was replaced by love. Although I had stared at them for several seconds, I had slowed down my perception of time, so it hadn''t even amounted to a full second; after all, that would''ve been the best first impression. "Excuse me, but would you like some assistance!?" Yelled Alexander loudly as he glanced between the old man and the young woman, who tilted her head while the former furrowed his brows. "Huh, what did you say, young man!?" Asked the old man loudly with a deep, raspy voice as he looked at Alexander. Chapter 173: Lazuli & Soom "I said¡­ Would you like some assistance!?" Exclaimed Alexander loudly as he glanced at the old, hunched-back man, his voice drowning out within the mighty thunderstorm. "Huh, what about acquisition!?" Asked the old man as he cupped his ear while looking at Alexander in pure confusion, causing him to rub his head in frustration. Raising my hand, I used my wind mana to create a dome surroundings ous, blocking the roaring wind and diverting the violent downpour of rain; it helped in suppressing some of the noise, but it was still loud as if our ears were right next to an engine''s. "I said¡­ WOULD YOU LIKE SOME ASSISTANCE!?" Asked Alexander loudly, his voice echoing through the small air dome, causing Yuki and the Oldman to grab cover their ears while the young woman seemed indifferent. "No, need to yell, young man. I''m old, but my hearing is still excellent." Said the old man lightly as he glanced at Alexander, whose face constantly twitched. "S-Sorry, I was just asking if you''d like some help; you two are both walking through a terrible storm by yourselves, and it can be a little dangerous. Especially given your old age; if you want, you can sit in the carriage; there is plenty of space." Said Alexander calmly as he sighed while gazing between the two. "Ah, well, you''re not wrong. My ears may be excellent, but my old age is surely catching up to me; if it weren''t for my mana, I would''ve already been taken away by this storm." Said the old man lightly as he glanced at Alexander before looking at his staff, only to shift his focus to the young woman beside him. "Hmm, this would also be a perfect opportunity for Lazuli to expand her public behavior; I can''t have her trying to solve all of her problems by killing or destroying." Muttered the Oldman lightly as he eyed the young woman named Lazuli, who had been staring at Alexander since he arrived. ''Huh, so that''s her name, Lazuli. Beautiful, just like the gem, lapis lazuli.'' Thought Alexander softly as he looked at Lazuli, staring into her cold, observant eyes. ''Haa, Master. I think you overlooked something much more important than just her name.'' Said Zartha coldly with a disappointed sigh as she lightly shook her head, her words causing Alexander to tilt his head in confusion. ''Hmm, I did?'' Asked Alexander curiously as he continued staring at Lazuli, unable to pull his eyes away from her. Unfortunately, neither Zartha nor Trina told me what I had missed and merely sighed while muttering the word men, which only further confused me, but seeing as they weren''t telling me, I figured it wasn''t something too important and just shook my head. "Well then, me and my daughter will gladly take you up on that offer¡­" Said the old man with a slight smile as he outstretched his hand towards Alexander, his words snapping him away from Lazuli. "Alexander. Alexander Vestalis, though you can just call me Alexander." Stated Alexander with a faint sense of pride as he shook hands with the old man, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Ho, introducing yourself with the last name? Are you possibly a Noble? The name''s Soom, and this is my daughter¡­" Asked Soom with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Alexander before gesturing to Lazuli, who hadn''t so much as uttered a word. "Lazuli. I, um, happened to overhear you; I also have really good ears." Said Alexander lightly, only to awkwardly look away from Soom, who gave him a knowing smirk. Ignoring the apparent smirk Soom gave me, I outstretched my hand to Lazuli after composing myself. "Nice to meet you, Lazuli." Stated Alexander with a friendly smile, only for Lazuli to stare blankly at him while not moving so much as a muscle. "Heh, s-she can be quite shy; she doesn''t usually interact much with strangers. Lazuli, remember what I taught you when meeting a stranger?" Said Soom with a chuckle that he used to hide the awkwardness before leaning closer to Lazuli and whispering into her ear. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Stranger? Danger. Diffuse situation. Then Kill." Remarked Lazuli blandly with a beautiful, soft, yet slightly monotone voice as she stared at Alexander, only to raise her hand at his face. "NO! No, Lazuli, that''s the wrong one. The other one, what''s the other one that I taught you?" Yelled Soom as he quickly moved in between Alexander and Lazuli while pulling her hand down and whispering to her. "Initate contact. Greet. Then Kill." Said Lazulli indifferently as she glanced at Soom, who nodded only to rub his face in frustration. "Haa, yes, just forget the last part, okay? You can''t kill everything, Lazuli." Remarked Soom with a slight nod before moving out of the way, allowing Lazuli to approach Alexander. "Um, n-nice to meet you, Lazuli." Said Alexander with a slightly awkward smile as he looked at Lazuli, who outstretched her hand. "Hello, Alexander." Stated Lazuli blandly as she shook hands with Alexander while staring fixedly into his eyes before stepping backwards. ''W-Weird, but I suppose it''s sort of cute?'' Thought Alexander lightly with a faint smile as he glanced at Lazuli while Zartha and Trina sighed to themselves. "Um, a-anyways, the storm seems it''s only getting stronger, so you might want to get in the carriage sooner rather than later." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced between Soom and Lazuli before turning around and looking at the carriage, only to gently hit his head. "Also, this is Yuki, my future wife. Despite how large and intimidating she is, she''s like a very hard teddy bear; just don''t try to punch her; you''ll most likely break your fist." Stated Alexander with a proud smile as he gestured to Yuki, who suddenly hopped off the carriage while standing beside him. "H-Hello, I''m Y-Yuki." Said Yuki awkwardly as she looked down at Soom and Lazuli, completely towering over them with her massive frame. "Well, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Yuki, and it seems Alexander is quite a lucky man." Said Soom with a friendly smile as he shook hands with Yuki, only for Lazuli to suddenly take a step forward while pointing her palm at her. "Hostile Life form detected. Scanning¡­ Monster. Danger. Eliminate Danger." Stated Lazuli indifferently as her blue eyes took on a reddish tint while she approached Yuki, who subtly flinched at her words before narrowing her eyes. Frowning at Lazuli''s sudden words, I reached forward and gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving. "Listen, I know Yuki''s appearance can be intimidating, but she''s not dangerous, and I would appreciate it if you didn''t call her a mons-" Said Alexander softly with a slight frown while eyeing Lazuli, only for him to be interrupted as she suddenly grabbed him by the throat. "Alexander. Protecting Monster. Eliminate." Stated Lazuli coldly as she squeezed Alexander''s neck before suddenly throwing him out of the dome and into the powerful thunderstorm, slamming him through several trees in the process. "Alex!?" "Alexander!?" Exclaimed Yuki and Soom in concern, only for them to both glare at Lazuli. Getting slammed through what was probably the tenth tree, I crashed into a large boulder, which finally managed to stop me, causing me to lightly groan as I quickly removed myself from the imprint my body had made. "Ugh, well, I wasn''t expecting her to suddenly attack me." Muttered Alexander with a slight frown as he landed on the muddy ground, only to gaze at the several trees he had crashed through, creating a small clearing. Summoning Trina, I holstered her on my back and quickly dashed back to the carriage; I needed to return before things escalated because, knowing Yuki and her Oni teachings, who knows what she''ll do? I''m just thankful she''s quite friendly and peaceful. Sprinting out of the forest, I saw Soom standing in between Lazuli and Yuki, trying to stop them from fighting, but he wasn''t enough to prevent either of them and just when Lazuli was about to attack Yuki, I used [Blink], appearing right next to Lazuli as I grabbed her finger before pointing it towards the sky, just in time for her to launch a small beam of mana that managed to pierce the sea of dark clouds. Glancing at her finger, I noticed there was a small hole on the tip of it, one that wasn''t there previously, causing me to frown, but before I could look at her using my Heroes Gaze, I quickly spun around and embraced Lazuli while firming my stance as I took a punch from Yuki to the back. ''Freaking goodness, Yuki''s strong for no reason!'' Thought Alexander with a grunt of pain, which quickly vanished. "Alex! Are you okay!?" Exclaimed Yuki with widened eyes as she quickly approached Alexander, who nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, I''m fine. You already know that, Yuki." Replied Alexander with a reassuring smile as he tightly held Lazuli in his arms while looking at Yuki, who sighed in relief before glaring at her. "Wait! Stop, please!" Stated Soom quickly as he hobbled towards Lazuli, who was being held down by Alexander in his arms. "No, I''m going to punch her!" Declared Yuki aggressively as she approached Alexander while flexing her muscles and clenching her fists. "Yuki, it''s okay. Just take a second to calm down. Is that okay? Let Soom talk to her; if she''s still freaking out, I''ll let you punch her, then, okay?" Asked Alexander with a soft smile as he looked at Yuki while Soom spoke to Lazuli, his words causing her to eye him in frustration before grunting in annoyance. "Hmph, only since you''re fine, Alex." Muttered Yuki in annoyance as she glared at Lazuli, only to grunt once more before looking away. Chapter 174: Yuki鈥檚 Hatred As I held Lazuli down, stopping her from attacking Yuki or me, Soom stood before us and calmed her down, which took quite some time since she didn''t seem too concerned with me. For some reason, she was deadset on attacking Yuki, which annoyed me, though I didn''t let my emotions get the best of me; she had only attacked me, so it was much easier to forgive and forget. ''Master, forgive me for saying this, but you sound like a total simp.'' Said Trina in pure disappointment as she shook her head while eyeing Alexander, whose facial expressions twitched. ''First off, I''m not a simp; I just have a heart capable of forgiveness. Secondly, can you please stop using words and phrases from my past life? Listening to my two, several thousand-year-old spirit artifacts talk like a teenager isn''t as cool as you think.'' Remarked Alexander with a shake of his head as he gave his great sword a side glance, causing Trina to roll her eyes while sighing. ''Also, Yuki is my lover; why would I simp for another woman who was trying to harm her? Just because I may be slightly more tolerant of her actions because she''s drop-dead gorgeous doesn''t mean I''m just going to stand by and watch the woman I love fight by herself.'' Added Alexander with a slightly annoyed expression as he glanced at Lazuli before eyeing Trina, who was holstered onto his back, causing her to sigh before nodding in agreement. After my little talk with Trina, who might''ve been a little correct, the truth was, I wasn''t really mad with Lazuli, not because she hadn''t harmed Yuki, even though her actions of trying to attack her were more than enough to warrant my anger; the main reason is because I have a feeling, her and Soom are related to the reason why my heart desperately wanted me to take the long path to the Roswald Kingdom. I mean, I know it''s only been five hours at most since we''ve left Mosen City, but we''re in the middle of a hurricane-like storm, and we just so happened to stumble across two rather unique strangers; I don''t know about Trina, but given everything that''s happened, they simply scream important. ''Though, if she tries to attack Yuki, Talis, Michelle, or Chloe, we''re going to have a real problem after this.'' Thought Alexander dangerously as he narrowed his eyes at Lazuli, who he was still restraining within his arms. Anyways, Soom managed to calm his daughter pretty quickly, and once she finally stopped behaving so aggressively, I set her on the ground and carefully released her from my tight embrace while slowly backing, in case she suddenly decided to attack again, and I needed to restrain her quickly. "No danger perceived. No threat was detected. Initiating stranger encounter." Stated Lazuli indifferently as she eyed Yuki before blinking, causing her reddish eyes to return to their previous beautiful blue while she approached Yuki. "Lazuli." Added Lazuli as she outstretched her hand towards Yuki, who grunted before turning around and ignoring her. ''Welp, better than I thought.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh of relief as he glanced between Lazuli and Yuki, only for Soom to suddenly bow deeply before him. "I-I''m deeply sorry for my daughter''s actions, and I''d like to apologize on her behalf. " Stated Soom earnestly as he deeply bowed towards Alexander, who frowned before folding his arms. "I''m fine; I''m much stronger than I look; her little throw didn''t do anything; besides, you shouldn''t be apologizing as you did nothing wrong, so stand up." Stated Alexander softly with a slight shake of his head as he eyed Soom, who nodded before glancing at Lazuli, who was still standing before Yuki with her outstretched arm. "Lazuli, come here and apologize for your actions." Orderd Soom sternly, his words causing Lazuli to lower her arm before approaching him, only to stand in front of Alexander. "Now apologize, Lazuli." Added Soom firmly. "I''d like to apologize for my earlier actions; they were erratic and unbecoming of a maiden.." Said Lazuli without an ounce of emotion or expression as she bowed to Alexander, whose expression constantly twitched. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Despite your rather pathetic apology, I''ll still accept it." Said Alexander lightly with a frown as he glanced at Lazuli, who calmly stood upright while Soom sighed in relief. "Hmph, well, I don''t." Remarked Yuki with a scoff as she folded her four arms while glaring at Lazuli, causing Alexander to wryly smile, only to shake his head. "Again, I''m deeply sorry for my daughter''s actions, Alexander and Yuki. We''ll continue on with our way; I don''t wish to cause any more unnecessary trouble to good people." Said Soom apologetically as he bowed to Yuki before grabbing Lazuli''s hand and walking away, only for Alexander to suddenly appear in front of them. "There is no need for that; I''d prefer if you two were with us then out there weathering the storm by yourselves. The least I can do is have you guys wait with us until the storm passes over." Remarked Alexander lightly as he spread his arms, stopping either Lazuli or Soom from continuing their walk. "A-Alexander, I appreciate your generosity, but I don''t think that''s appropriate after what just happened; besides, your wife doesn''t like Lazuli, and I completely understand why." Said Soom awkwardly with a wry expression as he glanced at Alexander, before gesturing to Yuki, who was fixedly staring at Lazuli. "Just wait right here, okay." Said Alexander with a nod as he pointed at Soom and Lazuli while approaching Yuki. "Yuk-" Added Alexander with a faint smile as he neared Yuki, only for her to ruthlessly interrupt him. "No. I don''t care what you''re about to say; if it has anything to do with Lazuli, the answer is no." Declared Yuki firmly as she glanced at Alexander, who awkwardly laughed while nodding. "I-I understand why you''re upset with Lazuli, but just let me explain first, and if you still don''t agree, then I''ll reluctantly respect the wishes of my lovely little monster." Stated Alexander solemnly as he grabbed Yuki''s hand while staring into her piercing yellow eyes, causing her to grumble under her breath with a faint blush. "Hmph, fine, but I want an extra heaping of your semen tonight." Declared Yuki with a grunt of annoyance as she folded her arms and sat on the carriage, her loud voice echoing within the air dome, causing him to blush deeply. "Oh my." "Semen?" Said Soom and Lazuli, respectively, as they looked at Yuki and Alexander. "Mom, what''s semen?" "Semen? W-Well, they''re p-people w-who are o-out at s-sea; yeah, they''re people who are out at sea. So we call them seamen." Remarked Chloe and Michelle, respectively, while their voices were faintly heard from beyond the carriage''s curtains. ''Ugh, why did she have to speak so loud?'' Thought Alexander with an embarrassed expression as he eyed Yuki while feeling the gazes of Soom and Lazuli boring into his back. "O-Of course, Yuki; but can you speak quieter, please, we don''t need everyone in existence to know of our private matters." Said Alexander with a forced smile as he whispered to Yuki, who seemed entirely indifferent. Sighing, I rubbed my face and composed myself. "Okay, so first things first, Yuki, I have an ability that essentially guides me where I need to go. I can tell you more about it in a more private setting, but basically, the more intensely my heart beats, that determines how necessary the destination is to me." Stated Alexander solemnly as he grabbed Yuki''s hand and placed it atop his chest. Closing my eyes, I deeply envisioned the path we were on, which caused my heart rate to rapidly increase until it was beating like crazy, which I made sure Yuki vividly felt while transferring the powerful emotions I felt to her. "Yuki, you want to know something else? I felt the same exact way when I went to Hyphen; however the reason why my heart beats so intensely isn''t just because of the destination, it''s what is waiting for me there. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it could be, for all I know, rather than a physical object it could simply be the journey or the friends I made along the way." Remarked Alexander lightly as he held Yuki''s large hand against his chest while she frowned in response. "Now, before you get annoyed, I''m not saying either Lazuli or Soom are possibly friends, but I strongly believe they''re related to whatever my heart is leading to me." Added Alexander softly as he released Yuki''s hand while she folded her arms in annoyance. "I still don''t like it, Alex; I don''t mind Soom, but I hate Lazuli." Stated Yuki with a deep frown as she eyed Alexander while glancing at Soom admonishing Lazuli. "Haa, I understand, Yuki, but this could be really, really important to not only me but you as well. I don''t know why my heart wanted me to get Hyphen, but I strongly believe my heart wanted me to meet you, Yuki. From the several months I spent in Hyphen, you''re undoubtedly the greatest thing I acquired from there, and I love you so much." Said Alexander earnestly as he affectionately held Yuki''s hand while leaning into her embrace, softly kissing her and moving her white hair out of the way. "However, whatever my heart is leading me to while on this path is possibly comparable to the love I feel for you, Yuki; that''s why I can''t just so easily let this go." Added Alexander solemnly as he stared deeply into Yuki''s eyes while transferring his love to her, causing her to bite her lip before looking away. Chapter 175: Icicle Storm "Please, Yuki? You know I''m good for it." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he planted tender kisses on her neck, causing an inward grumble before she eventually sighed. "Hmph, fine, I''ll allow it." Muttered Yuki quietly in annoyance as she glanced at Alexander, who was beaming with satisfaction. "Hehe, thanks, Yuki. I promise I''ll make it up to you!" Stated Alexander with a smile as he passionately kissed Yuki before turning around and approaching Soom and Lazuli, who was standing by the dome''s edge. "Great news, I managed to convince Yuki with my charms, so you two are more than welcome aboard." Added Alexander with a smile as he stood in front of Soom, who was reprimanding Lazuli. "Eh, we greatly appreciate your efforts, Alexander, but are you sure? I wouldn''t want to make your lover uncomfortable with our presence." Remarked Soom softly as he looked at Alexander with an awkward expression, though he promptly shook his head. "Nope, you''re fine, trust me. Now, C''mon, we can''t continue to stand around here, for we''ve got places to go." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he dismissively waved his hand before turning around and approaching the carriage while gesturing to it, causing Soom to nod hesitantly. Nearing the carriage, I patted the seat beside Yuki while giving them a friendly smile, causing Soom to nod as I helped him onto the seat; while I tried to help Lazuli, she practically ignored me and sat beside Soom by herself. Awkwardly chuckling to myself, I grabbed the reins of the carriage from the ground and infused my mana in the entire carriage, using [Mana Enhancement] to strengthen it again while I activated the gravity belt, increasing its weight roughly ten times before I stopped. "Alright, get ready; I''m about to disperse the dome." Said Alexander loudly as he glanced at everyone before waving his hand, causing the protective dome to disappear. The instant the dome vanished, powerful winds with enough force to uproot a tree hit us, causing the carriage, which was ten times heavier, to be lifted slightly off the ground while we were bombarded with heavy rain; however, unlike before, the drops of rain didn''t only feel very heavy, they also felt sharp. ''It''s only been a few minutes; how has the storm gotten so much worse?'' Thought Alexander with an unsightly expression as he raised his hand, protecting his eyes from the rain while looking through it, observing the powerful storm. Even with my eyes, I couldn''t find anything wrong with the storm; then again, I wasn''t a meteorologist, so I didn''t know what I hoped to uncover by doing that. "Icicle Storm?" Said Soom softly with an ugly expression as he covered his head with his arms while Lazuli and Yuki seemed completely unbothered by the sharp rain droplets. Sighing to myself, I gathered a bundle of wind within my hand before raising my hand, creating yet another dome; this time, it was much stronger than the previous one, and thanks to the powerful wind, it was also self-sustaining. "So, what''s this Icicle Storm you spoke of?" Asked Alexander with a faint smile as he turned and glanced at Soom, Yuki doing the same. "Well, pretty much as the name implies, Alexander. Far out in the Asu Sea, North of the Mezcla Continent, incredibly powerful storms far more devastating than hurricanes occur there, and they''re called Icicle Storms." Declared Soom with a slight frown as he glanced at Alexander while pointing toward the sky. "Icicle Storms usually happen at sea and stay at sea, only reaching port cities at most, and even then, they''ve lost a great deal of strength and don''t tend to last long. But of course, when there is a massive shift in the atmospheric mana, incredibly powerful Icicle Storms are born every now and then. Ones that''ll last for a long time, even while deep within the Mezcla Continent, and this seems to be exactly one of those storms." Added Soom with a deep frown as he stared at the sky and listened to the suppressed roaring sounds of the wind and thunderous lightning noise. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "I''ve experienced and seen the aftermath of Icicle storms, and neither were terrible. Are you sure they''re that bad?" Asked Yuki with a raised eyebrow as she glanced at Soom, who faintly nodded. "Well, Yuki, most cities that are frequently threatened with Icicle storms already have protective measures, so they won''t experience much, if any, destruction. However, we''re out in the middle of the forest with nothing but a wooden carriage with a cloth roof; if it weren''t for Alexander, already strengthening it with his mana, it would''ve long since been torn apart." Replied Soom softly as he gave Yuki a small smile, causing her to nod before glancing at the storm. "So, we should find a storm a place to bunker down until the storm passes?" Asked Alexander curiously while looking at Soom, who gently shook his head. "If you can push through such a storm, that is up for you to decide, Alexander." Said Soom lightly, his words causing Alexander to nod while waving his hand, causing the protective dome to disappear while they faced the mighty storm head-on. Increasing the weight of the carriage further with the gravity belt, ensuring it didn''t go flying, I glanced back and noticed Soom had created an umbrella sticking out from his staff while using earth mana, causing me to faintly smile as I was remembered of Master. Shaking my head, getting rid of bittersweet memories, I focused on the task at hand and started pushing the carriage through the muddy path while getting bombarded with hundreds of tiny icicles every second; thankfully, they easily broke against my skin, so they were only mildly annoying at most. Given how loud the Icicle storm was, there weren''t any conversations going on between the four of us, and we were all silently in our own little world, though quickly, the minutes that passed turned into hours, and even when dusk arrived, none of us realized it, not until someone finally opened their mouth. "Alex, I''m hungry." Said Yuki with a frown as she held her stomach before glancing at Alexander, who nodded while pushing the carriage. Nodding at Yuki''s words, I didn''t bother responding since she probably wasn''t going to hear me. Her perception stat wasn''t nearly as high as mine, so I just continued walking while searching either side of the surrounding forest for possibly a place to set up camp. After a few minutes, I managed to find a rather thick tree right beside a small pond, which would typically be perfect, but unfortunately, the weather messed it up, though I still headed that way. Turning off the muddy road, I headed into the forest, practically dragging it through some areas before we finally arrived at our destination several minutes later; setting the reins down, I leaped onto the seat between Yuki and Lazuli before sticking my head past the curtain and into the carriage. "Seems you three got along really well." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Soom and Chloe playing together. "Hehe, seeing Chloe reminds me of my own little girl when she used to always cling to me, now¡­ Haa, now she doesn''t even know how to properly show emotion." Remarked Soom with a fatherly smile as he glanced at Alexander while Michelle watched with a faint smile, only for him to lower his head and sigh. "Is everything alright, Alexander?" Asked Michelle curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded. "Yeah, everything''s fine; the Icicle storm doesn''t seem like it''s going to be slowing down any time soon. I was just going to ask if Soom could help create a shelter for tonight." Remarked Alexander in slight annoyance while Michelle sighed, only to glance at Soom, who nodded. "A Shelter? I can do that; just give this old man a second to get out of this carriage." Said Soom softly with a nod as he slowly stood up while Chloe pouted, causing him to chuckle. Exiting the interior of the carriage, I turned and glanced at Lazuli, who hadn''t so much as moved a muscle since sitting down, causing me to raise an eyebrow as I stared at her, yet, after seeing her ignore me, I tapped her shoulder, which finally managed to grab her attention as she looked at me while tilting her head. "So, how are you doing? Fine?" Asked Alexander curiously as he gazed at Lazuli, who tilted her head to the other side before finally nodding. "I-I see, what about dinner? Is there anything you don''t like to eat? maybe meat?" Questioned Alexander lightly with a nod as he slightly scooted closer to Lazuli. "No. Not hungry." Replied Lazuli indifferently with a shake of her head, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Not hungry? When was the last time you ate?" Asked Alexander in slight surprise while Yuki clenched her fists in joy. "Ate? I don''t know." Said Lazuli while shaking her head, confusing Alexander, yet before he could ask her any more questions, Soom exited the carriage. "Seems I wasn''t the only one who got along." Muttered Soom with a faint smirk as he glanced at Alexander and Lazuli, causing the former to awkwardly chuckle as he scooted closer to the Yuki. I thankfully didn''t need to tell Soom anything, which would''ve been difficult given the weather, and instead, he created a large yet simple shelter using his earth mana and connected it to the tree, causing me to smile as I pushed the carriage into the shelter while he created a wall behind us. Chapter 176: Shelter Now that we were inside the shelter created by Soom, the outside noise was significantly suppressed, turning it into nothing but faint noise as if it were merely a simple rainstorm; dropping the reins, I removed the gravity belt and stopped infusing my mana into the carriage as I stood up and stretched my back a little, causing me to softly sigh in relief. "Heh, relax Yuki, I''m fine." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who was staring at him with concern while cracking his back, causing her to faintly nod before eyeing Lazuli. Finding Yuki''s concern for me to be utterly adorable, I was about to help her down from the carriage even though she didn''t really need it as it was nothing but a large step for her given her size, but I wanted to do it, yet before I could spoil my little monster, she hopped down, causing my face to twitch as I glanced at her. ''Haa, welp, I''ll spoil her later; unfortunately, we''ll probably have to skip making love tonight.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he looked at Yuki before gently slapping her butt while she walked past him, prompting her to tilt her head in slight confusion. "Why are you always slapping my butt, Alex?" Asked Yuki in cofusion as she turned around and looked at her butt, her words causing Soom to quietly chuckle in the distance. "Because your butt is incredibly attractive, and I can''t help it, alright; don''t judge me, but I have an unnaturally strong liking for butts. Specifically yours and Michelle''s." Said Alexander quietly as he whispered to Yuki, who nodded before gazing at her butt once more. Slapping Yuki''s butt once more, I approached Lazuli, intending to help her down as I stood before with a faint smile and an outstretched hand, yet she merely gave me a blank expression, and this persisted for nearly a whole minute, causing me to awkwardly cough. "Um, d-do you need any assistance, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at Lazuli, who tilted her head to the side. "Why would I need assistance?" Asked Lazuli in confusion, her words causing Alexander to subtly frown with a thoughtful expression. "Well, you might not need any, but sometimes things are easier with someone else''s assistance, just like mine. Try grabbing my hand." Replied Alexander with furrowed brows as he gazed at Lazuli, who faintly nodded before doing as told and grabbing his hand. Firmly grasping Lazuli''s hand, I noticed that despite her hand feeling incredibly soft and dainty, there was a faint coldness to it, yet for some reason, that only seemed to somehow add to her charm. After I was finished evaluating her hand, I helped her down from the carriage as she stood right before, causing me to smile slightly as I opened my mouth to respond, but she beat me to it. "Pointless. Your assistance was of no use whatsoever. With marginally more effort, I could have done the exact same without needing an extra person to assist me. Your presence wasn''t needed." Stated Lazuli bluntly as she glanced at the carriage before looking at Alexander, whose face constantly twitched at her words. "However, through several analyses, I''ve learned that one''s assistance could prove to be significant, if not crucial and necessary to completing one''s goal." Added Lazuli calmly as she eyed Alexander, who wryly smiled while finally letting go of her hand. "T-That''s good to hear. Y-Your, welcome, Lazuli." Said Alexander with an awkward smile as he glanced at Lazuli, who nodded before ignoring him and walking towards Soom, who had been silently watching their interaction. Although I knew I shouldn''t have done so, I couldn''t help but look back at Lazuli as I took a few peeks at her backside, eyeing her small butt that resembled Master''s, causing a specific part of my body to awaken as I thought of her. ''Haa, even when you''re not with me, you''re still capable of arousing me; Lily could learn from you, Master.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced through the earth''s ceiling, thick icicles falling through the sky and the dark clouds further above, eyeing the three moons that illuminated Azarath. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Dispelling such thoughts, lest I start to feel worse than usual, I glanced at Michelle and Chloe, who had just exited from the inside of the carriage, prompting me to help them both down, causing the latter to thank me with a cute smile while the former blushed before proactively kissing me cheek. "T-Thanks Alexander." Said Michelle with a faint smile and a soft blush as she looked at Alexander, who smirked before kissing her again, furthering her blush. "You''re welcome, and you''re lucky we''re not on the opposite side of the carriage." Stated Alexander with a smirk as he retracted his lips from Michelle''s mouth before lightly smacking her plump butt, causing her to softy squeal. Chuckling at Michelle''s cute reactions, like any man, I gazed at her butt as she walked towards Yuki, Soom, Lazuli, and Chloe while I followed behind her. "Soom, can you let me out? I need to get some food, and I can''t do it while cooped up in here." Asked Alexander with a faint smile as he sparked a flame within his hand, further illuminating the dimly lit shelter. "Eh, I can go, Alex; I know you don''t really like killing." Said Yuki as she stood up and approached Alexander, only for him to grab her shoulder and force her back down, well, he at least tried to do so. "I dislike it, but that doesn''t mean I won''t; besides, I''ve hunted plenty of animals before. I don''t have a problem with hunting; just get ready to be served every edible part of the animal ''cause I''m not about to waste any part of them." Declared Alexander with a slight shake of his head before smirking as he forcefully turned Yuki around before kicking the back of her knee, finally forcing her onto the ground. "Now, you stay sitting here and looking pretty for me." Added Alexander as he leaned down and kissed Yuki''s cheek while she deeply blushed from his words, causing Soom to chuckle before sighing. "Haha, young love." Muttered Soom with a bittersweet smile as he gazed between Yuki and Alexander before tapping his cane on the ground, causing a human-sized doorway to appear that led to the outside. "I''ll be quick, I promise." Stated Alexander with a smirk as he exited the shelter, walking out into the terrible, stormy weather, his figure nearly vanishing instantly from the heavy raining icicles. Stepping out of the shelter, I used [Heroes Gaze] since without it, I couldn''t see more than five meters around me, though now, I could see as far as I wanted, which immensely helped me as I tracked a wild animal. Given the weather, it was slightly more difficult to find any beast since they were all most likely hiding somewhere, but eventually, I found an animal sleeping in a small cave. It was a creature that reminded me of a capybara, but it had slightly longer legs and thicker fur. Intending to make the kill as swift and painless as possible, I summoned Trina from my body and used [Teleport] as I appeared directly beside the sleeping animal; with one swift motion, I decapitated the animal, and almost instantly, its life force vanished from its body, as it died not even half a second afterward. Burning the animal''s neck shut to stop it from bleeding everywhere, I grabbed both the body and the decapitated head as I hoisted the body over my back and placed the head into a sack I had removed from my space pouch. ''Even to this day, this still feels weird.'' Mused Alexander as he tied the sack to his waist while holding his greatsword over the animal carcass, only for its size to suddenly double as he used [Expand]. With Trina protecting the body, I swiftly dashed back toward the shelter, which took significantly less time than searching for an animal as I arrived within two minutes. Since I doubted they''d be able to hear me knocking, I headbutted the earth wall, breaking right through it as I struck my head through the small hole. "I''m back, also, sorry about the weird entrance." Said Alexander with a smile as he glanced at everyone while Michelle held her chest, sighing in relief. "Anyways, could you make like a small shed or something, Soom? I''d prefer if someone here didn''t see me butcher the animal." Added Alexander with a small smile while sneakily gesturing to Chloe, causing Soom to nod as he once again tapped his cane on the ground, causing a small room to emerge right beside him. "Thanks." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he removed his neck from the hole and entered the room while setting the carcass on the ground. ''Hehe, you know this day would eventually come, Zartha.'' Said Alexander with a smirk as he summoned Zartha from his body and shrunk her until she was the size of a large dagger. ''Do not ask me anything for the next month, Master.'' Said Zartha coldly as she eyed Alexander, this time though her cold demeanor was genuine. While her words made me reconsider, I, knew if something life-threatening happened, she''d still help me, but besides that, I doubted she''d respond, I still couldn''t pass up this opportunity, so for the next forty-five minutes, I used Zartha to butcher the animal. Once I finished butchering the animal, I grabbed all the edible parts, which were pretty much everything except the teeth, hair, and skin. I had poured most of its blood into a bucket after asking Soom to make one for me, and while back in my old world, drinking the blood of an animal was dangerous, in this world, it was the complete opposite. ''Now then, it''s time to make a delicious dinner out of all of this.'' Mused Alexander as he eyed all the pre-cooked food. Chapter 177: Guardian of Azarath "Alex! I want more!" Stated Yuki as she slammed her stone plate on the ground while eyeing Alexander, who was being fed by Michelle, causing him to sigh. "You''re a big girl, Yuki; you can get your own food. Just don''t take an unreasonable amount, please." Said Alex lightly, shaking his head while glancing at Yuki, who gulped before looking at the large suspended above the fire pit. I intently watched Yuki''s every move to ensure she didn''t take an excessive amount of food in case anyone else wanted some more, and while she did restrain herself, she had still taken what looked to be three pounds of food, which was a lot after you factor in the seven pounds she already ate before this. Sighing at Yuki''s gluttonous nature, I opened my mouth, allowing Michelle to feed me a spoonful of food, something she initially refused to do because she found it embarrassing, but in the end, she readily accepted it. "So, how was the dish, Soom and Lazuli? I didn''t have proper ingredients, so it''s rather lackluster and bland, but I hope it''s still at least decent." Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at Soom and Lazuli in the distance, sitting on the opposite side of the fire pit. "Lackluster and bland? Nonsense! It''s definitely not the best dish I''ve ever eaten, but given our predicament, this tastes like a meal you could only get at a 6-star restaurant. Are you secretly a chef?" Remarked Soom with a raised eyebrow as he aggressively shook his head, eating his food while suspiciously eyeing Alexander, who chuckled in response. "Funny you say that, ''cause I''m actually a chef, and while I''m not the narcissistic type, I think I''m a pretty good chef as well." Replied Alexander with a proud smile as he glanced at Soom, who nodded while constantly taking bites from his plate. "So, what about you, Lazuli? How do- eh, do you not like it?" Asked Alexander curiously with a smile as he looked at Lazuli, only to frown when he noticed she hadn''t touched her plate. "I do not need food to sustain myself." Said Lazuli calmly as she glanced at Alexander before closing her eyes again, causing him to give her a worried look while Soom chuckled. "Hoho, don''t worry about her, despite what it may seem like. Her mother was a fairy, and they could sustain themselves on mana; as her child, she could also do the same thing. I probably should''ve warned you before you made her dish; sorry about that, Alexander." Said Soom calmly with a slight chuckle as he glanced at Lazuli before looking at Alexander, who nodded in understanding. "Huh, fairies? I wouldn''t have guessed that." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Lazuli with a glint in his eyes. Despite doing a rather splendid job, it couldn''t fool my eyes; Soom was lying; Lazuli wasn''t a half-fairy, nor was her mother a fairy; for whatever reason, he refused to tell the truth about why she didn''t eat. However, I just shook my head instead of trying to figure out the actual reason. They did not intend to harm us, and if they did, I would''ve already known about it, so I respected their privacy. ''Everyone has secrets.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced at Michelle, only to kiss her cheek before opening his mouth, feeding him once more. While the five of us, plus Chloe, sat around the campfire and talked, I heard the carriage curtains ruffle, only for a beautiful brown bird to emerge from the carriage. "Ahh, t-that was a nice nap." Said Talis softly with a yawn as she spread her long wings and shook her body before she flew towards Alexander, who was already preparing her food. "I can''t believe you slept through all of that, Talis; do you have ears?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Talis while placing her plate of food on the ground beside him. "Slept through what?" Asked Talis in confusion as she began pecking her food while constantly keeping her eyes on Yuki lest she steal her food again. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "That''s exactly what I''m talking about." Muttered Alexander with a wry smile as he shook his head before leaning onto Michelle while gently placing his hand just above her butt. For the next hour or so, we ate our food and conversed, using this chance to get to know each other better; even though Soom tended to frequently lie when it came to questions regarding Lazuli, other than that, he was pretty truthful. However, shortly after Chloe started sleeping, we all did too, and thanks to the size of the shelter Soom made, it was plenty big enough for us to comfortably sleep. After getting as comfortable as possible on the ground, Yuki and I slept together on the other side of the carriage while Michelle and Chloe slept in the carriage, and the only light that illuminated the shelter was the fire pit. "Yuki, c''mon, you know this isn''t exactly the place for this." Said Alexander quietly as he eyed Yuki, who was pulling down his pants, freeing his hardened shaft. "But you promised me I''d get an extra heaping of your semen." Remarked Yuki while glancing at Alexander before shifting her entire focus to his massive cock as she started sniffing it. "I-I know, and trust me, I eagerly want to make love with you, but let''s have some decency, Yuki." Remarked Alexander sternly as he looked at Yuki, who was mindlessly sniffing his cock before pulling his pants up, causing her to stuff her face into his crotch. Once Yuki got enough of my smell, she gave a long, deep sigh before returning to lying beside me, causing me to wryly chuckle as I felt her pain; I would''ve loved to make love with her, but alas. "Don''t be so sad; once we finally get a chance to ourselves, we''ll make such intense love that I promise I''ll leave you exhausted." Declared Alexander solemnly as he wrapped his arms around Yuki''s waist and rubbed his bulge against her thick, muscular butt, causing him to groan softly. It seemed my words did the trick as she rolled over onto her side and looked at me while I did the most rational thing any man in my situation would do and stuffed my face directly into her voluptuous breasts. "That''s great to hear! Also, speaking of promises, that reminds me, I wanted to ask you something." Said Yuki with an excited smile as she glanced at Alexander, who was face first within her cleavage, before suddenly widening her eyes while reaching into her pocket and grabbing a pouch. "Hmm, what did you say, Yuki?" Asked Alexander as he pulled down Yuki''s shirt, exposing her erect pinkish nipple, causing him to bite his lip with a troubled expression before sighing and reluctantly covering her breast. "What skill crystal is this?" Asked Yuki as she opened the pouch before handing Alexander a thumb-sized crystal, surprising him. "Ho, it''s been a while since I''ve seen one of these. Hmm, wait a second, that pouch, is that the one from that skeleton in that dungeon?" Said Alexander with a raised eyebrow, only to glance at the pouch before eyeing Yuki, who nodded without shame. "Haa, no respect for the dead." Muttered Alexander with a shake of his head while his eyes took on a soft glow. Using [Heroes Gaze] I looked at the sill crystal, curious to see what type of skill it was; however, I was in for the absolute shock of my life at what I saw. //////////////////// Name: Guardian of Azarath Rank: Mythical Description: The Guardian of Azarath, one whose job is to stand firm against all incoming threats and defend against everything; there is nothing you can''t stop, for you''re an immovable object of absolute defense. //////////////////// "Alex? Alex, are you okay?" Asked Yuki with a slight frown as he looked at Alexander, who was blankly staring at the crystal in absolute shock, her shaking finally snapping his out. "I-I hate to say this, Yuki, but this¡­ This might be what my heart was actually leading me to." Replied Alexander in disbelief as he blankly stared at the crystal before looking at Yuki, who tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Well, what is it then? I''m curious." Asked Yuki with a slight smile of excitement as she stared at Alexander. Rubbing my face, I took a second to compose myself before whispering into Yuki''s ear, causing her eyes to widen in absolute shock while we both stared at the crystal. "A-Alex, a-are you b-being for real?" Asked Yuki in awe and disbelief as she stared at the crystal in Alexander''s hand, while he nodded. "Yes." Said Alexander with a nod as he mindlessly stared at the crystal before sighing and handing it to Yuki. "Here, it''s yours, Yuki; you decide what to do with it." Remarked Alexander softly, his words surprising Yuki as she hesitantly grabbed it. "A-Are you sure, Alex? It''s a Mythical rank; you¡­ You could become a god with this." Said Yuki in uncertainty as she attempted to hand the crystal back to Alexander, who refused it. "I know, but I''ve got no desire to become a god. Besides, it''s yours; it wouldn''t be right for me to have it." Declared Alexander solemnly as he shook his head, causing Yuki to wear a troubled expression. "So then, w-what do I do with it?" Asked Yuki with a confused look as she glanced at Alexander, who shrugged his shoulders while rolling onto his side. Chapter 178: Alexander and Yukis Status Panels "What to do with it? I don''t know; that''s for you to figure out, Yuki, but I think we both know what you should do with it." Remarked Alexander lightly with a raised eyebrow while resting on his side, facing away from Yuki, who was staring at the crystal in hand. "A-Are you sure that''s the best decision, Alex? Changing my class isn''t a simple thing; this will affect the rest of my life and how I fight." Asked Yuki in uncertainty as she looked at Alexander''s back, only for him to suddenly face her. "You''re right; this is a very important decision for you, Yuki, so how about this." Said Alexander with a nod as he looked at Yuki, before reaching forward and suddenly snatching the crystal out of her hands. Tossing the thumb-sized crystal into my mouth, I grabbed Yuki''s face and passionately kissed her while transferring the crystal to her mouth using my tongue, and I didn''t separate our mouths until I knew for sure she had swallowed the crystal. Once Yuki finally swallowed the crystal, I used [Heroes Gaze] and watched how it nearly instantly dissolved within her stomach as the mana permeated throughout her entire body, causing me to smile as I finally separated our mouths. "There, now you won''t need to feel stressed anym-" Said Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at Yuki, who interrupted him by aggressing kissing him while mounting his body. It wasn''t easy to restrain myself while Yuki and I engaged in such an aggressive and passionate kiss; it was practically a tease as I felt her toned stomach rub against my crotch, hardening my shaft as it poked her six-pack. However, eventually, after several minutes of torturous edging, Yuki finally let go of my mouth, though I''m pretty sure it was because she was running out of air. "Please don''t give me those eyes, Yuki; it''s making it harder and harder for me to refuse you." Said Alexander softly with a troubled expression as he gazed at Yuki''s lust-filled eyes, which ignited his own potent lust. Grabbing Yuki''s top two arms, I flipped our position as I mounted her and was about to open my mouth, but she suddenly grabbed my waist before once again flipping our positions, causing me to stare blankly at her while she sat directly atop my waist. "After making love a few times, you''re finally starting to realize you''re a top and not a bottom, huh? Well, I saw this coming." Muttered Alexander lightly as he looked at Yuki, who tilted her head to the side in slight confusion. "I''m a top?" Asked Yuki in confusion while staring at Alexander, who nodded. "Being a top just means you''re the more dominant in the relationship." Said Alexander, his words causing Yuki to nod in understanding before shaking her head. "Eh, then I''m a bottom; I like it when you''re dominant; it makes me feel loved." Said Yuki lightly as she suddenly flipped their positions again, putting Alexander on top while she lay on the ground, causing him to raise an eyebrow in surprise before smirking. "Oh, don''t worry, Yuki, I''ll make you feel loved; however, right now, let''s focus on your status panel. I want to see how much has changed from previously." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he leaned down and kissed each one of Yuki''s abs before laying atop her body while resting his head on her massive breasts. "Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that." Muttered Yuki lightly as she summoned her status panel while Alexander rolled his eyes. "Hey, do you mind if I look as well?" Asked Alexander curiously, only for Yuki to shake her head, prompting him to kiss her cheek while his eyes glowed with a soft light. //////////////////// Name: Yuki Ama Species: Oni/Monster hybrid Age: 38 Tier: 3 Level: 256 Experience: [32%] Class: Guardian of Azarath(Mythical) Sub-Class: Guardian-Monster[Endurance/Vigor/Agility] Sub-Class: Title(s): Azarath''s Guardian(Mythical), Soul Monster(Legendary) This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 1,050/1,050 ¡ú2,560/2,560 Vigor: 2,803¡ú 5,602 Endurance: 3,543¡ú 6,287 Agility: 2,642¡ú 4,898 Dexterity: 231¡ú 409 Intelligence: 105¡ú 256 Perception: 453¡ú 654 Traits: Body over Mind(Legendary), Indomitable body(Legendary), Tempered Skeleton(Epic), Dense Muscles(Epic), Greatly Enhanced Sex Drive(Epic) Enhanced Endurance(Rare), Enhanced Vigor(Rare), Enhanced, Agility(Rare), Deep Stomach(Uncommon) Skills: Roar of an Aggressor¨Clvl7(Rare), Shield Bash¨Clvl9(*Rare), Analyze¨Clvl1(Rare), Earthly Connection¨Clvl1(Rare), Mana Shield¨Clvl1(Rare), Condition: Horny //////////////////// As I observed Yuki''s new and improved status panel, a part of me felt like destiny was intervening; the class was designed for her nearly perfectly, and I was honestly amazed. She had gotten three new skills and three new traits, along with a title and a massive increase to all her stats; half of them were incredibly low, but still, her intelligence stat had more than doubled. ''Heh, she''s not the only one who''s horny.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smirk as he poked Yuki''s stomach, only to raise an eyebrow. "Huh, your abs are much harder than before, Yuki." Muttered Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who was mindlessly staring into space. Waving my hand in front of Yuki''s eyes, finally snapping her out of her daze, she promptly stood up, forcing me off her body before she walked towards the door Soom had put in place; looking at her in confusion, I followed behind her as we left the safety of the shelter and stepped out into the terrible weather of the icicle storm. "So, um, what''re you doing, Yuki?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Yuki, who didn''t immediately respond but instead raised her hand in the air. At first, nothing happened, but a few moments later, I saw an ethereal brownish shield suddenly appear above our heads as it blocked any of the icicles from hitting us. "Hehehe, I-I can use mana!" Stated Yuki loudly in joy, her lack of concentration causing the brownish shield to disperse while icicles once again rained upon them. While I had half a mind to inform Yuki that every time she used [Shield Bash] or [Roar of an Aggressor], she was using mana, just subconsciously, I didn''t want to ruin her child-like excitement, so I just went along with it; after all, seeing her jump around in joy was a privilege in itself, and more ways than one. "That''s amazing, Yuki!" Said Alexander in joy, only for Yuki to suddenly embrace him in a tight hug, stuffing his face directly into her cleavage, suffocating him. ''You know, this isn''t a bad way to go out, suffocating in your lover''s cleavage; yeah, I could get behind this.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a faint smile, only for Yuki to set him on the ground. "Yuki, I don''t want to possibly overwrite the joy you''re feeling, but now that you''ve got the skill [Analyze], I want you to use it on me. It''s only fair, considering I saw your status panel without asking for your permission." Declared Alexander loudly, his voice momentarily overpowering the thunderous noise of the storm while taking a few feet back. Yuki was going to say something, but before she could open her mouth, I covered my ears and closed my eyes. "NOT LISTENING!" Yelled Alexander as he completely ignored Yuki, who was slightly annoyed by his childish behavior before sighing and eventually doing as he said. A few moments later, I felt an uncomfortable feeling permeate throughout my entire body, though instead of defending against it, I accepted and opened myself, figuratively of course, which allowed Yuki to view my entire status panel while I too also looked at it. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Vestalis Species: High-Human Age: 17 years Tier: 1 Level: 62¡ú 88 Experience: [35%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Botanist(Rare)[Endurance / Intelligence] Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Journeymen Chef(*Rare), Apprentice Mage(Uncommon), Swordsmen(Uncommon) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 22,296/22,296 Vigor: 1,167¡ú 1,345 Endurance: 1,231¡ú 1,498 Agility: 1,001¡ú 1,203 Dexterity: 1,012¡ú 1,178 Intelligence: 2,087¡ú 2,256 Perception: 1,561¡ú 1,676 Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare), Nature''s Friend (Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl3(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl2(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl3(Mythical), Lightning Cloak¨Clvl3(Epic), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl10¡ü(*Rare), Shrink¨Clvl1¡ü(*Epic), Expand¨Clvl1¡ü(*Epic), Blink¨Clvl9¡ü(Rare), Firestorm¨Clvl7(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl5(**Rare), Fire Breath¨Clvl3¡ü(**Rare), Wind armor¨Clvl3(*Rare), Fire Ball¨Clvl5(**Rare), Fire Shot¨Clvl2(**Rare), Wind Blade¨Clvl4(**Rare), Wind Shot¨Clvl2(**Rare), Wind Step-lvl4(**Rare), Cook¨Clvl8¡ü(**Rare), Meditation¨Clvl4(*Rare), Teleport¨Clvl3¡ü(Rare), Void Slash¨Clvl3(Rare), Mana Regen¨Clvl1¡ü(*Rare), Air-Jump¨Clvl5(Uncommon), Strength Augmentation¨Clvl9(Uncommon), Speed Augmentation¨Clvl9(Uncommon), Lightning Bolt¨Clvl3(Uncommon), Mana Enhancement¨Clvl6¡ü(Uncommon) Condition: Horny //////////////////// My status panel was pretty much the same; there weren''t any massive improvements like Yuki''s, and other than a few of my skills leveling up, that was about it; my stats didn''t seem that impressive when compared to Yuki''s, but unlike her, I don''t focus solely on three while forgetting the other three. "Woah." Muttered Yuki with widened eyes as she gazed upon Alexander''s status panel, causing him to smirk as he proudly raised his head while approaching her. Before Yuki could open her mouth and ask me anything, I placed a finger in front of her mouth and grabbed underneath her butt as I lifted her into the air while walking a little further away from the shelter though not too far. Falling onto the ground, I mounted Yuki, and that was enough for her to realize what was happening as I noticed her eyes were filled with lustful intentions, the same as mine. "Heh, I promised you an extra heaping of my semen, didn''t I, Yuki? Well, I''m a man of my word." Said Alexander with a grin as he stripped himself of his clothes and did the same to Yuki while grinding his long, stiff shaft against her sopping wet vagina that eagerly welcomed his full length. Chapter 179: Storm Finally Ends "Y-Yuki, I-I think it''s time to stop. I-I know the storm is covering the sky, but I''m pretty sure it''s morning by now." Said Alexander as he looked up at Yukia, who was sitting atop him, mounting his cock. "I still haven''t had ~Ahhh~ enough." Said Yuki with a faint frown as she glanced at Alexander while slightly raising her hips until just the tip was remaining inside her before slamming down as his manhood pierced deeply inside her. Yuki didn''t have the trait [Greatly Enhanced Sex Drive] for no reason; one night of lovemaking wasn''t nearly enough to satisfy her lust, not like I was exactly complaining; it just now wasn''t the time, as Michelle, Chloe, and Lazuli were already awake. However, speaking of making love, thanks to Yuki''s class change, she got a significant boost in her physical attributes, and well, that made her insides painfully squeeze down on my cock, so much so that I had to ask her to lighten the pressure slightly. ''Even now, the pressure is insane; she''s really been wringing me dry all night long; if it weren''t for my skill [Rebirth], I don''t think I would''ve lasted even thirty minutes.'' Mused Alexander with a wry expression as he watched Yuki repeatedly bounce atop his cock, slamming her large, firm ass against his thighs while her massive breasts violently swayed. Seeing how Yuki was still relatively new to this, she wasn''t all that skilled, not that I minded in the first place; I''d rather please her anyway, but she made up for that with her sheer passion and aggressiveness. Even right now, Yuki was simply wildly bouncing up and down atop my manhood with seemingly senseless fervor, and she''d been doing that all night; the only time she wasn''t was when I was the one moving. "Yuki, I-I''m about to cum." Said Alexander as he looked up at Yuki, who promptly switched positions and laid on her stomach with his cock inside her mouth. With my words, Yuki sealed the deal using her mouth, causing me to grab her horns, which I use as handlebars, before stabbing my shaft as deeply as possible while spewing out all of my thick ropes of semen inside her throat and seeing the delight plastered on her face, I could tell she was enjoying it. "~Urgh~, your mouth is a freaking vacuum, you lustful Oni." Muttered Alexander with a grunt of pleasure as he glanced down at Yuki, who was sucking so hard she managed to pull the semen straight from his testicles. Yuki really just used my cock as a straw and drank as much semen as she could, which would technically be an infinite amount since I produce semen nearly instantly, though clearly, she was too impatient to make me orgasm and instead just used her powerful mouth to pull my semen straight from the source, and since it wasn''t painful, I just let her enjoy for the next several minutes. "~Ahh~, delicious." Said Yuki with a lustful expression as she released Alexander''s shaft from her mouth, causing a loud pop to resound while she gazed at his swollen tip, which swiftly returned to normal. "Are you satisfied now?" Asked Alexander as he sat upright while looking at Yuki, who gently stroked his shaft while glancing at his testicles before eventually nodding. "Yeap. Though only for now." Replied Yuki with a faint smile while nodding, only to narrow her eyes, causing Alexander''s facial expression to twitch. "Haa, you have a ridiculous amount of lust, you know that, Yuki?" Remarked Alexander lightly as he stood up while helping Yuki onto her two feet before promptly grabbing their clothes. "Eh, well, before we started living together, I would masturbate for multiple hours every day, so maybe that''s why?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at her dirty clothes before glancing at Alexander, who grabbed a pair of clean clothes from his space pouch. "Lucky you; sometimes, I wish I could masturbate again." Muttered Alexander quietly in an envious tone as he glanced at Yuki while wearing his clean clothes and stuffing his dirty ones into his space pouch. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Anyways, I''ll go inside and grab you some new clothes; give me a minute, you sexy Oni." Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he lightly slapped Yuki''s butt while heading toward the shelter, causing her to nod before she started playing around with her new skill [Mana Shield] alongside a heavy blush from his compliment. Entering the shelter through the door, I stayed quiet since Soom was still sleeping and waved at everyone, causing Lazuli to tilt her head while Talis, Michelle, and Chloe waved back. "What were you doing outside, Alexander? Also, where is Yuki?" Asked Talis curiously in a hushed tone as she watched Alexander head into the carriage. "Um, she''s outside. And well, we were doing things only lovers do." Replied Alexander lightly as he winked at Michelle, who had been gazing at his crotch. "Something only lovers do? Was Alexander and Yuki kissing, Mom?" Asked Chloe curiously as she glanced at Michelle, who hesitantly nodded while Alexander quietly chuckled. Once I grabbed Yuki some clothes, I exited the shelter, though not before kissing Michelle on the cheek for looking exceptionally breedable; speaking of breeding¡­ ''I don''t want any kids right now, but I can''t wait for one day to impregnate Yuki and pump her womb full of my semen.'' Thought Alexander lustfully as he gazed at Yuki''s figure, causing his already erect shaft to twitch. "Here you go, Yuki." Said Alexander as he handed Yuki some clothes, which she promptly wore, causing him to faintly sigh. "Eh, why are they so tight?" Muttered Yuki with a frown as she looked at her chest, which was being squished. "Maybe you grew slightly? Actually, now that I take a good look at you, you do seem slightly taller, though that just gives me more of you to love." Remarked Alexander lightly as he looked at Yuki before smirking and hugging her from behind. Yuki''s pants were also hugging her legs and butt, though since she didn''t have any bigger-sized clothes, there was no point in switching clothes, so we just headed back to the shelter, where Soom was now awake, which meant no need to be quiet. "Good morning." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he waved at Soom, who yawned and waved back. Since we still had a lot of leftovers from last night, there was no need to hunt again as we just finished everything he hadn''t eaten, and before long, we were packing our things back into the carriage as we prepared to hit the road. "With cooking skills like those, Alexander, you need to make a restaurant; I can''t imagine how good your food tastes when you''ve got the proper tools and spices." Remarked Soom with a faint smile while patting his stomach, causing Alexander to smirk as he wrapped the gravity belt around the reins of the carriage. "Just make sure to prepare your tastebuds." Replied Alexander with a smirk as he infused mana into both the carriage and the gravity belt while holding onto the reins. "If you could do the honor''s Soom?" Added Alexander, his words promptly Soom to wave his staff, causing the shelter to crumble into small pieces. With the protective shelter now gone, we were bombarded with icicles, raging winds, and flashes of lightning; however, seeing as Yuki and I had made love through this type of weather for the entire night, it wasn''t that dangerous to us. As for Michelle and Chloe, they were inside the carriage, so there was nothing to worry about. Pulling the carriage out of the muddy forest and onto the road, we began our journey through the forest while we headed towards the Roswald Kingdom; during this time, there wasn''t much to do, and other than occasionally talking, not many exciting things happened. Lazuli did seem to start to open up as she asked me a few questions, like why I kissed Yuki and Michell, why I slapped their butts, etc. She also asked Yuki a few questions, and Yuki surprisingly responded, though if I had to guess, last night''s lovemaking had soothed a lot of her anger. When mid-day rolled around, we took a short rest. Yuki went out to hunt cause she was eager to try her new skills, and I may or may not have given Michelle cunnilingus in the carriage while Soom played with Chloe. I couldn''t ignore my Mistress; I had to give her some attention, even if it lasted for no more than ten minutes. When Yuki had returned, I cooked lunch, which everyone enjoyed, before we headed back out onto the road until night time arrived, where we spent the remainder of the night next to a large boulder inside one of Sooms shelters; well, everyone except Yuki and I since we stayed outside and made love for the entire night. This was pretty much how the next few days went; however, by the third day of Soom and Lazuli joining us, the storm finally began to disperse. ___ ___ "Michelle, Talis, Chloe, come look." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he looked up at the clear sky, his words prompting them to do so as a brown bird emerged from the carriage while Michelle and Chloe followed soon after. "Woah." "Beautiful." "Amazing." Said Chloe, Michelle, and Talis, respectively, as they gazed at the clear sky, eyeing the three rainbows that arched across the bright blue sky. "Yeah, it surely is." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he gazed at the triple rainbows before looking at Yuki and Lazuli, who seemed equally amazed. Chapter 180: Going For A Walk With the storm having finally come to an end after three days of its relentless bombardment of icicles from above, we decided to finish our journey early today and enjoy the rest of today outside, though only after we found a good place in the forest to camp in, which was made easy with Talisi''s help, something she hadn''t been able to do because of the harsh weather. "Thanks, Talis. Also, where are you going?" Said Alexander as he parked the carriage and looked up at Talis, who nodded before leaping off the tree branch and flying through the sky. "To fly! With the storm gone, the Queen of the Skies has finally returned!" Yelled Talis enthusiastically as she flapped her wings, causing her to speedily soar through the sky before eventually vanishing beyond the canopy of trees. "What did Talis say, Alex?" Asked Chloe curiously as she looked at Alexander with her adorable eyes, prompting him to gently rub her head. "She''s probably not going to return for some time, Chloe. Sorry." Replied Alexander as he squatted down with a faint smile, his words causing Chloe to pout while she nodded. It seems that the days stuck inside the carriage have caused Chloe to become somewhat attached to Talis, which I can understand since when she''s not being annoying, Talis is cute, soft, and fun to be around. Patting Chloe''s shoulder, I pushed her in a random direction so she could run around; as I''m sure for a child her age, these last three days must''ve been like hell. Standing back up, I approached Michelle, who was stretching from behind, before suddenly stuffing my arms into her shirt and grasping her meaty body, causing her to nearly squeal, but it seemed she was slowly getting accustomed to my sudden actions. "Awe, I liked it when you squealed; it''s so cute and adorable." Said Alexander softly with a pout as he rested his chin on Michelle''s shoulder while playing with her plump, meaty body, causing her to frown. "Can you please stop Alexander? Playing with my fat is making me really self-conscious." Asked Michelle lightly with a slight frown as she glanced at Alexander, who promptly shook his head. "Nope." Said Alexander firmly, his words causing her to lower her head and sigh. "Don''t worry so much. We haven''t been able to do much because of the storm, but I''ll show you a good time real soon, maybe even possibly tonight. I''ll ensure you understand how much I appreciate and enjoy this plump body of yours, Michelle." Added Alexander with a smirk as he slowly ground his crotch against Michelle''s large butt, causing her to faintly blush before kissing his cheek. Having just remembered Talis said there was a nearby lake, I smirked before whispering into Michelle''s ear, causing her blush to deepen while a faint smile adorned her face as she nodded, causing me to reluctantly release her, though I made sure to give her butt a nice slap. Just as I went to turn around, Lazuli was standing right behind me, nearly freaking me out since I''ve come to learn over these past few days, she has a habit of sneaking up on people, though the worst part is, I don''t think she''s doing it intentionally. ''I can''t imagine what kind of assassin she''d be if she were purposefully trying to sneak upon us.'' Thought Alexander as he subconsciously shivered in fear, only to shake his head and clear his throat. "What''s up, Lazuli? Glad to finally enjoy the nice blue sky and hot sun?" Asked Alexander curiously as he leaned against the carriage while looking at Lazuli, who wordlessly glanced at the sky before looking back at him. "I''m indifferent about the weather as neither affects me." Replied Lazuli emotionlessly as she looked at Alexander, who nodded, having grown accustomed to her indifference. "Well, then, if that''s the case, want to go for a walk? It''s not a bad idea, a beautiful young woman and a handsome young man taking a walk through the middle of the forest after stormy weather. Sounds like something straight out of a movie or play." Remarked Alexander lightly as he pushed off the carriage and looked at Lazuli with a sly smirk, his words causing her to tilt her head in confusion. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "What is the point of walking with a handsome young man?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she looked at Alexander, who didn''t know whether to take her words as a compliment or not. "Well, going on a walk can be good for your mental state and to relieve stress; it''s also good to observe your surroundings. As for doing it with a handsome young man, wouldn''t it be better than doing so with an ugly young man?" Replied Alexander lightly as he rubbed his chin while looking at Lazuli, who eventually nodded. "I see. Going on a walk is good for observing our surroundings and securing our perimeter. The appearance of said young man is completely irrelevant." Said Lazuli, her words causing Alexander''s face to constantly twitch before he just shrugged his arms and nodded. "Haa, yeah, sure, you''re not wrong. So, do you want to go for a walk or not?" Asked Alexander softly as he rubbed his face before raising an eyebrow, only to smile when Lazuli nodded. With Lazuli agreeing to go on a walk, I smirked in success as I quickly grabbed her hand before heading over towards Soom and Yuki, who have been getting along really well. Ever since she learned she could use mana, even though she''s always been able to, she had been ecstatically practicing it; though, just like her other skills, she was only able to subconsciously use it alongside her skills; she wasn''t like me, where I could effortlessly control my wind, fire, and space mana. ''Well, I wouldn''t effortlessly say space mana; that one still requires some concentration, but all in due time.'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head and approaching Yuki and Soom. Of course, with Yuki''s antisocial behavior, she didn''t make the first move; I did. I had told Soom about her situation, though only regarding her wish to learn mana, nothing about her class change, obviously. Like the old man he was, he was more than happy to teach Yuki how to use mana, and to my surprise, Yuki actually had two different mana types: earth mana, which honestly surprised me, and neutral mana, allowing her to even further increase her already tremendous physical might. I was happy Yuki was getting stronger and improving herself, but if she learned to use neutral mana while we were making love, she might literally crush my cock. ''T-Though, why doesn''t such a thought scare me?'' Mused Alexander with a weird expression before shaking his head. "Soom, Yuki, we''re going on a walk, so if you need us, just yell." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced between Soom and Yuki, though only the former acknowledged them. "Hehe, don''t take advantage of Lazuli''s lack of knowledge, Alexander; she''s still a young girl." Said Soom with a chuckle as he glanced at Alexander, giving him a knowing look while gesturing to his head, which was holding Lazuli''s, causing him to groan with a faint blush. "Hmph, don''t call her a young girl, Soom. Didn''t you say she was turning 18 in two months? She''s older than me!" Remarked Alexander with a scoff as he released Lazuli''s hand and folded his arms, only for Yuki to finally open her mouth. "Eh, when did you two get here? Also, isn''t your birthday three months away or something, Alex?" Asked Yuki as she glanced at Alexander and Lazuli before rubbing her horns with a thoughtful expression. "Tsk, in the end, she''s still older than me; if anything, I need to watch out for her taking advantage of me." Said Alexander with a click of his tongue as he eyed Yuki and Soom, causing the latter to laugh while Lazuli blankly stood beside him. Scoffing once more, I grabbed Lazuli''s hand before turning around and walking away, leaving the laughing Soom and venturing out of the small clearing alongside Lazuli. ___ ___ We''d been walking for several minutes and were quite the distance away from the camp we''d set up, though if anything were to happen, I''m sure Yuki''s loud voice would still reach us. Right now, Lazuli and I were walking side by side, though while I was enjoying the scenery, she was scanning it instead, seemingly looking for enemies or whatnot. "There is no one there, Lazuli; you don''t need to search every nook and cranny for enemies." Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he looked at Lazuli, who promptly shook her head. "Father said enemies can appear from anywhere and to always stay alert." Stated Lazuli firmly in a somewhat serious tone as she didn''t stop searching behind every tree and within every bush they passed. It was very rare for Lazuli to express an emotion other than her usual indifference, and whenever she did, it was usually something she wouldn''t budge on; however, during these short couple of days, I''ve begun to slowly see more and more of her emotions. Of course, it wasn''t a lot, maybe not even three times a day, but every time it happened, I couldn''t help but smile. "Ahh! Enemy!" Yelled Alexander as he pointed towards a tree, his words causing Lazuli to instantly snap her head towards said tree while her bluish eyes turned a deep shade of red. Following my words, Lazuli aimed her hand at the tree, and to my absolute shock, her hand started to morph into something that resembled a cannon; however, I didn''t have any time to question her since afterward, a beam of mana shot out from the futuristic, sci-fi looking cannon and hit the tree, burning a sizeable hole right through it. "Woah." Muttered Alexander in surprise as he glanced between Lazuli and the tree. Chapter 181: Lazulis Weapons "No signs of life. Enemy eliminated." Said Lazuli calmly as she eyed the tree, which had fallen over, while her arm returned to its normal appearance, causing Alexander to gaze at her curiously. "H-How did you do that, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander curiously as he approached Lazuli and carefully held her arm while intently observing it. "Hmm, what are you referring to?" Replied Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander with her emotionless eyes while he messed around with her arm. "How did you morph your arm like that? Arms aren''t supposed to do that." Said Alexander as he looked at Lazuli while attempting to pull her hand back as if it were a lid or cap, of course, without hurting her. While I was checking Lazuli''s arm out, she yanked it out of my hands before she morphed her arm once more, her arm turning into some weird sci-fi-looking arm cannon; it honestly looked pretty cool, but I''m pretty sure no creature should be able to do that. "Yeah, how are you doing that, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander as he cautiously observed the futuristic-looking arm cannon. "This is my attack mode; when in attack mod, my entire body becomes a weapon." Replied Lazuli calmly as she returned her arm to normal, only for her leg to transform into a sleek yet dangerously sharp blade. Squatting down, I grabbed a leaf from the ground and placed it atop Lazuli''s sword leg, yet with the slightest of force, she sliced right through the leaf, which was rather impressive. "Fucking awesome." Muttered Alexander softly as he gazed at Lazuli''s sword leg, which reflected his appearance before standing upright. "Can you cut that tree?" Asked Alexander with an eager expression as he looked at Lazuli, who tilted her head in confusion before approaching said tree. I don''t know what I was expecting, but Lazuli managed to cut right through the trunk of that tree incredibly easily, and she did so with such technique that it didn''t even fall over, which prompted me to approach the tree and gently push it, finally tipping it over. When I looked back at Lazuli, her leg had returned to normal, looking slender and sleek like usual, and just when I was about to ask her something else, a large group of birds suddenly took to the skies, leaving their many nests within the canopy of the trees; following that came a distance and somewhat faint yell, causing me to sigh as that was Yuki calling us. "Welp looks like we''ve got to return. Knowing Yuki, she is probably hungry or whatever." Said Alexander in slight annoyance as he shook his head and walked the way he initially came, causing Lazuli to follow him. I had slowed down slightly so Lazuli and I could walk side-by-side, though as we headed back towards our camp spot, I couldn''t help but ask some personal questions since without Soom here, I may actually learn more about her. "So, Lazuli, what kind of childhood did you have?" Asked Alexander curiously as he placed his hands in his pockets while glancing at Lazuli. "Childhood?" Asked Lazuli as she tilted her head in confusion while looking at Alexander, who nodded. "Yeah, your childhood. Like, what did you do during your childhood? Did you play around a lot? Maybe you learned a lot? Did you have friends? Did you explore a lot? You know, things like that." Questioned Alexander lightly as he glanced at the sky while Lazuli lowered her head with a thoughtful expression. "If you''re curious, my childhood was me mainly being taught by my Master as I was her disciple; she taught me how to fight and how to use mana, though she did an incredibly poor job when it came to teaching me about the world and whatnot. She also loved using me as a guinea pig to test her freaking potions, and most of the time, they tasted absolutely disgusting and nearly made me vomit every time. You know, one time, I had even made her so mad she abandoned me inside her underground vault for two and a half months; worst of all, I had no food or water! If it weren''t because I was unique and capable of surviving for quite some time without either of those, she would''ve returned only to see a corpse!" Remarked Alexander with an annoyed expression while recalling memorable events with Lavender, causing him to sport a lovely smile. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I had gotten so caught up talking about Master that it wasn''t for another five minutes that I finally remembered what I had initially asked Lazuli. "S-Sorry about that, Lazuli; I tend to talk quite a lot when my Master is the subject. So, what kind of childhood did you have?" Said Alexander with an awkward expression as he sheepishly rubbed his head while gazing at Lazuli, who had kept her head down the entire time. "I-I didn''t have a childhood." Replied Lazuli with furrowed brows while her words caused Alexander to frown before shaking his head. "You must''ve had a childhood, Lazuli; it might not have been the most remarkable or memorable one, but you definitely had one. You know, with your Mom, your father, Soom, maybe a sibling you haven''t mentioned." Remarked Alexander lightly as he looked at Lazuli, who suddenly stopped walking, causing him to do the same. "Mom? Sibling?" Muttered Lazuli with a frown as she stared at the ground, only for her to wince while grabbing her head. "Eh, are you okay, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander in concern as he rested his hand atop Lazuli''s shoulder, prompting her to nod after a few moments. "Yes, I''m fine." Said Lazuli softly as she shook her head before looking at Alexander with a faint smile, taking him aback as he blankly stared at her. While Lazuli smiling was a beautiful sight, that didn''t take me aback; I was taken aback by the fact she had smiled. I know I hadn''t spent that long with her or Soom, but this was still the first time I''d seen her smile in the past three or four days, so I wasn''t expecting to ever see her smile. ''Her voice also sounded much more lively than usual. Even when she shows some emotions, there is still an air of indifference around her, but right now, she looks like a normal young woman.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gazed at Lazuli, who was fixing her hair. "Let us return." Said Lazuli lightly as she began walking first, causing Alexander to nod while he carefully observed her. The walk back to our camp was completely silent as I observed Lazulis the entire way back, watching her lively self slowly regain her cold indifference as we arrived at our camp a few moments later. "Hoho, I know my daughter is beautiful, but no need to stare at her like that, Alexander." Said Soom with a chuckle as he looked at Alexander, who nodded before looking away, though he still constantly glanced at Lazuli. "So, how was the walk?" Asked Soom curiously as he and Lazuli headed towards the carriage, prompting her to glance at Alexander before replying. Rubbing my head, I shook my head and decided to forget about what happened with Lazuli right now and approached Yuki, who was hauling a deer over her shoulders while standing right next to the fire, causing me to sigh as I rubbed my face. ''Why am I not surprised.'' Mused Alexander blankly as he looked at Yuki, only to sigh in defeat. ___ ___ "Hehe." "S-Stop laughing, it wasn''t funny, Alex!" Said Alexander and Michelle, respectively, as they leaned against a boulder while the latter deeply blushed. "I-It was quite funny, Michelle." Stated Alexander with a smile as he suppressed his laughter while looking at Michelle, who was deeply blushing from embarrassment and shame. "It was embarrassing! I''m a grown woman with a child, yet I can''t believe I did that." Remarked Michelle in embarrassment as she covered her face with his hands causing Alexander to laugh again. Why was I laughing at Michelle? Well, after I cooked Yuki some food, I followed through with what I had whispered to Michelle earlier today, which was to take a bath together in the nearby lake, though, of course, our actual plan was to have some sex, in fact, we had just finished our second round, and we''d be doing the third right now, but someone wasn''t able to hold themselves. "Hmph! This is all your fault, Alex; I told you, yet you didn''t listen!" Stated Michelle in slight anger as she lowered her hands and eyed Alexander, who raised his arms defensively. "To be fair, Michelle, do you realize how sexy you look when we''re doing missionary? There was no way I was going to stop over something small like that." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Michelle, who simply huffed before folding her arms underneath her bare breasts and looking away. While I was pounding Michelle in missionary, she needed to pee, and she warned me numerous times, but I, of course, didn''t listen to her, so she ended up peeing on my crotch while having sex; though what I think she found the most embarrassing part was that she orgasmed mid-pee. ''Well, Master was also upset with me the first time that happened, but she quickly got used to it and begged me to help her relieve herself.'' Mused Alexander with a small smile, only for him to suddenly grab Michelle''s arms while gently pushing her onto the ground. "Don''t give me that look, I didn''t get to cum last time." Said Alexander lightly while looking at Michelle before flipping her onto her stomach as he prepared to pound her thick, plump butt from above. Chapter 182: Sneaking Soom After Michelle and I finished our second round of sex, with me having covered her large breasts in my semen, we finally took a bath and cleaned ourselves, only for us to go for a third round, though this time I had used her backside, so I was able to fill her anus with my semen, without worrying about impregnating her. Given how much I love anal, I didn''t stop after doing it once; I grabbed her arms and held them behind her as I pounded her from behind for several minutes, turning her into a moaning mess. Thankfully, Michelle''s entire body was quite sensitive, so she also orgasmed a few times; otherwise, I would''ve felt a little bad for focusing on pleasing myself for so long. "~Urgh~, t-that felt amazing, Michelle." Said Alexander lightly as he spewed his semen inside Michelle''s anus before removing his cock once he had finished, causing her gaping arse to leak his cum. Michelle seemed to be thoroughly exhausted, so I carried her out of the lake and gently laid her on the ground with her back facing the air, and while her arse was looking incredibly inviting, we had been taking a bath for over an hour, so it was about time for us to return. ''Haa, such a pity.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he looked down at Michelle''s bubbly butt before shaking his head in defeat while approaching his clothes. Wearing my clothes, I grabbed my space pouch out of my pocket and searched through it before I found what I was looking for; pulling out the anal beads Master had used, I approached Michelle and kneeled before her butt as I slowly inserted it into her arse, stoping my semen from leaking out. Thanks to Michelle''s plump, meaty butt, you couldn''t even see the handle as it was hidden between her cheeks; and so, after kissing them on either side, I grabbed her clothes and put them on her. "So, how are you feeling now, Michelle? Better?" Asked Alexander as he looked down at Michelle, who nodded before standing up from his assistance, only for her to grab her butt. "W-Why does it feel like you''re still inside my butt?" Asked Michelle in slight confusion as she rubbed her backside, prompting Alexander to whisper into her ear while faintly smirking. "EH!? W-Why did you put that in there?" Added Michelle with widened eyes as she looked at Alexander with a deep blush, causing him to smirk while tightly holding her hand, leading her back to the camp. "To stop my semen from leaking out of your butt, it saved you from taking a second bath; also, you''ll get used to it quickly, Michelle." Replied Alexander as he glanced at Michelle, who was walking weirdly, causing her to huff in annoyance as she followed behind him. ___ ___ After some more persuading, Michelle finally relented and agreed to keep the anal beads inside her butt; we then spent the rest of the time walking back to the camp, though when we arrived, her weird walking was the first thing anyone noticed. "Eh, Mom, why are you walking like that?" Asked Chloe as she glanced at Alexander and Michelle while sitting atop Yuki''s shoulders. "I-I t-twisted my ankle; t-though don''t worry, I-I''m fine, Dear." Replied Michelle with a blush as she looked up at Chloe, only for Lazuli, who was watching them, to interrupt. "You''re lying. You have large beads connected by a string shoved up your re-" Said Lazuli indifferently as she looked at Michelle, yet before she could finish speaking, Alexander had quickly closed the distance and covered her mouth. "Shh, quiet Lazuli; you can''t tell Chloe about that stuff. I-It''s inappropriate." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Lazuli, who furrowed her brows while tilting her head in confusion. "Why?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she eyed Alexander with her bright blue eyes, causing him to sport a wry expression. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Um, I-I''ll tell you later. S-So, can you just promise me you won''t speak about sex or killing within Chloe''s presence?" Asked Alexander softly as he looked deeply at Lazuli, who silently stared at him for several seconds before nodding. "I shall now refrain from speaking of those two things within Chloe''s presence." Said Lazuli lightly, her words causing Alexander to sigh in relief as he hugged her. "Thanks, and I promise to tell you about it later, Lazuli." Muttered Alexander softly as he hugged Lazuli, who just stood there with a confused expression. I must''ve been hugging Lazuli for too long since I heard Soom clear his throat, only to see him staring at me with a knowing look, causing me to awkwardly back away from Lazuli. "You''ve already got yourself a lover; don''t go hitting on my daughter now." Said Soom lightly as he eyed Alexander, who sheepishly rubbed his head. "Lazuli is beautiful, but I''m not bold enough to flirt with another woman while Yuki is literally three meters away from me, though I doubt she''d even care all that much." Remarked Alexander with a small smile as he glanced at Soom before looking at Lazuli, who tilted her head in confusion at his words. "It''s a compliment, Dear; he''s saying he could stare at you for hours without getting bored." Said Soom lightly as he patted Lazuli''s shoulder, causing her to nod while Alexander blankly stared at him, "I can also stare at Alexander for hours without getting bored." Stated Lazuli calmly as she stared at Alexander, not even blinking, causing him to awkwardly back away. "Um, I-I think I''m going to talk with Yuki." Said Alexander lightly as he pointed toward Yuki before turning around and approaching her, all while Lazuli stared at him. ___ ___ "Dear. Tell me, how do you feel about Alexander?" Asked Soom curiously as he observed Alexander before glancing at Lazuli, who was still staring at him. "What do you mean, Father?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Soom with one eye while the other stayed fixedly on Alexander. "What I''m saying is, if I were to suddenly disappear, would you mind staying with Alexander? I''ve been intently watching him, and other than being slightly horny, which is normal for a young man, he''s a nice kid; maybe not the smartest nor strongest, but he''s a good person, and that''s much harder to find in this world." Asked Soom solemnly as he eyed Lazuli, who deeply frowned before looking at him with both eyes. The father-daughter duo intently stared at each other for nearly a full minute before Lazuli finally opened her mouth to say something. "This question is irrelevant, Father; you had promised me from long ago you''d never leave me." Said Lazuli solemnly with a shake of her head as she turned and looked back at Alexander, who was playfully pushing against Yuki, only for him to be flung into a tree with seemingly minimal effort on her part. "Hoho, I did promise you that, didn''t I? But promises can be broken, Lazuli; after all, I had promised to protect you, yet¡­" Muttered Soom with laughter as he looked at Lazuli while his expression turned sad and bitter, only for him to suddenly shake his head. "¡­ And I refuse to make the same mistake twice." Added Soom sternly as he clenched his cane while staring into the sky before sighing and glancing at Yuki, who was helping Alexander stand. ___ ___ "You''ve got no control, Yuki; you know my arm broke from that push of yours." Said Alexander lightly as he lay on the ground beside Yuki, the two staring at the night sky while the others slept. "I-I said I''m sorry." Replied Yuki softly, her words causing Alexander to roll his eyes before suddenly mounting her with a lustful grin. "A simple sorry isn''t going to cut it, Yuki, but don''t fret; I know a way you can make it up, though it requires the use of these one-of-a-kind breasts." Stated Alexander lustfully as he stared at Yuki while removing her shirt, freeing her massive, voluptuous chest, only for her to suddenly stand up. "Oh, yeah, I forget to clean myself. I-I''ll be back quickly!" Said Yuki softly, only for her to run into the forest while grumbling to herself. Watching Yuki vanish into the forest, I sighed to myself and laid back on the ground with my painfully erect cock, which I could do nothing about because a certain woman somehow made it impossible for me to cum unless it was from a woman. "Now that I really think about it, Master is insane for doing that; she completely altered my body to the point where I can''t orgasm unless it''s by a woman. Lily really taught her something amazing yet terrible." Said Alexander with a sigh as he stared up at the cloudy nighty sky before shaking his head. Since there was nothing to do, I just waited for Yuki to return, but even after an hour passed, she still hadn''t, which caused me to sigh as I completely loss any hope of us making love tonight. ''Welp, at least I did it with Michelle today, so it''s not all bad.'' Thought Alexander as he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. I intended to head to sleep now that making love with Yuki was out the window, but roughly ten or so minutes later, I heard footsteps, and they didn''t belong to Yuki. Using [Heroes Gaze], I saw Soom walking into the forest opposite where I was sleeping, causing me to furrow my brows as I waited a few moments before standing up and following him from behind. Chapter 183: Assassins!? ''Huh, I wonder where he is going?'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he gazed at Soom, who disappeared into the forest. I wasn''t someone who enjoyed spying on people, but Soom and Lazuli were incredibly suspicious, so I decided to follow him into the forest as I was curious about what he may have been hiding. However, since Soom was a mage with an affinity for earth, I figured it would be best to avoid the ground; climbing a nearby tree, I reached one of its many branches and leaped to the next tree, doing so repeatedly as I quietly followed Soom from a distance. Soom wasn''t going to the bathroom, considering how far away he was walking, and he only continued to distance himself from the camp with seemingly no intention of stopping anytime soon. ''What are you doing, Soom?'' Mused Alexander with a curious glint as he stared at Soom through several trees thanks to his [Heroes Gaze]. I continued following Soom for a long time, and only after nearly an hour passed did he finally stop after entering a decently small clearing in the middle of the forest, causing me to frown as he was just standing there with his eyes closed. Sitting down on a tree branch, I stared at Soom for several minutes as he did nothing but stand there, which confused me since he looked like he was meditating, but needing to walk this far away from the camp to meditate was a waste of time. However, while looking around, I happened to spot a man wearing all black sneaking through the forest, with only slits for his eyes so he could see; he was wearing a coat over his all-black body suit, and inside the coat, there were numerous weapons coated in a dark green liquid, ones that only assains would use. Needles, daggers, throwing knives, small bombs; as I looked at the man, I couldn''t help but frown, but my expression worsened when I realized he wasn''t the only one; there were nine other men dressed exactly like him within the forest, and they were approaching the clearing from all angles with seemingly one goal in mind. ''Soom.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he glanced at the ten suspicious men before summoning Trina and Zartha from his body, silently preparing for battle. Once all ten men reached the edge of the clearing, they all stopped as only one exited the forest and entered the clearing, prompting Soom to finally open his eyes as he stared at the man. "I was wondering what was taking so long; you brought an entire crew with you." Said Soom lightly as he glanced at the man with a hardened gaze, before looking at the forest, seemingly eyeing the nine other men. "Tell us where the items you stole are, and we''ll make your death quick." Said the Assassin coldly as he eyed Soom, who faintly smirked before laughing, causing the man to narrow his eyes. "Hoho, no." Remarked Soom while laughing, only to abruptly stop with a solemn expression as he tapped the ground with his cane, causing the earth to rumble. After Soom''s abrupt response, the assassins wasted no time and lunged directly at him, with a dagger in hand, while the nine others hiding within the forest did the same; however, before any of them could get too close to them, three large, stone hands suddenly emerged from the ground as what looked like three, large stone golems exited from the earth. ''They remind me of when I fought against Master''s mud golem; I always got dirty afterward.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a slight frown as he glanced at the three stone golems, which began attacking the numerous assassins while protecting Soom. While watching from the comfort of this tree branch, the three golems Soom was controlling were proving to be pretty strong as they were capable of holding back ten assassins, but around the five or six-minute mark, things began to lean in favor of the assassins as one finally managed to slip through and lunge towards Soom; of course, they didn''t make it as one of the golems stopped him, but the act of needing to shift their focus created an infinite loop that allowed at least one assassin to constantly slip through the cracks. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. With the stone golems constantly backtracking it was only getting worse, not to mention it seemed Soom was getting exhausted, which allowed two assassins to run pass the golems and lunge toward him. Each assassin is already decently strong, comparable to D-class Adventurers; in the grand scheme of things, they''re relatively weak, but I suppose that means whoever Soom stole from wasn''t all that powerful, or the items weren''t that important. ''The items have to be decently important, otherwise they would''ve just killed him, right?'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he stood up with both great swords in hand while eyeing the battle below, in which Soom was constantly losing ground. Although I wouldn''t say Soom and I were good friends or anything, but since I was already here, I wasn''t just going to watch him get killed, besides, that would be cruel to Lazuli, who really seems to need his guidance. ''Welp, here goes nothing.'' Mused Alexander softly as he took a deep and eyed the battle before walking off the tree branch, only for his figure to vanish. Appearing right behind the two assassins lunging toward Soom using [Teleport], I managed to take them both by surprise and smacked them both with the broad side of my great swords, slamming them to the ground while knocking them unconscious as their bodies went limp. Glancing at Soom, we looked at each other for a split second, and while I could see confusion in his eyes, he also gave me a thankful nod; nodding back, I turned back around and eyed the eight assassins while swinging my swords downwards, decapitating the two I had just knocked unconscious. ''If I was going to let them live, I should''ve hid my face. Stupid.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a sigh as he gently hit himself with Zartha before dashing toward the several remaining assassins. I would''ve preferred to have Soom do everything while I simply acted as a deterrent for any assassins that tried to attack him, but he was looking exhausted, so he must''ve been close to running out of mana, which meant I''d be surrounded by eight different assassins. To be honest, even if that happened, I was still somewhat confident I could escape alive, but it wouldn''t be without getting wounded, which meant they''d see my golden blood, and I really couldn''t have that happening. Raising my swords, I was about to slash down at an assassin in front of me, but before I did, I once again teleported, appearing right in front of a different assassin as I slashed right through him, cutting him into three different pieces. "Welp, there are no more chances for sneak attacks now." Muttered Alexander lightly as he glanced at the assassins before charging towards the closest one. Infusing mana into my body, increasing my strength and speed, I swung down at the assassin, who tried to divert my sword to the side with his daggers, and well, I''m sure normally it would''ve worked, but Trina was simply far too sharp for that to work. Cleaving right through the man''s dagger, I saw his eyes widen in shock as he backed away, though he was still deeply cut by Trina, causing him to momentarily falter, which I took advantage of and delivered the finishing blow. However, almost immediately afterward, I was forced to use [Blink] as two assassins were attacking me; appearing beside one of the assassins that just tried attacking me, he reacted quickly and evaded my attacks rather than trying to block them. However, it didn''t matter as I had used [Wind Blade], causing a sharp blade of wind to surge right for him as I gave him a deep diagonal cut along his chest, causing him to collapse onto the ground while I launched another one at him, killing him. With me having killed five of the previous ten assassins, their situations immediately changed for the worse; of course, my job wasn''t over since Soom was only getting more exhausted as time went on, and from the looks of things, the assassins seemed to have no intention of retreating, which was good, I''d prefer if my face weren''t known to whatever organization Soom had stolen from. ''Man, I really need to be prepared for situations like this.'' Thought Alexander with a shake of his head as he dashed toward the nearest assassin, utilizing a skill he hadn''t shown before, which allowed him to kill him without too much difficulty. ___ ___ As I stabbed Zartha through the man''s heart, he simply lay there with an expressionless face and stared at me with his cold eyes; he didn''t look at me with hatred as I killed him, just anger, yet he wasn''t even angry at dying which I found to be weird. ''Haa, what kind of crazy organization have I just angered?'' Thought Alexander lightly with a sigh as he removed his Zartha from the man''s chest before engulfing them both in flames, cleansing them of blood. Holstering Trina and Zartha onto my back, I turned and glanced at Soom, who was lying on the ground, breathing heavily while profusely sweating; he was truly exhausted after that battle, but I wasn''t going to let him peacefully rest. "Alright, Soom, you''ve got some fucking explaining to do." Said Alexander in slight anger as he folded his arms and stared at the exhausted Soom. Chapter 184: Lazuli, The Robot Staring at Soom while leaning against a tree for support, I couldn''t help but click my tongue in both anger and annoyance as I listened to him speak; because of his actions from long ago, he had inadvertently put us in danger as those assassins didn''t seem like the ones who cared for unnecessary casualties. Yuki and I would''ve been able to survive such an attack, especially now that she''s gotten a Mythical class change, but Chloe and Michelle wouldn''t have made it out alive; they were just regular people; a slight punch from any of those assassins could''ve killed them with ease. "Tsk, you knew those assassins were coming for you, seeing as you walked far away from the campsite; is this their first time attacking you?" Asked Alexander in annoyance as he narrowed his eyes at Soom, who slightly shook his head while sitting on the ground with his cane resting on his lap. "No. They first attacked roughly two weeks ago at my home, though I''ve always been anticipating their arrival as I knew I couldn''t hide forever. I''ve managed to stay under their radar for a few decades, but it was only a matter of time." Replied Soom softly as he sighed and shook his head, causing Alexander to grunt. "Now that they''ve found you, why did you bother accepting my offer to ride with us? It''s pretty messed up to do such a thing when assassins are coming after you. Were you intending to use us as a distraction and escape?" Asked Alexander with a frown as he stared at Soom, using [Heroes Gaze] to read his intentions and raw emotions. "NO! I wouldn''t ever do such a thing; I wasn''t so cruel as to do that." Stated Soom as he vehemently shook his head while solemnly staring at Alexander, who scoffed before nodding. "Then why?" Said Alexander as he squinted his eyes at Soom, who bit his lip before lowering his head and sighing. "It¡­ It was for Lazuli. When the organization finally found my home, I knew I didn''t have much longer to live; I was an old man past his prime. I knew my death was just around the corner; in fact, I had expected to die today; then, you came along and helped me." Replied Soom softly as he glanced at his cane with a bitter-sweet expression before looking at Alexander. "Lazuli? Does she know about the assassins? I''d assume not." Questioned Alexander with a frown as he glanced behind him, looking in the direction of the campsite. "No. I wish to keep it that way. When I die, she''ll have no one to help her, and that''s why I accepted your offer those days ago; I needed someone to look after Lazuli, to care for her when I''m not there. Knowing how cruel and unforgiving this world is, I wasn''t expecting to come across such a person, though not even a week after we left our home for good, we met you, someone whom I could entrust my daughter to without needing to worry about her safety. The only thing I needed to worry about at that point was if she''d become one of your lovers in the future." Remarked Soom lightly as he shook his head while looking at Alexader, who nodded in agreement, only to faintly smile while looking at him. "I''ve already got my hands full with Michelle and Yuki, though thanks for your blessings in advance." Said Alexander blandly as he looked at Soom, who softly chuckled. "Speaking of Lazuli, those precious metals you stole from the organization, unalloyed Caldimite and Orichalcum; they were used to build her. To construct Lazuli, weren''t they?" Asked Alexander lightly as he eyed Soom, who chuckled slightly before suddenly waving his hand, causing a large earth pole to fly straight at him. Seeing the attack heading straight for me, I quickly raised my arms, blocking the initial attack before using [Blink] to escape its range while eyeing Soom, who was looking at me with the intent to kill, causing me to frown. Dodging another attack from him, I grabbed Trina off my back before swinging downwards, slicing through a large boulder he had thrown at me while launching a [Wind Blade] at him as well, which he blocked by creating an earth dome around him; however, I used that moment to appear right beside him using [Teleport]. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Raising my fist, I punched right through Soom''s earth dome as I placed my hand on his shoulder, causing the rest of the dome to crumble, revealing his exhausted figure. "That was pointless, you were still greatly exhausted from that earlier fight; you were never going to win, Soom." Remarked Alexander with a frown as he eyed Soom while holstering Trina. Soom didn''t say anything and merely glared at me, causing me to sigh in annoyance as I forced him back onto the ground. "Lazuli, she''s a robot, isn''t she? Or a Cyborg. One of those two." Asked Alexander with furrowed brows as he folded his arms and eyed Soom, who slightly widened his eyes before narrowing them once more. "You¡­ You''re not from this world. You''re a reincarnator." Said Soom solemnly as he eyed Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Yes, this is my second life, sort of. Though, you must also be a reincarnator since only they would know what a robot or a cyborg is." Remarked Alexander lightly as he eyed Soom, who frowned before nodding. "Well then, now that we''ve got that out of the way. Lazuli is a robot or a cyborg, right?" Stated Alexander calmly as he found a new tree to lean on while staring at Soom, who hardened his gaze. "How did you know?" Asked Soom sternly as he stared at Alexander, his focus never once shifting. "Well, anyone with half a brain should''ve been able to figure it out; she talks just like I''d imagine an AI would; she doesn''t eat, though surprisingly, she drinks water." Declared Alexander lightly as he glanced at Soom, who remained quiet. "Is that why you were practically pawning her off to me? I think we both know what will happen if the people of this world find out Lazuli is a robot." Added Alexander firmly with a frown as he glanced towards the sky, shifting his eyes between the three moons of Azeroth. "The same thing that would happen if the people of our previous world found out about someone possessing mana." Said Soom, his words causing Alexander to snap his fingers while nodding in agreement. "Yeah, and that won''t end well for her." Muttered Alexander with a frown, only for him to shake his head. "Listen, you don''t need to worry about me saying anything; no one will know Lazuli is a robot or cyborg. I wouldn''t want harm to come to her; besides, I feel like I''m finally starting to rub off onto her." Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Soom, who nodded though he still stared at him with a skeptical look. Rolling my eyes at Soom''s skeptical look, I walked forward and outstretched my hand, which he hesitantly grabbed before pulling him onto his feet. "Now then, let''s dispose of these bodies; I don''t want any evidence remaining." Said Alexander lightly as he patted Soom''s shoulder with a faint smile before approaching one of the many corpses that lay scattered across the ground. ___ ___ After collecting all the corpses, I burned them to ashes while Soom buried their skeletons deep underground before we began our long walk back towards our campsite, which got me thinking about Yuki. ''Haa, Yuki and I are supposed to be making love right now, yet instead, I''m out here with an old man. This is not how I wanted tonight to go.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh as he glanced at Soom before shaking his head and sighing once more. "So, regarding Lazuli, was she created by you, or was she originally a human?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Soom, who gave him a side glance before sighing. "She''s originally a human." Replied Soom lightly as he used his cane to help him walk though the uneven terrain of the forest. "How old is she?" Asked Alexander, his words garnering a suspicious look from Soom while defensively raising his hands. "She''s mentally 18. However, if we count the time since she was born, she''s roughly 43 years old." Said Soom, his words surprising Alexander as he clicked his tongue while rubbing his chin. "So I''m slightly older yet younger than her at the same time. Weird." Muttered Alexander lightly as he looked up at the sky, only to suddenly reach down and pick up Soom. Not saying anything to him, I took off into a full spring while filling my body with mana, allowing me to move even faster as I sprinted through the forest, returning to our campsite in minutes rather than an hour. Stopping beside the carriage, I set down Soom, who looked like a complete mess, before patting his shoulder. "We''ll talk more later. Good night." Said Alexander with a small smile as he glanced at Soom, who nodded. Approaching my bed in the distance, I was about to fall asleep, but before I did, I heard someone''s voice, prompting me to turn and look at the carriage as I saw Michelle''s head peeking from behind the curtain. With Yuki still not having returned, I smiled as I approached Michelle, who was about to ask me something, and lifted her out of the carriage while carrying her to my bed. "Shh, try to keep your voice down." Said Alexander softly as he gently set down Michelle and started stripping her of her clothes while doing the same. Chapter 185: Its Time "Finally, I''ve returned!" Yelled Yuki with a large smile plastered on her face as she suddenly emerged from the forest, her loud voice stirring a few people awake. Yawning, I opened my eyes and gently shifted Michelle, who was lying on my chest, so I could look at Yuki, who was raising her arms into the air in pure happiness. "Shh, Yuki, it''s still early in the morning. Also, where the heck have you been?" Stated Alexander curiously with a slight frown as he shushed Yuki before gently patting the spot beside him. "Oh, sorry." Muttered Yuki apologetically as she glanced at Michelle, who was not awake before lying beside Alexander. "Well, remember when I said I was dirty? I went to clean myself at the lake but got lost on my way back, so I decided to just sleep in a random area before continuing my search when I woke up." Remarked Yuki softly as she looked at Alexander, who nodded with an exasperated expression while touching all over Michelle''s body underneath the blanket. "You got lost? Are you joking with me, Yuki?" Asked Alexander as he blankly eyed Yuki, who nodded with a slightly shameful expression, causing him to sigh in annoyance. "Well, on the bright side, now that I''m clean, we can make love for as long as we want!" Stated Yuki excitedly as she began to strip her clothes, though she frowned when she removed the blanket covering Michelle and Alexander, noticing he was inside of her. "Don''t pout now, Yuki, it''s your fault for getting lost; besides, you really did not need to clean yourself; I still would''ve done it with you even if you were a little dirty; that''s not going to be nearly enough to stop me." Remarked Alexander lightly with a mischievous smirk as he eyed Yuki, who clicked her tongue and grumbled under her breath. "But I''m supposed to get your cock first." Muttered Yuki in annoyance as she folded her arms while glaring at Michelle and Alexander''s connection, only for him to suddenly grab her large, plump butt, causing her to moan softly. "You can''t be first if you''re not even there; besides, it''s morning, Yuki; you''ve missed your chance; we''ll have to wait until tonight; maybe this time, you won''t forget to clean yourself." Stated Alexander lightly as he held Michelle by her butt before slowly standing up and entering the forest, heading towards the lake. "~Ahh~ A-Alexander, n-not while we ~Ahh~ w-walking." Muttered Michelle softly as she wrapped her arms around Alexander''s shoulders while feeling his shaft slightly poking inside of her with every step. "Don''t worry; we''ll also do it at the lake; seeing Yuki naked got me really aroused." Said Alexander softly with a faint smile as he kissed Michelle''s cheek and lifted her waist upwards before slamming her down on his manhood, causing her loud moans to resound throughout the forest. ___ ___ Exiting the lake, feeling completely refreshed and rejuvenated, I turned and looked at Michelle, who seemed quite exhausted as I had gone a little too hard on her like usual; though it''s not entirely my fault; Michelle shouldn''t be so sexy, she had a body that was made to satisfy men, and she did a damn good job at it. ''I still don''t understand how her ex-husband found her ugly and fat. Was he really blind?'' Mused Alexander in confusion as he looked at Michelle before walking forward and helping her out of the lake. "Ugh, why do you always go so hard, Alexander? My body can''t handle your strength; at this rate, I''m worried I''ll die from having sex rather than old age." Remarked Michelle in slight annoyance as she glanced at Alexander while rubbing her back in pain, causing him to sheepishly rub his head. "Well, whenever I hear you moaning, it kind of makes it hard for me to hold back. Besides, don''t lie to yourself; I know you like it when I go hard; you just don''t like dealing with the after-effects." Stated Alexander as he waved his hand, creating a breeze of hot air through his wind and fire mana, drying him and Michelle in mere minutes. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Michelle didn''t like my response, as she gave a side glance before promptly ignoring me, causing me to chuckle as I got on my knees and had her sit on my shoulders as I pleased her with my tongue, at least until she was no longer annoyed with me. After drinking a serving of her tasty juices, Michelle and I returned to our campsite, though because we didn''t bring any clothes, we were naked the whole way home, which oddly enough didn''t feel uncomfortable for either of us. I was used to walking around naked when living with Master, and as for Michelle, I''m just assuming it feels natural for her, given that she''s an Elf. ''Speaking of Elf, I need to visit Master''s Kingdom; after all, she was apparently a Princess. Hmm, would that technically make me a prince?'' Thought Alexander with a curious expression as he and Michelle exited the forest and quickly put on their clothes, just in time for a certain person to emerge from the carriage. "Ahh, how was your sleep, dear?" Asked Michelle with a lovely smile as she picked up Chloe in her arms. Sitting beside Yuki, who seemed to be quite annoyed, I gave her a few kisses, hoping it would cheer her up, but it was marginal, causing me to sigh as I rested my head on her wonderful thighs that had just the correct amount of firmness. "Next time, you won''t suddenly leave, now will you?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he pointed at Yuki, who clicked her tongue before reluctantly nodding. We stayed sitting like this for some time; Lazuli, who was probably never actually asleep, and Soom awoke roughly an hour later, which prompted Yuki to stand up as she headed into the forest, looking for an unfortunate animal to hunt and release her frustration on. During this time, Soom and I spoke about Lazuli and whatnot, but there really wasn''t too much to say, so he started informing me about the organization he had stolen those two metals from. They were apparently called the Cult of Saparella; they were a collective group of people who worshiped the Goddess Saparella, the Goddess of Souls & Death. Of course, they were a cult and not a church since more people tend to associate death with evil, and who would want to go to an evil church? ''I bet Sparella is probably a super sweet lady who just wants to help souls pass into the afterlife.'' Though Alexander lightly as he glanced at Soom before gazing at the sky. The Cult of Saparella wasn''t just a small cult; from how Soom spoke about it, the cult seemed to be quite large, and it wasn''t something I''d want to go against, not any time soon, that is. While Soom and I continued speaking, Yuki returned after half an hour carrying a large cat with Talis perched upon her shoulder. With breakfast having arrived, I scratched underneath Talis''s beak before grabbing the large cat from Yuki as I began butchering it in the distance, away from everyone. When I finished butchering it, I cooked breakfast for everyone, including Lazuli, even though I knew she wouldn''t eat it, but it was fine, since Yuki definitely would. After breakfast was served, we packed our items and got back onto the road; the little break was nice, but we had a destination, and the longer we stayed out there, the longer it would take. ___ ___ "It''s been a little over a week since those assassins attacked, Soom; taking into account the time frame between the first time they attacked and the second time, they''ll be here within the next couple of days, not to mention they''ll be stronger." Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as he leaned against a tree and stared at the sunny sky before looking at Soom, who was standing beside him. "Haa, I know. I''ve been dreading this moment; I just wish I could stay with my little girl for a little bit longer. It hasn''t even been three months since she awakened." Stated Soom with a bitter expression as he lowered his head and looked toward the ground, wiping his tears. "What do you plan to do? To be honest, if it were just me, I wouldn''t mind helping you fend them off, although I''m skeptical whether we''d win or not. However, I''m not alone, and I''m not trying to purposely put Yuki, Michelle, or Chloe in harm''s way; even if Yuki is strong, it''s not something a lover would do." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Soom while faintly shaking his head, causing him to chuckle. "No, you don''t need to do such a thing. I''m a selfish man, but even I have my morals." Said Soom lightly as he reached into the pocket of his robe before handing Alexander a space pouch, prompting him to raise an eyebrow. "What is this? All of your wealth?" Asked Alexander jokingly, trying to lighten the atmosphere, only for his expression to stiffen with Soom nodded. "Yes. It''s not much, roughly twenty-two silver coins, but I''m sure you''ll use it better than I ever will. It also contains everything necessary to fix or repair Lazuli if she''s ever seriously damaged." Replied Soom lightly as he nodded while pointing at the space pouch in Alexander''s hand. "Um, I''m no mechanic or anything; I don''t think I''ll be able to repair Lazuli." Said Alexander hesitantly as he carefully held the space pouch while Soom chuckled. "Don''t worry, even a fool would be able to repair, Lazuli; besides, she''d be able to tell you how to anyways." Remarked Soom, his words causing Alexander to nod as he hesitantly tied the space pouch onto his waist. "Why are you giving me this?" Asked Alexander curiously as he narrowed his eyes at Soom, who smirked before turning around and staring into the distance. "Because¡­ I''ll leave tonight." Replied Soom firmly with a faint smile. Chapter 186: Shutting Off Lazuli New "You''re leaving tonight? That''s rather sudden, no? How are you supposed to tell Lazuli¡­ Unless you don''t intend to inform her at all?" Asked Alexander curiously with a raised eyebrow as he eyed Soom, who nodded. "I''ve already extended my stay; I planned to leave yesterday night, but¡­ I can''t do that anymore; despite wishing to stay with my daughter, I''ll end up inadvertently killing her; same for you, Yuki, Michelle, and Chloe." Replied Soom softly as he stared into the sunny sky before turning around and glancing at Alexander. "As for informing her? I''ve already left a message for her inside of her: whenever I die, it''ll reveal itself." Added Soom as he began walking back to the camp, prompting Alexander to glance at the sun before following behind him. "Haa, I can already see myself being forced to stop her from following you; you''re leaving me with a lot of work, Soom. This isn''t exactly what I signed up for when we first met; I was just trying to be friendly." Remarked Alexander with a sigh as he rubbed his in annoyance while Soom faintly chuckled. "I''m glad we did happen to run into you; it gave me someone to entrust my daughter to." Muttered Soom lightly as he walked through the forest while Alexander quietly followed behind him. Once we arrived back at the campsite, I saw Yuki finishing the remaining food like the glutton she was while Michelle, like an absolute angel, was cleaning up; as for Talis, she was playing with Chloe, which I''m sure Michelle was thankful for since I imagine this whole journey has been very boring for Chloe. Lazuli was the only one not doing anything, though when she saw me, she promptly headed straight for me. "Alex, it''s time to check our perimeter for enemies and hazards." Stated Lazuli lightly as she stood before Alexander and looked up at him, causing him to nod with a raised eyebrow. "Sure, we can do that, but when did you start calling me Alex? I mean, I don''t really mind." Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Lazuli, who grabbed his hand and began walking away from the campsite while Soom faintly chuckled. "It''s more efficient to call you Alex." Replied Lazuli as she led Alexander through the forest while nodded nodded in agreement. ''That is true.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he rubbed his chin. Once we gained a certain distance from the camp, Lazuli finally let go of my hand, allowing me to walk normally as we observed the perimeter of our campsite, which we were about to leave, mind you; however, I didn''t really bother doing that, while I feel like Lazuli just uses this as an excuse to stick by me, though I don''t know for what reason. Considering how she carries herself, if she wanted to be beside me, she''d simply do that and wouldn''t bother hiding her desire since I''m pretty sure she''d feel no embarrassment or anything of the sort. ''Hmm, maybe it''s a subconscious desire of her?'' Thought Alexander softly as he gazed at Lazuli''s figure, only to shake his head. Anyway, I didn''t think about it for long; after all, I was walking through the forest with a beautiful young woman; I should be taking advantage of this opportunity. "Yeah, this is better." Muttered Alexander with a faint smirk as he trailed just behind Lazuli, ogling her backside while she continued to observe their surroundings. We continued walking around our campsite for roughly half an hour before we returned home, though I was more than satisfied given what I''d been staring at. "Though, now I''m horny, and that kind of sucks." Muttered Alexander with a faint sigh as he glanced at Lazuli before eyeing Michelle and Yuki lustfully. Unfortunately, it was the middle of the day, so we couldn''t do anything, not to mention we were about to leave, so I wasn''t even able to get a quick blowjob; so with a sigh, I just sucked it up and approached the carriage, waiting for everyone to get on before I started pulling it out of the forest. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.___ ___ "Thanks, Talis; you''ve really been helpful on this journey, as surprising as it sounds." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Talis before scratching underneath her beak, causing her to purr like a kitten while proudly raising her head. "Hmph, but of course, Talis, the Queen of the Skies, is always helpful!" Declared Talis proudly, her words causing Alexander to roll his eyes. "Hate to break it to you, but you''re not the Queen of the Skies, Talis." Remarked Alexander lightly as he stared at Talis, who aggressively shook her body, forcing him to retract his hand. "Maybe not yet, but one day, I''ll become the Queen of the Skies; then you''ll refer to me as Talis, Queen of the Skies." Stated Talis firmly as she eyed Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Even if you become the Queen of the Skies, I''m only calling you Talis." Said Alexander lightly, his words causing Talis to huff as she spread her wings before flying towards Chloe, who happily caught her. Shaking my head, I hopped off the carriage and stretched a little before approaching the large fire; everyone was huddled around, as it was a little chilly right now; though before I could sit down, Yuki grabbed my hand and gave me one hell of a seductive look, even though she wasn''t doing it on purpose. "Um, Yuki and I will go acquire some food for tonight." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he practically pulled Yuki, who nodded in agreement while not even bothering to hide their true intentions. "Be careful." "Hoho, don''t take too long now." Said Michelle and Soom, respectively, as they glanced at Yuki and Alexander with knowing looks while they vanished into the forest. Once we got a certain distance away from the campsite, Yuki and I quickly got busy as we were both quite horny; unfortunately, we didn''t have all that much time, so we didn''t go all the way, though we did get use the legendary sixty-nine position, I was just required to use [Expand], and as I remembered with Master, it was absolutely amazing, one of the greatest inventions in history. Once we managed to quell some of our lust, only then did we go hunting for some food, which didn''t take long at all. "We''re back!" Stated Alexander with a smile, carrying a large lizard on his shoulders while Yuki followed right behind him. "Hoho, nearly an hour. You two were surely taking your sweet time, wouldn''t you agree, Michelle?" Remarked Soom with a soft chuckle as he glanced between Alexander and Yuki before looking at Michelle, who faintly nodded. "Yes, I was beginning to get hungry. Oh, also, Yuki, you''ve got something white on your cheek." Said Michelle lightly as she looked at Yuki, who furrowed her brows while wiping her cheek. "I could''ve sworn I drank all of Alex''s semen." Said Yuki lightly, her words causing Alexander to sigh while Michelle and Soom chuckled. "Haa, you don''t have any on you, Yuki; they''re just teasing you; besides, do you think I would''ve let you walk around with that on your face?" Remarked Alexander softly as he glanced at Yuki, who nodded with widened eyes before shrugging her shoulders and plopping onto the ground beside Michelle, causing her to slightly tremble. "Alex, what''s your sem-" Asked Chloe with an innocent curiosity as she looked at Alexander, who promptly covered her mouth with his hands. "Michelle, I''m blaming this on you." Said Alexander sternly as he eyed Michelle, who blushed in shame while softly nodding. Before Chloe could utter such indecent words, I handed her to Michelle, who sought after her while I blankly looked at Yuki, though I couldn''t even be mad at her since it was such an expected response; she has no filter nor shame. While I love that about her, it will cause many tedious problems in the future, just like it''s doing right now. ''Ugh, what about when she has her own children? I can''t even imagine how they''ll turn out, but on the bright side, I''ll be their father.'' Mused Alexander lightly with a wry expression as he carried the lizard far away before butchering it. Once the lizard was butchered, I began cooking it at the small bonfire as we all casually conversed while the sun slowly set, and before we knew it, night had arrived. ___ ____ After profusely apologizing to Yuki as we were supposed to be making love right now, I headed over towards Soom a Lazuli''s little earth hut, though when I looked inside, I saw an incredibly weird scene of Soom reaching into Lazuli''s chest, fiddling around with a pulsating sphere. "Um, is that her heart or core? Also, what are you doing to her?" Asked Alexander lightly as he stared at Lazuli''s open chest before glancing at Soom. "Yes. I''m temporarily shutting her systems off; it''ll prevent her from chasing after me, though it''ll only stay active for 24 hours, or until¡­ I die." Replied Soom as Lazuli''s core suddenly stopped pulsating and only emitted a soft glow. "Eh, it''s that easy? I''d imagine shutting her systems off would be much harder. Also, since you turned her into a cyborg, doesn''t she kind of need her system to be active to live?" Questioned Alexander curiously as he watched Soom close her chest, only to faintly blush when we viewed her bare chest. ''I know it''s not flesh, but my goodness, they''re beautiful.'' Mused Alexander with a gulp as he stared at Lazuli''s chest, only for them to be promptly covered with her shirt. "You didn''t look away, did you?"Asked Soom as he slowly stood up and eyed Alexander, who awkwardly chuckled before backing away. Chapter 187: Sooms Walk To Death After getting caught by Soom, I backed away from the earth tent while he exited it, leaving an unconscious Lazuli inside, though he didn''t really leave since he silently stared at her for several minutes before releasing a deep sigh as he turned around and left her, heading deep into the forest while I traveled alongside him. Neither of us said anything during the walk; Soom was probably thinking about Lazuli, and I didn''t know exactly what to say to someone who was essentially walking to his death, so I just stayed silent while gazing at the beautiful night sky through the thick canopy, eyeing Azarath''s three moons, Azul, Midori, and Coccineum as they illuminated the sky. Tens of minutes passed, and other than the howling of the wind, our footsteps, and the occasional nocturnal animal, it was incredibly quiet; however, Soom eventually stopped, prompting me to do the same as I looked at him in confusion. "I-I appreciate your kindness, Alexander, walking with this old man in his final moments, but it''s time for me to travel alone. Unlike me, you''ve got so much to live for; you best not waste it trying to save a dying old man like myself." Stated Soom solemnly with a small smile as he looked at Alexander, who sighed deeply before nodding. Once again, I didn''t respond and simply nodded as I stepped back, watching as Soom looked back one last even though he could no longer see Lazuli before taking a step forward, continuing through the forest, walking to his inevitable death. Since Soom and I didn''t know each other all that well, there wasn''t some emotional farewell, not to mention as men, that wouldn''t be how we would do it anyway, though those are minor details. Still, the further Soom walked and the more obscure his figure became, thanks to the dense vegetation of the forest, I finally opened my mouth, deciding to say some final words. "Hey Soom, try not to worry too much about Lazuli, alright?" Said Alexander softly as he faintly smiled while looking at Soom, who stopped before glancing at him with a chuckle. "She''s my daughter; I''ll always worry for her, Alexander. I just know even without my presence, everything will be alright with you there to watch over her." Replied Soom with a small smile as he looked at Alexander, who lightly sighed and shook his head. "We may not have known each other for long, Alexander, but I would''ve been ecstatic if Lazuli had brought you home; there is no such thing as the perfect person, but I couldn''t ask for anything better in a man for Lazuli." Added Soom earnestly with a smile while deeply looking at Alexander, who awkwardly smiled while rubbing his head. "I appreciate the compliment, Soom, though I feel the same about you. One day, if I ever become a father, I wish to be like a father willing to sacrifice their life and steal from a powerful organization if it''s for their children. I can''t imagine there being a better father than that." Declared Alexander solemnly as he gazed at Soom, who released a boisterous laugh unbefitting of his age while. "Hahahaha! Thank you, Alexander, t-that really means a lot; I''ve been constantly blaming myself for what happened to her, though to know someone actually sees me as a good father means¡­ A lot." Said Soom with a large smile with a teary-eyed expression as he wiped his face with his sleeve. "Anyways, it''s time for me to go. Thank you for everything, Alexander, and although I''ve constantly been selfish, please¡­ Please, take care of Lazuli in my absence." Added Soom solemnly as he clenched his fist and gazed at Alexander, who looked at the night sky before sighing and nodding. "I planned to do that anyways, Soom; I couldn''t just release Lazuli into the harsh world as she is right now. I''d essentially be killing her." Stated Alexander as he eyed Soom, who silently smiled before gazing one last time at Lazuli. "I love you, Lazuli. Sarah, I''ll be joining you and our Son; I hope you two have forgiven me by now." Declared Soom with a smile despite his tears as he continued into the forest, disappearing amidst the dense vegetation. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Seeing Soom''s figure vanish, I silently stood in place for several more minutes before eventually turning around and heading to our campsite, though the walk back was far more lonely. When I finally arrived at our campsite roughly an hour later, I first checked upon Lazuli, who was motionlessly sleeping in the tent, causing me to sigh as I left her be and headed towards Yuki, who was also sleeping. Gently laying beside her so as not to awaken her, I blankly stared at the sky, gazing upon the three moons, before eventually sighing as I turned to look at Yuki, who was gazing right back at me with her beautiful yet piercing yellow eyes. "Did I awaken you? Sorry, Yuki." Said Alexander apologetically as he gently kissed her, causing her to frown as she narrowed her eyes. "Hmm, is something the matter? Why are you staring at me with such intensity? Are you still mad about what happened earlier? Listen, I''m sorry, and I promise I''ll make it up, okay?" Questioned Alexander lightly as he stared at Yuki before holding her hands with a smile, only for her to suddenly embrace him. "Hmph, of course, I''m still mad about that, but it can wait; you seemed sad, so maybe you''d prefer this?" Said Yuki softly as she looked at Alexander, who was deep within her embrace, causing him to smile faintly before nodding. "Yeah, this is better right now; I''m not really in the mood to make love. Thanks, Yuki." Replied Alexander with a faint smile as he rested his head between Yuki''s massive chest, causing her to nod. "Love you, Alex." "Love you too, Yuki." Said Yuki and Alexander, respectively, as they kissed before slowly drifting off to sleep amidst the quiet night. ___ ___ Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, I opened my eyes, only to find myself squished against the ground with Yuki''s heavy ass atop me, and I would''ve sighed, but someone was making it difficult to breathe, though I wasn''t complaining too much since it was her breasts stuffed in my face, so I couldn''t really be upset. ''If I ever die from suffocating, this how I want it to be. Face first in my lover''s chest; couldn''t ask for a better way to go out.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he looked at Yuki, who was loudly snoring. Since Yuki was snoring, she was in quite a deep sleep, so I didn''t need to worry about accidentally waking her up, unlike what I did last night; so, gently, I flipped our positions and began weaseling my way out of her arms, which were tightly holding onto my body for what felt like dear life. "Ugh, finally, freedom." Said Alexander softly as he sat atop Yuki''s stomach and raised his hands in the sky. With it now morning, I stood up and checked on everyone, curious to see if anyone was awake, but no one was, which prompted me to return to Yuki, as I squatted before and removed her pants. ''Master loved it whenever I woke her up with cunnilingus, so maybe Yuki would too? If not, at least this can serve as part of my apology for last night.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he stared at Yuki''s beautiful womanhood, which was laced with white hair. Lying on the ground with my face directly in front of her crotch, I wrapped my arms around her thick, firm thighs and got to eating; now, unfortunately, Yuki''s juices didn''t taste like honey; it, in fact, tasted a little salty, and wasn''t particularly delicious. However, it''s not about the taste; it''s about whether Yuki''s enjoying it or not; besides, it doesn''t taste bad, so I can easily put up with it. Several minutes passed, and even though Yuki had orgasmed, she still didn''t show any signs of awakening, but I just stayed patient and continued eating her out, which paid off since after roughly thirty or so more minutes and six orgasms later, she finally woke up. "Good morning, Yuki." Said Alexander with a smile as he lifted his head and waved at Yuki before stuffing his face back into her crotch. "Eh, good morning." Said Yuki softly in slight confusion as she yawned while gazing at Alexander. "Um, can I ask why you''re doing that? I like it, and it feels good, but why were you doing that when I was asleep?" Asked Yuki in slight confusion as she eyed Alexander, who didn''t immediately respond and held up a finger. "~Ahhhh~" Muttered Yuki softly, her vagina squirting out copious amounts of juices, which Alexander drank, something he had simply just gotten used to doing. "I thought it would be a nice way to wake you up and apologize for yesterday." Replied Alexander lightly as he raised his head and looked at Yuki while softly licking her lower lips, causing her to nod before pointing toward her mouth. "If you want to apologize, use my mouth." Said Yuki as she opened her mouth, causing Alexander to instantly pitch a tent in his pants. "U-Um, you sure?" Asked Alexander as he removed his pants and looked at Yuki, who nodded with a smile. "Yes. What''s better than getting a serving of your semen while doing absolutely nothing?" Remarked Yuki with a smile as she lay on the ground and opened her mouth, prompting Alexander to mount her face while positioning his cock into her mouth. "Um, I don''t think I''ve ever tried this; just tell me if it hurts, Yuki." Said Alexander hesitantly as he looked at Yuki while slowly moving his hips, thrusting in her mouth. Chapter 188: Back On Road Again After having used Yuki''s mouth to pleasure myself, orgasming several times in the process thanks to powerful suction and the way she aggressively coiled her tongue around my shaft, not to mention the tightness her lips provided, combining all those along with the fact that I was pounding Yuki''s face at my own pace, it only made sense that I released inside her mouth several times, if I hadn''t, I might''ve thought something was wrong with me ''Urgh, she''s really trying to suck my sperm straight out of my testicles.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced down at Yuki''s messy face, only to find her staring at him with eyes full of desire. I didn''t know whether it was because Yuki was just naturally incredibly sexy or it was because I simply loved her so much that her every movement incited something inside me, but when I saw her staring at me with her beautiful yet piercing yellow eyes full of lust, I couldn''t find it in myself to stop; however, unlike before, I wanted to also pleasure Yuki. Flipping our positions, I lowered myself onto her body, my face, unfortunately, resting right in front of her toned stomach and not her vagina, which was secreting juices like never before; reaching forward, I grabbed her large, firm butt while planting kisses on her sexy stomach as I relentlessly pounded her mouth. This continued for several more minutes, with my finishing inside her mouth once within that time frame, and despite wishing this could go on for ten more hours, I heard rustling coming from the carriage, causing me to momentarily stop as I looked up, only to see Michelle having seemingly just awoken. "Ahh, G-Good morning, Alexander, Yuki. Did you two have a g-good s-sleep?" Asked Michelle softly with a yawn as she turned and looked at Alexander and Yuki, her words trailing off while looking at the two. "Y-Yes, it was good; I-I just wish it was a little longer." Replied Alexander awkwardly as he looked at Michelle while pounding Yuki''s mouth once more. "Ish wab vreb.(It was great.)" Said Yuki, though given what she was experiencing, her words sounded like nothing but gibberish. "O-Oh, t-that''s good to hear." Remarked Michelle lightly with an awkward smile as she silently stood still, unable to peel her eyes away from the scene before her. Seeing that Michelle just stood there with seemingly no intention of leaving, I focused entirely on Yuki as I aggressively pounded and stabbed my cock deeply into her throat while I licked all over her abs. However, whether it was thanks to Yuki''s insane mouth or the fact that Michelle was watching us, I felt myself about to release, and deciding this to be the final one for the morning, I increased the intensity before ending it by pushing my cock as deeply possible into her mouth, spewing out thick ropes of copious sperm while she also squirted, her juices nearly reaching Michelle. After a full minute, I slowly stood up while removing my manhood from Yuki''s mouth, which was still filled with my semen, a sight that aroused me to end, though unfortunately, it was morning. "So, um, how did you like that, Yuki?" Asked Alexander lightly as he grabbed one of Yuki''s arms, helping her onto her two feet while she swallowed his remaining sperm before smiling. "It was amazing! I loved how aggressive you were; it felt like you were making love with my mouth!" Remarked Yuki with a smile as she looked at Alexander, who lightly smiled while sheepishly rubbing his head. "Well, glad to hear because I also loved every moment." Muttered Alexander as he glanced at Yuki''s crotch, audibly gulping before shaking his head and sighing. "If you''re ever feeling aroused, do that to me when I''m sleeping. It''s a win for both of us; I''ll get to sleep and drink your sperm while you get to satisfy your lust." Stated Yuki with a smile as she looked at Alexander, who sported a wry expression, only for her to suddenly kiss him on the cheek. "I''m going to bath!" Added Yuki as she quickly turned around before running into the forest, causing Alexander to sigh. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Haa, she forgot her clothes." Said Alexander quietly as she rubbed his face, only to open his eyes when he felt something touch his shaft. "S-Sorry, but watching you do something so vulgar with Yuki made me very horny, and seeing your c-cock just standing there made it hard for me to restrain myself." Said Michelle with a deep blush as she lifted her dress, pressing her large, plump butt against Alexander''s cock while bending over. "Michelle¡­ I didn''t know you could be so naughty; you do know Chloe is right behind us, sleeping in the carriage." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Michelle with a faint smirk while removing her underwear, revealing her plump butt. I guess my words were enough to spark some sense into her as Michelle promptly stood upright and walked away, causing me to sigh as it seemed I had gone a little overboard with my teasing, but it was morning, so it was about time for me to stop anyways; however, I when I saw Michelle leaning against a tree in the distance with her beautiful plump butt on full display, as a man, I couldn''t refuse her obvious invitation twice, not to mention, I could tell it was taking a lot of her courage to do such a thing, and if I said no, who knows if she''d ever do this again. ''Please don''t wake up early, Chloe.'' Mused Alexander softly as he prayed while approaching Michelle, swiftly sheathing himself inside her wet vagina, only to pound it to oblivion, holding her mouth to ensure she wouldn''t moan too loudly. ____ ____ Gently picking up Lazuli, who was still unconscious, I exited the little earth tent Soom had made before approaching the carriage, which was already packed and ready to hit the road; we''d also already eaten, finishing the food from yesterday night. "Is she still asleep?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at Lazuli in annoyance, causing Alexander to sport a complicated expression before eventually nodding. "Yeah, sort of." Replied Alexander lightly as he entered the carriage before gently placing her on a few boxes while rearranging the insides to ensure nothing fell onto her. "Speaking of Lazuli, where is Soom? He is usually awake early, yet I haven''t seen or heard of him at all." Asked Michelle with a slight frown as she stood on the carriage beside Chloe, scanning her surroundings and searching for Soom. "Eh, did Grandpa get lost in the forest? Is he okay? Aren''t there a lot of dangerous creatures?" Asked Chloe in concern as she glanced at Michelle before shifting her focus between Yuki and Alexander, only for her eyes to land on Talis. "Talis, can you find Grandpa for me? I''ll scratch underneath your beak if you do?" Added Chloe softly as she looked at Talis, who was resting on her lap, prompting her to quickly stand up while spreading her wings. "I want those scratches!" Said Talis as she chirped at Chloe before quickly flapping her wings and taking to the skies, only for Alexander to grab her foot and stop her. "Talis wait-ouch! Tsk, you stubborn bird, at least let me finish speaking!" Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Talis, who stabbed his hand with her beak, causing him to wince in pain while he glared at her in anger. "Hmph, it''s Queen of the Skies to you, Alex! Any who gets in between my scratches is an enemy!" Declared Talis sternly as she eyed Alexander, whose face constantly twitched in annoyance. "Will you just shut up and listen to me!" Stated Alexander as he eyed Talis, who chirped in annoyance before gently returning to the carriage. Eying Talis in annoyance, I sighed while rubbing my hand before finally speaking. "Regarding Soom, he is fine. He just went to do something, and it couldn''t wait, so he asked me if we could look after Lazuli until he returned." Said Alexander lightly with a forced smile as he gestured to Lazuli, causing everyone to frown slightly. "But isn''t going by yourself dangerous? Will he be okay?" Asked Chloe in concern as she looked at Alexander, who sighed before reluctantly nodding. "He should be fine, Chloe. He may not seem like it, but he''s a decently strong mage, not to mention very smart and experienced, so I think he''ll be fine. We just have to wait until he returns." Replied Alexander softly as he glanced at Chloe, who nodded, feeling mostly relieved, but she was still slightly concerned. I must not have been that good of a liar since neither Michelle nor Yuki seemed to fully believe me, and as for Talis, well, she hardly cared for Soom, to begin with, so she wasn''t really paying attention, though neither asked any questions and just silently nodded, prompting me to kiss them both. "I''m pulling the carriage this time!" Stated Yuki firmly as she eyed Alexander while holding the reins to the carriage, causing him to raise his hands as he sat beside Michelle. With a lovely smile from Yuki, she began pulling the carriage out of the forest and away from our little campsite while I stared fixedly at that sexy butt of hers. ''Master, please stop with your imagination; you''re tainting my innocence.'' Said Trina lightly with a pout as she read Alexander''s incredibly naughty and lewd imagination. ''You''re a Spirit Artifact for a sword, which is meant to kill; you never had any innocence to begin with, Trina. Also, I refuse, as it is my own imagination; I will let it run rampant.'' Replied Alexander lightly, his thoughts turning more lewd and naughty causing Trina to sigh while Zartha ignored them. Chapter 189: Lazuli Awakens While Imagining what I''d do with Yuki''s sexy butt, the hours passed by, with us taking an hour break around lunchtime, where I may or may not have done what I''d been imagining with Yuki''s butt to Michelle; once our little resit ended, we continued down the road with Yuki pulling the carriage like before, which I wasn''t necessarily angry, because of obvious reasons. During this time, I either talked with Michelle or played with Chloe inside the carriage and while I wouldn''t tell her, I preferred playing with Chloe; it was much more fun, though, when night began to roll around, I had Talis, like usual, help find ourselves a nice camping spot before we decided to settle down for the night. After cooking dinner for everyone, Michell, Yuki, and I conversed while Chloe chased Talis around our small campsite, though that didn''t last for very long as she got tired, prompting the four of us, minus Talis as she was required to watch over the campsite, to head to a small lake, which was decently far, roughly a thirty-minute walk. "Alex, no looking!" Said Chloe lightly as she eyed Alexander, who rolled his eyes while nodding. "Yes, yes, Chloe, I know, you don''t need to tell me." Remarked Alexander lightly with a nod as he glanced at Chloe before turning around and leaning against a tree. "Fufu, no peeking, Alexander." Said Michelle with a motherly laugh as she rubbed Chloe''s head while glancing at Alexander with a faint smirk, causing him to scoff and shake his head. "Don''t tempt me further; it''s already very enticing when both you and Yuki are there." Stated Alexander calmly as he closed his eyes and sat down, providing light with his fire mana while waiting for the three to finish bathing. Although it was tempting to use my [Heroes Gaze] to watch Yuki and Michelle clean themselves, I held myself back; I couldn''t be horny all the time, which was difficult when I had two incredibly sexy women beside me. After ten or so minutes, I heard Michelle call me, prompting me to stand up as I peeked behind the tree, only to see Chloe hiding behind Michelle while she and Yuki stood next to each other, their bodies dripping with water. "N-No need to stare so hard, Alexander." Said Michelle softly with a faint blush, using her arms to hide her body, feeling a little embarrassed by Alexander''s intense gaze while Yuki seemed indifferent. "Hehe." Said Alexander with a smirk as he created a large flame and a soft gust that blew toward the three, quickly drying them off while he returned to hiding behind the tree. After a few minutes, once they were all dry and wearing their clothes, I cleaned myself while they headed back to the campsite, and since Yuki and Michelle weren''t accompanying me, it only took me a few minutes before I was already wearing my clothes again. Quickly catching up with the group, we headed back to the campsite, where we found Talis sleeping, causing me to rub my face at how nonchalant she was about the whole thing. I mean, we were decently deep in the forest, so really, the only thing we''d need to worry about were beasts, but still. "Haa, unbelievable." Muttered Alexander with a frown as he glanced at Talis peacefully sleeping. Despite wanting to wake her up, I just left her be while saying goodnight to Chloe, as she was pretty tired; almost forgetting, I grabbed Lazuli, who had been motionlessly sleeping in the carriage this entire day, and from Soom''s words, she should awaken in the middle of the night so I gently placing her on my sleeping bag. "You''re not even giving me a chance to sit down, Yuki." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he sat beside Yuki, who was already pulling down his pants while Michelle watched from the side. "I''ve been itching to have your fine cock." Remarked Yuki lustfully as she lay on the ground before Alexander''s crotch before taking his large shaft to the base, aggressively sucking on it while bobbing her head up and down. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. When it came to blowjobs, there was something about how aggressive she was that made it impossible for me to last long; it wasn''t even five minutes before I reached my limit and cummed inside her mouth, and like the glutton she was, she didn''t waste a drop while continuing to suck me off. ''I''ve got no doubt she''d be an amazing Succubus; I just have a feeling she''d always end up killing the men she sleeps with on accident.'' Thought Alexander as he gazed at Yuki while gently stroking her face, only to glance at Michelle, who was sneakily pleasuring herself. "Ho, what do we have here? Is my Mistress pleasuring herself to the sight of Yuki and I? We can''t be having that." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Michelle before reaching forward and suddenly yanking her towards him. Before she could say anything, I grabbed her mouth and passionately kissed her while using my other hand to remove her pants as I began to finger her wet womanhood, causing her to moan inside my mouth. Michelle''s entire body was pretty much a sensitive spot, so it didn''t take too much for her to orgasm into my hand, staining it with her juices, which tasted like honey, just not that sweet, though it still tasted good. Just when I was about to say something, Yuki used her hands to fondle my testicles, which was a little scary for me, though thankfully, she was very gentle, and it made me cum earlier than I expected. "~Urgh~, I-I swear, every time, it feels like you''re trying to suck all of my semen straight from my testicles." Muttered Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who nodded while continuing to blow his cock even while cumming. Once I finally calmed down, I grabbed Michelle''s meaty thighs and lifted her onto my shoulders, where I ate her vagina like it was a feast, causing her to squirt her juices into my face and mouth while she tried to suppress her moans. Throughout the night, Yuki, Michelle, and I partook in this debauchery, pleasuring each other with mouth, hands, and even feet; it was terrific, and just when we were about to get to actually get to the good parts, we all heard a soft moan, causing Michelle and I to freeze while Yuki continued to wiggle her enormous butt in a hypnotizing and inviting manner. With [Heroes Gaze], I could tell it wasn''t Chloe, which caused me to sigh in relief, but that only left one person, and when I shifted my focus to Lazuli, I saw her slowly sitting up, causing me to inwardly curse as it hadn''t felt like much time had passed. ''Tsk, I swear it''s only been about an hour at most.'' Thought Alexander in slight annoyance as he sighed while reluctantly wearing his clothes, same with Michelle. "Eh, why are you two putting on your clothes?" Asked Yuki with a slight frown as she glanced between Michelle and Alexander, prompting the latter to point at Lazuli. "Because Lazuli is waking up, and before saying you don''t care, neither Michelle nor I feel that comfortable in exhibitionism, not to mention she''s been asleep for a full day, so I should go and check upon her." Remarked Alexander as he eyed Yuki, who opened her mouth before pouting while grumbling under her breath. "Y-Yeah, besides, I-I''m quite tired myself; I-I think I''ll be heading to sleep after this." Said Michelle softly with a blush as she regained her senses while the lust that clouded her judgment began to disperse. "So, put away that sexy ass of yours; we''ll finish this up at a later time." Said Alexander as he slapped Yuki''s but before leaning down and kissing it, causing her to huff in annoyance before reluctantly nodding. Once I was wearing my clothes, I approached Lazuli, who took a second to regain her bearings. "Lazuli, hey, it''s Alexander; how are you feeling?" Asked Alexander softly as he placed his hand atop Lazuli''s shoulder, causing her to glance his way while rubbing her head. "I feel¡­ lightheaded." Said Lazuli softly, her voice containing life and emotions, causing Alexander to smile. "Just take a few minutes; it should go away." Remarked Alexander, his words causing Lazuli to gently nod as Michelle stood beside him, with Yuki watching from a distance. "Are you okay, Lazuli? You''ve been asleep for a whole day." Asked Michelle softly as she squatted down beside Alexander while looking at Lazuli with concern. "Yes, I''m fine. Where is Father?" Replied Lazuli with a nod as she turned and looked at Michelle, her voice slowly losing the emotion and life within it. "Um, about Lazuli, Soom had said he needed to do something important, so he left you with us." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Lazuli, who frowned while slowly standing up. "You''re lying, Alex. Where is Father?" Said Lazuli with a frown as she eyed Alexander, putting him between a rock and a hard place. "I-I don''t know where Soom is; he left a day ago." Replied Alexander lightly with a sigh as he looked at Lazuli, who began walking, only for him to step in front of her. "Haa, if you''re going to find Soom, I can''t really let you, Lazuli. Sorry." Added Alexander apologetically as he gazed at Lazuli, whose eyes suddenly changed to blood-red while she raised her arm, causing it to morph into a sci-fi-looking cannon pointed directly at his face. Chapter 190: Pushing Yuki Over The Edge Despite how cool Lazuli''s futuristic arm cannon looked, it was much scarier when it was glowing with mana and pointing right at my face, especially when [Rebirth] skill was still on cooldown, so I couldn''t revive myself after dying. "Move, Alex." Stated Lazuli solemnly with a frown as she narrowed her eyes at Alexander while her arm-cannon glowed ominously with mana. ''Yeah, that has more than enough power to melt a good portion of my face.'' Thought Alexander lightly as his eyes glowed, using [Heroes Gaze] to eye the substantial amount of mana compressed within Lazuli''s arm. Seeing how serious Lazuli was, I wanted to try and peacefully settle this dispute before someone like Michelle, Yuki, Talis, or Chloe, who didn''t have as strong healing capabilities, got seriously injured; however, my lovely and slightly impulsive Oni thought otherwise. "Hey! What do you think you''re doing!?" Exclaimed Yuki angrily as she aggressively grabbed Lazuli''s arm cannon before forcefully pointing it toward the sky, only for her second arm to morph into a similar-looking cannon. "Yuki, wai-" Said Alexander quickly as he tried to step in between Yuki and Lazuli, only for Lazuli to blast her with a powerful mana beam, launching her through the forest. Lazuli''s attack itself was very quiet; it sounded almost exactly like a phone vibrating, except it vibrated at a much higher frequency, though Yuki, on the other hand, her being launched through several trees, was very loud. Quickly running forward, I looked down the destroyed path Yuki''s body made, only to sigh in relief when I saw her embedded into a tree; she was fine and still full of vitality, and other than a burn mark on her stomach, which I could easily heal, she was alive and well. With Yuki''s well-being accounted for, I shifted my focus to Lazuli, who continued walking, prompting me to use [Blink] as I appeared directly in front of her while forcefully grabbing her shoulders, stopping her in place. I may not have been that angry when Lazuli first attacked me, but it was a completely different story when attacking someone I cared for; even if Yuki was practically fine, she was still my lover and future wife; attacking her was attacking me, only with much more intensity. "Lazuli, will you stop and listen for one second; you haven''t even let me explain!" Stated Alexander sternly as he narrowed his eyes at Lazuli, who suddenly superheated her shoulders, causing him to retract his hands in pain. ''Tch, dammit!'' Thought Alexander as he shook his hands as they rapidly healed, only to glare at Lazuli while once again stepping in her path. "You''re really making it difficult for me not to use force." Remarked Alexander with a scowl as he forcefully grabbed Lazuli''s hands before raising them into the air, lifting her in the process. Just as I lifted Lazuli into the air, I heard what sounded like a rhino charging right at me, only, when I looked to my left, instead of a rhino, I saw an angry Yuki running towards Lazuli and I, which I had to admit, even frightened me a little. Yet, before I could try and stop her, Lazuli used this chance when I wasn''t paying attention to kick my chest, momentarily turning her legs into cannons that launched me backward. Skidding across the ground and crashing through a few trees, I quickly regained my bearings and looked at Lazuli, who was clotheslined by Yuki, causing me to wince as she sent flying through the air. ''Ouch, I wouldn''t ever want to be on the receiving end of that.'' Mused Alexander as he glanced at the enraged Yuki, prompting him to dust himself off while running back toward her. "Alex, are you okay!?" Asked Yuki in concern as she looked at Alexander, who sighed but nodded anyways. "You already know the answer to that, Yuki. Anyways, now that you''ve gotten even, can you calm down, please? She''s just worried about Soom; I''m sure you can understand, right?" Remarked Alexander gently as he affectionately held Yuki''s hand, transferring his emotion to her, causing her to scoff while reluctantly nodding. Stolen novel; please report. "Tsk, fine, but if she attacks again, I''m beating her until submission!" Declared Yuki solemnly as she grunted in annoyance while folding her arms, causing Alexander to smile as he kissed her hand. "Heh, I can always count on-MOVE!" Said Alexader with a faint smile as he glanced at Yuki, only for his heart rate to rapidly increase, prompting him to leap forward and push her out of the way. Acting on almost pure instinct, I pushed Yuki''s massive frame out of the way, just in time for a beam of highly concentrated mana to shoot through the sky as it pierced right through my chest before continuing further onwards behind me. Once the beam dissipated, I fell to the ground, bleeding everywhere as I glanced at my wound, only to slightly widen my eyes at the damage I had sustained. ''Oh, that''s bad.'' Thought Alexander softly as he gazed at the gaping hole in his chest devoid of anything, his heart nowhere to be seen. My ability to revive myself still wasn''t available, so this was actually quite bad; even with my impressive healing capabilities, I didn''t know if I''d survive this; this was definitely one of the worst injuries I''ve taken when my skill had been on cooldown. ''I-I''m feeling sleepy, t-that''s not a good sign.'' Thought Alexander as he gazed at the night sky, drowsiness threatening to overtake him. ___ ___ "A-ALEX!" Yelled Yuki in horror as she quickly stood up and ran towards Alexander, prompting Michelle, hiding behind the carriage, to do the same. Kneeling before Alex, I picked him into my arms, only to sport an ugly expression when I saw the gaping hole in his chest where his heart was supposed to be; however, before I could think the worst, I remembered he could revive himself even after death, this should be nothing. "C''mon, Alex, heal yourself!" Stated Yuki swiftly as she looked at Alexander, whose mind was too clouded to properly hear her. I tried yelling a few more times, but he didn''t seem to hear me, yet after some time, there had yet to be a blinding glow accompanied by a fully healed Alex; I was beginning to think the worst. ''Heal! HEAL, ALEX! Why¡­ Why aren''t you healing!?'' Thought Yuki anxiously as she eyed Alexander within her arms, only for a pair of flapping wings to resound throughout the area. "Eh, Alex! What happened to him!?" Asked Talis in shock as she stared at Alexander before quickly landing next to Michelle, who had frozen at the sight of him. "Why isn''t he healing Talis!?" Asked Yuki aggressively as she eyed Talis, who opened her mouth to speak, but only chirps were heard. Slamming my fist onto the ground as I couldn''t understand what Talis was saying, yet before I could do anything, I saw her quickly move as she began using her talons to write on the ground, and while it was a little slow for my liking, she''s known Alex the longest so she was the only lead we had. However, as the moments passed and I began reading what she was saying, I felt my heart drop while my body went cold as I looked at Talis. ''C-Cool down? H-His skill has a c-cool down? W-What? H-he never told me that, a-and it''s two months? I-it hasn''t even been a month since that i-incident.'' Thought Yuki was in despair as she gazed at Talis before looking at Alexander, who had yet to heal from the mortal wound. "D-Does that mean A-Alex is going to die? H-He''s going to die because of me?" Muttered Yuki softly as she gazed at Alexander in her embrace, her heart rate slowly increasing while her aggressive nature grew. "Alex. h-he''s going to die? H-He can''t die. H-hE CaN''T dIE." Added Yuki quietly, her voice morphing into something more guttural and monstrous while her already impressive muscles grew. Feeling my consciousness slowly being corrupted by the desire to kill everything, I grabbed my head and tried to calm down. I didn''t want to turn into a monster; there was no one here to stop me. I tried my best to contain the brewing desire to murder every living thing in my head, yet it was impossible; I was too angry, too scared, and when I glanced at Lazuli after hearing a branch snap, it all came flooding out like a broken damn. With my consciousness rapidly fading, I quickly lunged at Lazuli; if I was going to turn into a monster, I was going to kill the one responsible for everything. "¡­kill¡­ Lazuli¡­" Muttered Yuki with bloodshot eyes as her figure rapidly changed, growing larger, bulkier, stronger, and more monstrous. The last thing I remember vividly seeing was Lazuli''s indifferent expression as I lunged toward her; I only hoped once everything was over, the people who I''d come to call friends were still alive. ¨C¨C¨C ___ Looking at Talis, she made sure I never fell asleep, always stabbing my cheek with her talons whenever I closed my eyes, even when it was to blink, which was annoying, but beggars can''t be choosers given the situation. Speaking of that, I was healing, but it was slower than usual; it was going to take a while before I would be in perfect condition, and the only real problem was that I didn''t think Lazuli would survive that long. Although everything was a little blurry, I could still make our Yuki and Lazuli fighting. Well, it was more along the lines of Lazuli running around, trying to keep her distance from Yuki, but even with her much bulkier appearance, it was proving to be very difficult, seeing as she had already lost an arm. ''I''m going to need to stop, Yuki.'' Thought Alexander as he bit his lip before rolling onto his side, attempting to stand up, which was taking everything he had and then some. Chapter 191: Calming Yuki While attempting to stand up, I ended up nearly falling over, yet a tree managed to keep me upright, though it was taking a lot out of me not to just plop onto the ground; despite my situation, I could vividly feel my legs shaking as weakness constantly consumed my body. Although I wanted to, I wasn''t going to be able to chase after Yuki and Lazuli, not when I had a gaping hole in my chest where my heart was supposed to be. ''F-Fuck, t-this w-won''t work.'' Thought Alexander anxiously as he searched for Yuki and Lazuli, struggling to stand. "Alex! What are you doing!? You need to lie down!" Yelled Talis urgently as she flew towards Alexander, grabbed his hand, and pulled him down, nearly managing to force him to the ground. "T-Talis. I-I need¡­ Y-Your help." Asked Alexander weakly as he glanced at Talis while breathing erratically. "Yeah, you need to lie down!" Remarked Talis with a frown as she eyed Alexander while doing her best to pull him toward the ground without hurting him, which was proving rather challenging for her. "T-Talis, s-stop; I-I need you t-to bring, Y-Yuki a-and L-Lazuli. P-Please." Stated Alexander softly as he looked at Talis, who looked at him with widened eyes, completely confused about his request. "What? Bring Yuki and Lazuli? No, why would I do that? I need to get you to lie down." Said Talis with a shake of her head as she loudly chirped before bitting Alexander''s shirt while flying downwards. Grunting in pain, I reached down and grabbed Talis by her neck before bringing her up to eye level and staring into those stubborn eyes of hers. "Talis. P-Please just l-listen to me. I-If nothing i-is done, L-Lazuli, w-will l-lose her life." Remarked Alexander lightly as he eyed Talis while transferring his raw emotions to her, causing her to aggressively chirp as she called him a plethora of profanities. "Tch, fine! I-I''ll do it!" Said Talis in annoyance as she looked at Alexander, who faintly smiled before releasing her, prompting her to flap her wings while flying towards the sound of constant guttural roars. Watching Talis fly towards Yuki and Lazuli, I took this moment to try and heal as much as possible, though it wasn''t like I could actively do anything to speed up the process; the most I could do was try not to worsen my already terrible situation. To be honest, I was a little surprised I was even still alive, let alone being able to move, albeit barely; I suppose I''ve never really pushed my endurance to its limit since if I were ever injured this badly, I''d just use [Rebirth], though still, to survive with a gaping hole in my chest, granted I was pretty much as defenseless as a baby, it was a more than impressive in my opinion. This goes to show how powerful my [Rebirth] skill truly is, and if this wasn''t enough, it was only level three, which means it has a lot of room for growth. ''Maybe, b-by the time it reaches, l-level 10; t-this injury will be healed i-in mere m-moments.'' Mused Alexander softly as he glanced at his gaping hole, which was slowly healing. While I was thinking about the future if I happened to survive this, out of the corner of my way, I saw Lazuli, who was missing both arms, suddenly emerge from the dense forest with Talis leading the way, only for Yuki''s enormous figure to follow soon after as she toppled everything in her path; however, she didn''t look like the Yuki I know. Now that I was given a better view of Yuki''s monstrous appearance, I couldn''t help but sigh; I now had a better understanding of why she was so frightened of herself. However, that didn''t change how I felt about Yuki; I still loved her all the same, but I probably just wasn''t going to like her for the next few hours. With Lazuli and Talis passing right by me, I grunted once more as I pushed myself off the tree, standing in front of Yuki''s path as she came charging right for me; if this were a true monster, I wouldn''t have done something so stupid, though unlike those monstrous, Yuki had a soul which would make all the difference. After all, despite standing right in front of her, she was still staring fixedly at Lazuli, which meant she wasn''t a loss cause; whether she could be reasoned with was another story. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ''F-Fuck, w-well, h-here g-goes nothing.'' Thought Alexander as he raised his arms to his sides. "YUKI!" Yelled Alexander firmly, his loud voice managing to snap Yuki''s attention to himself as she violently roared at him before coming to an immediate halt. Internally sighing in relief at Yuki stopping herself before completely toppling me, which probably would''ve sealed my fate in hindsight, but I can worry about my stupidity later. However, before I could try to speak with Yuki, I suddenly felt my neck tightly constrict as I was lifted into the air by her massive hand, which prompted Talis to yell in concern while Lazuli morphed her leg into some futuristic-looking cannon, though I stopped her before she could. "S-Stop, L-Lazuli!!" Said Alexander sternly as he waved his legs around and eyed Lazuli, who silently gazed at him before lowering her leg. Unfortunately for me, my action of waving my leg around prompted Yuki to snap it in half as my foot was now facing toward my crotch, causing me to bite my lip as I grunted in pain. ''You''ve d-dealt w-with worse; t-this is nothing!'' Thought Alexander as he hardened his gaze and looked at Yuki, who was looking at him in pure rage and hatred. "Y-Yuki, y-you''re l-looking q-quite beautiful right now." Remarked Alexander lightly with a smile as he outstretched his hand and rubbed Yuki''s cheek, causing a faint blush to adorn her face while she broke his hand. "T-That''s n-not nice Y-Yuki, my l-lovely l-little Oni i-isn''t that m-mean." Added Alexander softly with a smile as he ignored his broken hand and rubbed Yuki''s cheek while her blush slightly deepened. "Alex, what are you doing?" Asked Talis in confusion as she eyed Alexander while perched upon a tree, her voice angering Yuki. "Shh, b-be q-quiet!" Stated Alexander aggressively as he eyed Talis while Yuki''s hold around his neck tightened. Shushing Talis, I looked back at the growling Yuki and continued to whisper sweet nothings to her, hoping she''d revert to normal, which never ended up happening, but over time, she did calm down. "Aren''t y-you s-such an a-adorable a-and c-cute, Oni, Y-Yuki; your b-beauty is p-practically limitless." Remarked Alexander softly as he sat on Yuki''s lap while kissing her cheek, keeping her calm with her only occasionally roaring. Getting Yuki to calm down was easier than I anticipated, but then again, unlike monsters, she had a soul besides It''s not like I was just some random stranger; I was her lover. I doubt anyone else would have such an easy time getting her calm down, not like I exactly had an easy time either; she broke my leg and hand, and neither feels pleasant. Several more minutes passed, with me conveying my love through both words and my raw emotions, which helped significantly before Yuki finally started to revert to her usual self as her entire body slowly shrunk, causing her to no longer look like a monster, prompting everyone to sigh in relief. Yuki was, thankfully, fast asleep, which prompted me to do the same as I rested my head against her voluptuous breasts; although Talis advised me not to, after everything I had gone through, I was pretty confident I was going to survive this, so I ignored her words and went to sleep. ''T-Tomorrow i-is going to s-suck.'' Thought Alexander as he drifted to sleep amidst his pain-filled body while ignoring his problems for tomorrow. ___ ___ It was early in the morning, and I was fixing Lazuli using the stuff Soom had given me before he left while she instructed me. "Insert into my hole." Said Lazuli blandly while glancing at Alexander, whose face twitched before doing as she said. ''Oh, that could mean a plethora of things.'' Mused Alexander as he inserted the small rocks into the small hole inside Lazuli''s torso. Once I did as she said, I dusted my hands off before closing her chest, causing me to glance at her breast before biting my lip and gently groping it. ''Huh, it feels just like a real breast.'' Mused Alexander in slight surprise as he raised an eyebrow, only to retract his hand before leaving Lazuli alone. Exiting the carriage while Lazuli repaired herself with those rocks, I looked at everyone, only to rub my head as I realized I had a lot to deal with. I''d already burnt any trace of my blood; that was the first thing I had done when I awoke; following that, I had to calm Chloe down since, apparently, she had seen my broken limbs, though thankfully, by then, my gaping hole had already healed. Now that I''ve finished helping Lazuli, I still need to comfort Michelle, who froze yesterday at the sight of my wound; unfortunately, I just didn''t have the time to talk with her yesterday since there were more pressing matters. As for Yuki, well, when she woke up, the first thing she did was run away; and I can already imagine it''s going to be a headache to deal with. Chapter 192: Michelle & Yuki Since I was going to need to find Yuki, which was most likely going to be both time-consuming and a pain, I headed towards Michelle, who was sitting in the distance with Chloe sitting on her lap, easing her worries. Approaching the mother&daughter duo, I silently sat down beside them, causing Chloe to look at me in concern while Michelle bit her lip and refused to look my way, it seemed she was too ashamed in herself to acknowledge my presence. Michelle may not have been my lover, but I did care for her, so seeing her like this didn''t make me happy, especially when I was the one who made her like this. Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pulled her closer and had her lean on my shoulder, the two of us remaining silent for minutes. "Alexander?" "Michelle?" Asked Michell and Alexander, respectively, as they turned and looked at each other, prompting the latter to place his finger atop her lips. "You can go first, Michelle." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Michelle, removing his finger, causing her to nod slowly and lower her head again. "I-I''m sorry for what happened last night." Said Michelle softly as she bit her lip with a teary-eyed expression, remembering the events that transpired last night. "Sorry for what, Michelle? I don''t really remember you doing something you should be apologizing for." Asked Alexander in slight confusion as he looked at Michelle while affectionately rubbing her shoulder. "I-I froze up, Alexander. W-When you were l-lying on the ground, bleeding, w-with that wound, I-I froze, m-my mind came to a halt when I saw such gruesome gore. W-While Talis was helping you, I sat silently beside you, doing nothing. I-I couldn''t help the man I love." Remarked Michelle shamefully in defeat as she lowered her head while tears streamed down her face, falling onto the quiet Chloe, who was smart enough to read the atmosphere between the two. "You know, Michelle, I-I don''t blame you for any of that." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Michelle, who aggressively shook her head. "But I blame myself! I-It''s not that I didn''t do anything, but I couldn''t! I''ve lived all of my life pampered and have never experienced the dangers of this world, so the sight of you froze me, and do you know what the first I did was when I finally came to? I-I vomited what I had for lunch; I didn''t check upon you, I didn''t help you, I wasn''t even near you! I had vomited and then went to sleep. While you could''ve died, I was peacefully sleeping." Remarked Michelle with an unsightly expression as she grabbed the sides of her head, crying while experiencing a plethora of negative emotions like self-loathing, hatred, defeat, shame, and anger. Seeing Michelle in such a terrible mental state hurt me quite a lot; as the only man on this journey, I should be protecting them; it was a role I had gladly taken on when we first started this, yet now, after some reflection, I haven''t been acting like a good man. A good man wouldn''t ever let someone he cares about experience something too extreme, which made me ashamed. I didn''t bother saying anything to Michelle as I didn''t have anything to say; anything I said would''ve just felt like an excuse at this point. Michelle was like this because of me, and trying to conjure excuses would''ve only further taken away from my massive failure, which wasn''t something I was going to allow; I had failed in my one job, and I would try my best to keep this moment etched into my brain so I know I can never afford to fail again. While Michelle vented her emotions, I comforted her with my own, trying to help calm her down, which more or less worked, though it took a while since those emotions of hers were pretty intense. "So, are you feeling better now, Michelle?" Asked Alexander softly as he glanced at Michelle, who hesitantly nodded while wiping her tears. "Well, if that''s the case, I''d also like to apologize." Added Alexander lightly as he gently rubbed Michelle''s back while glancing at her and Chloe. Before Michell could open her mouth, I forcefully closed it; I wouldn''t have her try to undermine my failure. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Be quiet and listen, Michelle." Said Alexander firmly, his assertive voice causing both Michelle and Chloe to quickly nod as they silently listened. "As the man of this family, it''s my job to protect and care for everyone, and even when we''re in bad situations, I''m supposed to make sure no one can tell; however, I failed in doing such things. We were lucky Lazuli wasn''t an enemy, but if it were, I-I''m sure you can imagine." Remarked Alexander softly as he rested his arms on his knees, gazing at the sky while Michelle and Chloe remained silent. "To this moment, I haven''t taken my job seriously, and I''m sorry. I''ve never realized how difficult it is to be the man or leader of the family. When I was young, my brother was the one who took care of me; during that time, even though we were barely getting by, I couldn''t remember a time when I was, well, like you are right now, Michelle. I suppose when I remember how easy my brother made it seem, I had subconsciously taken it for granted, but now I can somewhat appreciate how hard he must''ve been working for my sake." Added Alexander lightly with a longing expression as he stared at the faint moons floating in the sky, hidden behind the sun''s light. "You¡­ You had a brother, Alexander? I thought you said you were a single child with your Master taking care of you?" Asked Michelle in confusion as she looked at Alexander while Chloe remained silent. "Yeah, you''re not wrong. It''s just that I''m reincarnated; I lived my first life with my brother, and died after twenty years, and was reincarnated with my Master having taken care of me." Replied Alexander lightly, rubbing his head while looking at Michelle, who slightly widened her eyes in surprise. "So¡­ even after living two lives, I''m still older than you?" Muttered Michelle softly as she lowered her head, her choice of words causing Alexander''s facial expression to twitch while he began to stand up. "Even Yuki is older than me, Michelle, and she''s only 39. Anyway, I will go and find her. If you need me, just yell my name, and I''ll come running. Also, you don''t need to worry about Lazuli; she won''t run off or attack, as I convinced her to stay with us until Soom returns." Remarked Alexander lightly as he gestured to the carriage while helping Michelle onto her two feet, only for her to proactively kiss him with Chloe still in her arms. "Um, I-I know you may not have meant it that deeply, but I-I really liked it when you called us f-family." Said Michelle with a deep blush as she looked away from Alexander, who faintly smiled before wrapping his arms around her waist and passionately kissing her. "I meant it just as deeply as you think I did, Michelle." Said Alexander softly as he whispered into Michelle''s mouth, pressing her entire body against him while the two passionately kissed, momentarily forgetting about Chloe, who was stuck in between them. Before things started to get sexual, Chloe made her presence known by pushing against me, causing me to remove my hand from Michelle''s butt as we separated our lips and backed away, only to see her breathing heavily. "I-I nearly died, Mom!" Said Chloe with a frown as she looked at Michelle while gasping for breath, causing her to blush in shame. Affectionately rubbing Chloe''s head, which helped calm her down, I kissed Michelle before walking away; of course, I had to give her butt a nice smack as well. ''Now then, time to find that lovely little monster of mine.'' Mused Alexander softly as he traversed through the forest searching for Yuki, who could be anywhere by now. ___ ___ Arriving at a rather beautiful waterfall after using [Heroes Gaze] to follow Yuki''s tracks, I looked around, admiring the beauty before diving into the lake the waterfall poured into. Swimming towards the waterfall, I climbed out of the lake and entered underneath it, only to find a dimly lit cave with a certain someone sitting on the ground in a fetal position. ''[Heroes Gaze] is so unbelievably useful.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he approached Yuki while his eyes stopped glowing. Unlike Michelle, with Yuki, I could be a bit more aggressive, and so I figured the best way to help Yuki was simply to make love with her; removing my wet clothes, I snapped my fingers, creating a flame that illuminated the cave as I placed it on the ground while squatted down and picked up Yuki, who still didn''t bother reacting to me. "Yuki, stop blaming yourself. You broke my arm, hand, and leg, but so what? You didn''t kill anyone, did you? No, you didn''t, so stop feeling sorry for yourself; you can hurt me all you want. I''m never going to stop loving you." Declared Alexander as he dropped Yuki onto the ground, waiting for her to move, which she never did, causing him to grab his head and sigh. "Haa, alright, do you want to talk about how you transformed into some monster, or would you rather make love? We''re only going to do one, so decide." Asked Alexander with a bland expression as he looked at Yuki, who slightly lifted her head and glanced at him before shifting her focus to his enormous erection. "M-Make love." Muttered Yuki softly, her words causing him to smile as he forcefully broke her out of the fetal position, making her lie on the ground while removing her clothes. "The only person you happened to harm was me, Yuki; you know, you remember everything, don''t you? So, just calm down and stop worrying. I''ll make you feel so good that you completely forget you ever transformed." Remarked Alexander firmly while laying upside-down atop Yuki before flipping their positions, entering the legendary sixty-nine as he used his mouth and tongue to pleasure her vagina, prompting her to do the same to him. Chapter 193: Alexanders Change After having made some incredible love with Yuki, which served to improve her mood significantly, we walked back to our campsite, and although it was a little annoying since we were forced to pause our love, we agreed to finish it later, or more like, I persuaded and promised Yuki we''d finish it later. ''Speaking of later, I''ve got a lot of lovemaking I''ve promised to do with Yuki; once we acquire a permanent residence, we probably won''t see the sun for several days.'' Mused Alexander wryly as he glanced up at Yuki, who was sitting atop his shoulders, though not in the orientation one would expect. "Yes?" Asked Yuki softly as she glanced down at Alexander, who kept looking at her, causing him to smirk as he blew her a kiss before stuffing his face into her crotch. "Hmm, nothing, just appreciate my beautiful little monster." Replied Alexander softly; his voice sounded a little muffled as he spoke directly into Yuki''s crotch, causing her to shiver slightly before wincing amidst her blushing face. "C-Can you not call me that, Alex? I-I know it''s supposed to be affectionate, but, a-after what I did, it doesn''t feel very affectionate or loving." Asked Yuki quietly as she held Alexander''s head, gently pushing his face deeper into her crotch, something they were both enjoying. "Haa, alright, I won''t call you that, but I''ll need to create a new nickname for you." Said Alexander, his muffled voice sending vibrations into Yuki, causing waves of pleasure to erupt from her crotch. ''Tsk, stupid pants!'' Mused Alexander in annoyance as he eyed Yuki''s pants, only to suddenly set her down in front of him. Pulling down Yuki''s pants, I grasped her large, firm, muscular thighs and placed her back onto my shoulders, though, without her pants in the way, I got the perfect view of her vagina, which I had just plowed for nearly an hour straight so it was still pretty wet. "Thanks for the meal, Yuki." Said Alexander with a thankful expression as he suddenly dived into Yuki''s crotch, enthusiastically giving her cunnilingus while she faintly moaned in pleasure. ___ ___ "Ah, Alexander, Yuki, you''re finally back." Said Michelle with a look of relief as she stood up and approached Alexander, who had set Yuki on the ground. Because of a certain snack I ate along the way back to our campsite, it took us a little longer to return, but in the end, I''d say it was well worth it, seeing how Yuki sported a satisfied expression. "Yeah, sorry we took so long; I had found Yuki hiding behind a waterfall, and I had to cheer her up, and since I didn''t have food, I did the next best thing I could think of." Remarked Alexander lightly as he looked at Michelle, whose face twitched while she glanced between him and Yuki, noticing her satisfied smile. "Haa, well, I''m just glad you two are okay; after what happened last night, I was worried something bad may have happened to you, Yuki." Said Michelle with a sigh as she shook her head before approaching Yuki and grabbing two of her arms, causing her to lower her head. "A-About last night, s-sorry Michelle, I-I had put you and Chloe in danger." Muttered Yuki apologetically in a hushed voice as she looked down at Michelle, who frowned before sighing. "I won''t forgive anyone who harms my daughter, but nothing happened, and everyone¡ª mostly everyone was unharmed. Just, if you ever happen to become that thing you were last night, could you give me a warning?" Remarked Michelle sternly as she fearlessly gazed at Yuki, who was nearly twice her height, before shaking her head and softly smiling. "T-Thanks, Michelle." Said Yuki with a faint smile as she gazed at Michelle before lifting her up with her other two hands and hugging her. "Oh, p-please be gentle, Yuki; you''ll crush me like a twig with just a bit of strength." Stated Michelle quickly, in slight fear, as she reciprocated the hug while eying Yuki, who nodded. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Seeing Yuki and Michelle hugging, I couldn''t be happier; not only were my lover and mistress on great terms, which saved who knows how many problems, but Yuki also seemed to finally gain a friend, well, a friend who didn''t become her lover and one she can talk to, A.K.A, me and Talis. ''Oh, how I would love to wrap my arms around them and hug them.'' Mused Alexander with a happy smile as he stared at Yuki and Michelle, only to feel someone grab his hand, prompting him to spot Chloe. "How are you doing, Chloe?" Asked Alexander curiously as he lifted Chloe onto his shoulders, causing her to play with his shoulder-length white hair. "Um, I''m fine; oh, I am hungry." Replied Chloe lightly as she gently swayed her legs while messing around with Alexander''s hair, causing him to nod. "Ah, Chloe, what are you doing up there?" Asked Michelle with a raised eyebrow as she turned and looked at Chloe, who tilted her head in confusion. "Um, I don''t know, ask Alex?" Replied Chloe, her words causing Michelle to shake her head as she, Yuki, and Alexander entered their campsite, only to see someone sitting on a fallen tree. Seeing Lazuli out of the carriage and with both of her limbs, I sighed in relief, though afterward, I promptly glanced at Yuki, who was glaring at her with unbridled hatred, causing me to wince slightly. If she disliked Lazuli before, then she was one negative interaction away from the two being literal enemies for life. I felt like anything I said to calm Yuki down would''ve done the opposite, so I simply rubbed her arms while transferring my calming emotion to her. It worked as she noticeably relaxed, though her eyes never once shifted away from Lazuli. ''Oh dear, this is going to be too incredibly difficult.'' Mused Alexander with an ugly expression as he glanced between Yuki and Lazuli. "Hmph, I''m getting food." Said Yuki aggressively as she turned around and walked away, causing Alexander to shake his head as he handed Chloe to Michelle before approaching Lazuli. Standing before Lazuli, I folded my arms and looked at her as she did the same to me, only to grab her arm and pull her onto her feet. "So, how are you feeling, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli, who tilted her head. "I''m in perfect health." Replied Lazuli indifferently with a nod, her words causing Alexander to faintly smile while clenching his fist. Digging my feet into the ground, I violently punched Lazuli in the stomach, lifting her off the ground while using my other hand to prevent her from going anywhere. "There, now we''re even for that hole you put in my chest." Said Alexander lightly as he gently set Lazuli on the ground while removing his fist, causing her to nod. Seeing her casually brush off my punch angered me a little; it''s not like I wanted to see her rolling around on the ground in pain. I would''ve been satisfied with her holding her stomach, but just brushing my punch off like nothing didn''t really sit well with me. ''Tsk, must be because her body is made of inorganic materials; should''ve gone for the face. Whatever, I got my revenge.'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he eyed Lazuli before grunting and shaking his head. "So, how come you''re deciding to stay when you weren''t before? What made you change your mind?" Asked Alexander calmly as he eyed Lazuli curiously, causing her to point at him. "Two reasons. Father had told me to trust you and follow your lead, which I ignored when I woke up from my slumber and noticed Father was missing. You had Father''s pouch, something he values just as deeply as his own life; since Father trusts you, I shall do the same." Replied Lazuli softly as she pointed at Soom''s pouch, which was tied around his waist, causing him to nod while rubbing his chin. "Hmm, I see. Well, I wish I knew that earlier; you wouldn''t have almost killed me otherwise." Muttered Alexander lightly as he gazed at Lazuli, only to shake his head while patting her shoulder. "Welp, until your Father returns, you''ll be with us. I suggest not interacting with Yuki anymore; she''s one word away from ripping you in half, and unfortunately for you, none of us here can stop her." Added Alexander softly, his words causing Lazuli to nod as she sat back down, prompting him to sit beside her. Despite sitting beside each other, neither one of us said anything. She wasn''t the type to initiate conversation, and I was too busy thinking about last night. ''Strength, huh? If I were stronger, I wouldn''t have made Chloe, Michelle, Talis, or Yuki worry about me like that.'' Thought Alexander with a faint frown as he clenched his fist, realizing his lack of strength. ''A lot of problems can always be solved with strength, Master; of course, you''re not the type of person to do that, but it''s always good to have a fallback option.'' Said Trina lightly as she looked up at the sunny sky while lying atop the ocean, her words causing Zartha to nod in agreement. ''I agree with Trina; it''s better to have an option you hate than no option at all.'' Added Zartha, sitting on a reclining chair with her eyes closed. ''I''ve never been someone who solely sought out strength, but it seems that''s got to change; if I want to do more than just simply protect them, I''ll need to be stronger.'' Thought Alexander solemnly with a deep gaze as he stared at Michelle, Chloe, and Talis, the latter sleeping in the carriage. Chapter 194: Weeks Passing While I came to the conclusion about what I needed most to protect those I held some semblance of care toward, Yuki returned with an animal a few minutes later, prompting me to butcher it like usual before cooking it; once I finished with that, we all sat around the fire and ate lunch, with most of us doing so in silence. Yuki was still VERY angry with Lazuli, and she, herself, did not talk much while I was still thinking about how to gain strength. When we finished eating, we quickly packed everything into the carriage and headed toward the road with Yuki at the reins; since I wasn''t bold enough to argue with her right now, I just let her have her way. With Yuki pulling the carriage, we made decent progress and continued until dusk, only for Talis to find a decent area to camp for the night in the forest; once we arrived at our camping spot, we finished our food from lunch and then promptly headed to sleep, while I was serving as Yuki''s plushie given how tightly she was squeezing me in her embrace. When morning arrived, we continued like we''d been doing for the past several days: Breakfast, hitting the road, Lunchbreak, back onto the road, dinner, sleep, repeat. It was rather monotonous, especially since our surroundings looked almost exactly the same, so it felt as if we''d been making no progress whatsoever, though that was merely in our head; however, I did feel a little bad for Chloe, the only time she was allowed to leave the carriage was whenever we ate, other than that Michelle had her stay hidden within the trunk in case of any bandit attacks. Though despite each day feeling quite long, two boring and repetitive weeks quickly passed by, something I was both thankful and annoyed at; by this time, most of Yuki''s anger had vanished, and all that was left was a deep-seated hatred she had for Lazuli, something that wouldn''t be going away anytime soon or easily for that matter. As night was rolling around, I had Talis find us a camping spot, which didn''t take long, and about twenty minutes later, I was pulling the carriage into a small clearing. "Finally!" Yelled Chloe excitedly as she squeezed past Yuki''s figure before leaping onto the ground, causing Michelle to sigh while quickly following after her. "Careful, Chole." Said Michelle softly as she tried chasing Chloe, though her stamina was no match for that of a child. Following Michelle and Chloe, Lazuli, who was sitting beside Yuki at the front of the carriage, hopped off and stood beside a tree while looking at me, waiting for me so we could do a perimeter search or whatever, while Yuki also left the carriage, grabbing the leftovers from lunch in the process. "Tha trait [Deep Stomach] isn''t there for a reason." Muttered Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who began eating the leftovers, causing him to shake his head. Securely tying the carriage to the tree to ensure it wouldn''t go anywhere, I approached Lazuli as we headed into the forest, doing a perimeter search around our campsite, though this time, we had Talis join us as she flew overhead through the canopy of trees. Despite doing this every time we find a camping spot, Lazuli and I never really talk much; it was a little weird, but I never really bothered to question it. During the walk, we happened to come across a small river that was just big enough for one to clean themselves in, and that''s exactly what I did while I forced Talis to join me since who knows how long it''s been since that bird has cleaned herself. "Mind giving me a few minutes, Lazuli? I''ll be quick." Asked Alexander lightly as he removed his and tossed it onto a tree branch. "No." Replied Lazuli lightly, her voice seemingly containing the slightest hint of emotions as she stared at Alexander, who nodded. Just as I was about to take off my pants, I glanced at Lazuli, who was staring directly at me, causing me to cough awkwardly as I tried to get her to turn around since I don''t wear any underwear, though nothing I did worked. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Um, Lazuli, do you mind turning around?" Asked Alexander lightly with an awkward expression as he glanced at Lazuli, who raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Yes, I do mind." Replied Lazuli blandly with a nod, her words causing Alexander''s expression to constantly twitch. Sighing in defeat as Lazuli was rather stubborn, just as stubborn as Talis, I just stopped caring and removed my pants; not like I exactly cared all that much if someone saw me naked, especially Lazuli since she would hardly react to it like an ordinary woman. Tossing my pants onto the tree branch, I untied my hair and entered the cold river, which felt quite good as today was rather hot; pulling Talis into the river beside me, causing her to chirp aggressively, I cleaned her fist since she disliked the water, before I began cleaning myself, though while doing so, Lazuli squatted beside the river bank and was intently staring at my cock, which was semi-erect, though it wasn''t about to stay like that for long. "Um, yes, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander with a wry expression as he turned around, hiding his crotch from view while glancing at Lazuli. "I am curious as to why Michelle and Yuki seem to love procreating with you; I am led to believe it has something to do with your cock, as you three call it." Remarked Lazuli lightly as she leaped to the other side of the bank, viewing Alexander''s fully erect shaft, causing his face to once again twitch. "I also want to know; I tried the same thing, but it doesn''t feel as good as Alex makes it sound." Added Talis lightly as she perched herself atop Alexander''s shoulder while glancing at his crotch, causing him to aggressively rub his face. Dreading how annoying this conversation was going to be, I was about to tell Lazuli, but before I could, her eyes suddenly widened for a split second, and the next thing I knew, she was leaving, causing me to tilt my head as we hadn''t even finished checking the perimeter. "Lazuli, are you okay?" Asked Alexander in concern as he glanced at Lazuli, who stopped before nodding. "Y-Yes." Replied Lazuli softly as she continued walking, heading deeper into the forest, leaving Alexander and Talis alone. ''Well, that was weird.'' Mused Alexander with a confused expression as he rubbed his head. "So, are you going to tell me why mating feels good? I also want to feel good." Asked Talis lightly as she looked at Alexander, who simply shook his head. ___ ___ After I finished bathing, I put on my clothes and continued the perimeter search since I figured I might as well; once I finished, I headed back to our campsite, telling Yuki and Michelle about the river, causing them to nod as they promptly headed there, with Yuki taking the leftovers with her. However, while they were doing that, I was slightly surprised at the fact Lazuli was nowhere to be seen, which did worry me a little since I thought she may have left to find Soom, but considering she hadn''t done that once over the past two weeks, I ruled it out. "Lazuli is a big girl; she should be fine." Muttered Alexander lightly as he laid his and Yuki''s sleeping bag on the ground away from the carriage. After twenty or so minutes, Michelle, Yuki, and Chloe returned, and two of the three looked incredibly sexy. "Yuki, please tell me you didn''t eat all of that by yourself." Asked Alexander blankly as he stared at the empty box in Yuki''s hands. "No, I gave some to Michelle and Chloe." Said Yuki defensively as she folded her other two arms, prompting Alexander to look at Michelle and Chloe, both nodding. "Well, what about Talis?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Talis curled on his lap. "I already ate some before Yuki got her hands on it since I knew I wouldn''t get a chance to if she did." Replied Talis with a few chirps as she eyed Yuki, who did the same, the two having a staring contest until Chloe picked up Talis off Alexander''s lap. "C''mon, let''s play Talis!" Said Chloe energetically as she tossed Talis into the air, prompting her to spread her wings and fly while she chased after her. While Talis and Chloe played together, Yuki and Michelle sat beside me on either side, well that was until I lifted her onto my lap facing me. "Eh, n-not right now, Alexander." Said Michelle bashfully as she looked at Alexander, who faintly chuckled while nodding. "Hehe, I know; I just want to make sure you know I haven''t forgotten about you; we haven''t been able to do it much since we left Hyphen. You''ve been taking care of Chloe a lot, and the times we did get to have sex, it wasn''t for that long." Remarked Alexander lightly as he tightly wrapped his arms around Michelle''s waist, bringing her deeper into his embrace and causing her ample breasts to squish against his chest. "Well, I am her Mother; besides, I usually wake up early enough to give you at least one blowjob." Stated Michelle softly, causing Alexander to roll his eyes as he passionately kissed her. As I passionately kissed Michelle, I felt Yuki tugging on my shoulder, though I promptly ignored her until I felt Michelle trying to pull away from my lips, causing me to turn and glance at Yuki, who was pouting, and boy, did she look so beautiful. "Hehe, don''t worry, I haven''t forgotten about you, Yuki." Said Alexander with a smirk as he wrapped his arm around Yuki''s waist before passionately kissing her, forcing her to lean down, given the height difference. Chapter 195: Lazuli, A Real Woman Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to indulge in my lover and mistress''s lips for too long since Chloe started to get tired, which prompted Michelle to take her into the carriage as the two headed to sleep, causing me to pout slightly, though I didn''t try to stop her; one thing I really liked and respected about Michelle was how good of a Mother she was, and to be honest, that was probably one of her sexiest qualities. ''Alongside her bashfulness.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Michelle and Chloe entering a carriage before shifting his focus to Yuki, who was resting her head on his lap. "So, what are you doing, Yuki?" Asked Alexander curiously as he looked down at Yuki while gently rubbing her horns, causing her to faintly smile before glancing at the carriage, only to smirk. I didn''t get a response since Yuki promptly pulled my pants down, revealing my cock, and well, it was pretty obvious what she did next, and it''s not like I tried to stop her, not when she was sucking with such enthusiasm. Yuki truly did have one hell of a unique way to give a blowjob, so it didn''t take her long to get me to climax as I spewed everything inside of her mouth, which she greedily gulped down while her head continued to bob up and down. ''My goodness, it feels like she''s trying to rip it off.'' Thought Alexander softly as he looked at Yuki, who was gazing back with eyes full of lust. This continued for quite some time, Yuki didn''t release my cock for probably two full hours straight, and by then, I''d probably orgasmed nearly twenty times, which still didn''t seem to be enough for Yuki; however, while I was enjoying these delightful two hours, I suddenly remembered something very important, in fact, I should say someone. ''This position is embarrassing; I really hope no one sees this.'' Mused Alexander with a faint blush as he looked up at Yuki, who was holding his body upside down with his legs in the air while she continuously blew his cock, only for his eyes to suddenly widen just as he orgasmed. "L-LAZULI!?" Exclaimed Alexander with widened eyes, his words causing Yuki to furrow her brows. Inwardly cursing myself, I waited until Yuki was done using my cock as a straw before quickly escaping out of her hold, which was easier said than done, but I eventually managed to stand upright. "Sorry, Yuki, but I''ve got to find Lazuli." Remarked Alexander apologetically as he quickly wore his pants, causing Yuki to scowl. "Tsk, just leave her be, Alex; she''s done nothing but be a nuisance and nearly killed you! It''s best if she leaves and never comes back." Declared Yuki sternly as she folded her arms and eyed Alexander, who wryly smiled while awkwardly chuckling. "Hehe, well, I don''t disagree with her being a nuisance, nor the part where she almost killed me; I can''t just let her leave, Yuki, not while we''re in the middle of the forest. Not to mention, Soom had entrusted me with her, and even if I hadn''t known him long, I couldn''t so easily go against my promise; besides, he did teach you about mana, so the least you could do to repay him would be to wait until we arrive at a city." Remarked Alexander calmly with a nod as he squatted down in front of Yuki, causing her expression to morph through several emotions before she swung her arm at a nearby tree, uprooting it. "Tch, whatever, I''m going to sleep." Stated Yuki with a scowl as she lay on her sleeping bag, causing Alexander to shake his head. Although I could tell Yuki was upset and a little annoyed with me, I still kissed her on the cheek before turning around and running into the forest, only to quickly stop as I faced my first obstacle. ''Fuck. Where did she go?'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he eyed the dark forest, only to turn back around. I had no clue where Lazuli could be, so I turned around and headed towards the small river since that''s the last place where I saw her; running through our campsite, I dashed through the forest, and after a few minutes, I finally arrived at the small river. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Ok, I was cleaning myself, and she was walking this way." Muttered Alexander as he shifted his body, facing the way Lazuli had walked. Using [Heroes Gaze], I tried to find traces of Lazuli, and thanks to my absolutely amazing eyes, I quickly spotted her footprints, causing me to smile as I followed them through the forest. ''Hopefully she''s not too far.'' Mused Alexander softly as he ran through the forest while constantly glancing downwards. ___ ___ After running for nearly forty minutes straight, I began to slow down as I noticed her footsteps looked much fresher, almost as if she was just here; coming to nearly a complete stop, I continued to follow her trail, and a few minutes later, I heard someone''s voice, though it was too faint for me to properly make it out. ''Lazuli?'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he pushed through the dense vegetation, nearing voice. As I got closer, I was able to make out the voice, and I quickly noticed it wasn''t Lazuli''s but a man''s; it didn''t take long for me to realize it wasn''t just any man''s voice but Soom''s. "¡­I love you, Lazuli." "What the? Soom?" Muttered Alexander in pure confusion as he quickly approached the voice. Stepping over a bush, I suddenly exited the forest, only to spot a cliff; sitting on the edge of the cliff wasn''t Soom, but Lazuli; however, she was somehow projecting Soom''s appearance into the air through her eye, which was very interesting, but now wasn''t the time for that. As I approached Lazuli, I was going to make my presence known if she didn''t already know I was here, but before I could, Soom''s projection began speaking. "Testing, one two? Alright, Lazuli, if you''re seeing this, I''m¡­ Dead¡­" Stated Soom with a wry smile, his words causing Alexander to freeze before sighing. Listening to Soom''s projection speak, I approached Lazuli and silently sat beside her, though she didn''t even bother with me and focused entirely on the projection above her. What Soom was speaking about was who or what most likely killed him and why, things he had already told me, but I still just silently watched; then, after a few minutes, he started talking about his family, something I found quite interesting. Lazuli apparently had a younger brother, but seeing how he wasn''t anywhere to be found, whatever accident forced Soom to turn Lazuli into a cyborg, her brother or mother didn''t seem to survive it. "¡­ I''m sorry I failed to protect you, Lazuli; I don''t know if you blame me for what happened or not, but just know, no matter how much you may hate me for what happened, I love you, Lazuli." Said Soom with a small smile as he looked at Lazuli while wiping his tears, only for the projection to suddenly vanish. Glancing at Lazuli, she wore her ever-present, indifferent expression, causing me to frown slightly before I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and brought her into my embrace; right now, more than ever, she''d need someone to lean on. "C''mon, Lazuli, cry." Said Alexander softly as he picked Lazuli up and sat her on his lap while he rubbed her gently rubbed her cheek. Lazuli was a tough cookie to crack, but after a few minutes of comforting her, the indifferent exterior began to crack, and before I ever knew it, she was face first in my chest, crying. For several minutes, she sobbed, releasing all of her bottled-up emotions as she aggressively hit my chest, though I silently sat there and acted as her support. It took a while, but she eventually released everything she had, and now she was just snuggling in my embrace with neither of us speaking, though when I looked down at her, I couldn''t help but faintly smile as she reminded me of a woman, and not some kind of robot. After sitting for a few more minutes, I stood up and began jogging back to our campsite while carrying Lazuli, who was tightly holding onto my shirt. Arriving at our campsite nearly an hour later, I saw Yuki fast asleep, snoring like usual, while Michelle, Chloe, and Talis were inside the carriage, prompting me to sit down against a random tree. ''She''s asleep, isn''t she?'' Thought Alexander with a frown as he glanced at Lazuli, who was peacefully sleeping, causing his expression to twitch. Sighing to myself, I shook my head and tried falling asleep, but that was easier said than done when I had an absolute beauty in my arms; I was already thankful I wasn''t erect; eventually, I did manage to fall asleep, but by then, I only got like three hours of sleep before morning arrived. Feeling movement in my arms, I opened my eyes and glanced at Lazuli, who was gazing up at me with her ever-present, indifferent expression, though despite looking like such, her eyes seemed to contain a kind of liveliness they didn''t have before. "G-Good morning, Lazuli." Said Alexander lightly, his words causing Lazuli to nod. "Good morning." Remarked Lazuli softly while she and Alexander silently stared into each other''s eyes. ''Um, this is a little weird.'' Mused Alexander as he stared at Lazuli, who was doing the same. Chapter 196: Roswald Kingdom! Once Lazuli seemingly got bored staring at me, she looked away and closed her eyes, causing my face to twitch since I was expecting her to stand up, but nope, she remained in my embrace. "Um, Lazuli, will you be getting up any time soon?" Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli, who opened her eyes while sporting a thoughtful expression. "Do I have to?" Asked Lazuli calmly as she glanced at Alexander, who sighed before shaking his head. "I mean, no, you don''t have to, but I''d appreciate it if you did." Replied Alexander, his words causing Lazuli to nod while she closed her eyes once again. Welp, seeing Lazuli promptly ignore my words, I leaned back against the tree and closed my eyes, using this chance to rest while waiting for someone to awaken, and after another thirty or so minutes, I saw Michelle, who still looked half asleep, slowly exit from the carriage. After she finished stretching that sexy, plump body of hers, she finally noticed Lazuli and I, prompting her to approach us; though similar to Yuki, she also didn''t like Lazuli, though it wasn''t nearly as intense as Yuki. "Good morning, sexy; hope you slept well." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he winked at Michelle, who bashfully smiled while nodding before sitting to his left. "Good morning, and yes, I had a rather good sleep; what about you, handsome?" Asked Michelle lightly as she kissed Alexander before looking at Lazuli in slight annoyance, causing him to smile wryly. "Eh, definitely have had better, but not the worst. Anyways, sorry about Lazuli, she''s kind of in the way, so you won''t be able to give me your morning special." Replied Alexander with a sigh, only for him to shake his head while gesturing to Lazuli, who was sitting on his lap, blocking Michelle''s access. "Good morning to you as well, Lazuli." Said Michelle indifferently as she looked at Lazuli, who surprisingly responded. "Good morning, Michelle." Remarked Lazuli, her words slightly surprising both Alexander and Michelle since she''d never reciprocated the gesture. Unfortunately for me, Lazuli was sitting on my lap, preventing Michelle from giving me a morning blowjob; though I didn''t try to get her to leave, she had just found out about Soom''s death, and I wasn''t going to stop comforting her just because I was feeling a little horny, that would be incredibly shallow of me. For the next hour or so, Michelle and I casually talked about random things while occasionally kissing, though in doing so, I had gotten a little too aggressive and left a lot of hickeys on her neck, causing her to pout. "Hmph, how am I supposed to hide these from, Chloe?" Asked Michelle softly with a pout as she used a small, handheld mirror to look at the various hickeys on her neck, causing Alexander to faintly chuckle. "Hehe, it''s fine. Just tell her if she asks, there is no point in hiding our relationship from her. I''ve already told you multiple times in the past." Remarked Alexander lightly with a faint smile as he glanced at Michelle before leaning down and kissing her once more, causing her to huff while she stored her small, handheld mirror in her cleavage. "Haa, I know; I just don''t want her thinking you''re her father or anything." Muttered Michelle softly as she leaned against Alexander''s shoulder, only for an ever-present noise to suddenly disappear while nearby movement was heard. Noticing Yuki''s snoring disappear, I turn to glance at her, only to see her slowly sitting upright, raising her four arms into the air while yawning before opening her eyes and standing up; after doing some quick stretches, she promptly noticed Michelle and I, though Lazuli''s presence promptly ruined her good mood as I saw her expression contort into hatred. "Good morning, Alex and Michelle." "Good morning." "Good morning." Said Yuki, Michelle, and Alexander, respectively, as they nodded at each other while the former approached the two''s location, sitting to his right and completely ignoring Lazuli''s existence. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Just the fact Yuki wasn''t trying to kill Lazuli was already a win in my book, and while I''d like it if they could get along more, I wasn''t bold enough to bring up such a topic right now; I had a feeling Yuki would either glare at me in anger, or she''d accidentally cave my chest in. ''Eh, probably both, if I''m being honest.'' Mused Alexander wryly as he glanced at Yuki before leaning towards her and kissing her neck. After several minutes, I scooted from out between Yuki and Michelle and stood up as I tried to set Lazuli down since I wanted to have breakfast, at least cooking before Chloe or Talis awaken. "Sorry, Lazuli, but I need to prepare breakfast. Would you mind waiting right here?" Asked Alexander softly as he gently placed Lazuli in the spot where he was previously sitting, right between Yuki and Michelle. "No. I shall wait." Replied Lazuli softly with a nod as she looked at Alexander, who nodded with a smile. In hindsight, I shouldn''t have placed her beside either Michelle or Yuki; now, all I can hope is that she''ll survive while I''m out hunting and that she''s not ripped in several different parts when I return. "Could you try calming Yuki down if she happens to get really angry?" Asked Alexander softly as he leaned down and whispered into Michelle''s ear, causing her to sigh while nodding, earning her a kiss from him. Once that was done, I left the campsite and headed out into the forest in search of prey, and since I didn''t hear any yelling or roaring, I assumed everything was going splendidly. ''Let''s make this quick.'' Thought Alexander as he ran through the forest, searching for the perfect prey. ___ ___ After I returned to the campsite with our food, I was pleasantly surprised to find nothing had been broken or destroyed, and in fact, Yuki nor Lazuli had moved from their spots, causing me to raise an eyebrow, but I didn''t question it; though the instant I began to butcher the animal, Lazuli appeared right next to me, prompting me to give her a look, but seeing as she wasn''t doing anything but sitting beside me, I continued butchering. Once I finished that, I quickly made a firepit and cooked all the edible parts of the beast''s body, like I always do, and seasoned it with the small amount of options I had to choose from; by the time I finished, both Talis and Yuki were awake, so it was perfect timing. Making everyone a plate, everyone except Lazuli ate it with a smile, though I was quite disappointed in my dish, yet there wasn''t much I could do given my limited options. "Alright, once everyone finishes, we''ll hit the road; we should arrive at the Roswald Kingdom within about two more weeks." Stated Alexander as he stood up and cleaned his hands, causing Chloe to sigh while Michelle comforted her. With everyone still finishing their food, I began packing everything into the carriage, and when I finished, everyone had also finished eating, prompting us to snuff the fire out before entering the carriage; well, only Chloe and Michelle Did, Yuki and Lazuli sat on the front, I pulled it, and Talis flew in the sky. "??Ohhh, we''re off to see the Kingdom, the wonderful Kingdom of Roswald¡­??" Said Alexander lightly with a faint smile as he sang while pulling the carriage down the road. (Note: Did anyone get that reference?) ___ ___ "Next!" Said the guard as he allowed a group of three to enter the city gates, prompting Alexander to pull their carriage closer. Greeting the guard with a friendly smile, I handed them our IDs, except for Chloe since she was still a child, and after they did a quick search of our carriage, we were allowed into the city; thankfully, Lazuli had an ID in the pouch Soom had given me before leaving, which made things so much easier; otherwise, I would''ve needed to pay a decent amount to get her in. "Heh, we''ve finally arrived¡­ Roswald Kingdom." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he pulled the carriage through the city streets, his words prompting Michelle and Chloe to peek out the curtains, the latter''s eyes filled with excitement. "Eh, it looks the same as Hyphen." Said Chloe with a slight frown as she observed the city, causing Michelle and Alexander to chuckle. "Dear, this is a city, how much different did you expect it to be? The only thing you can expect to be different would be the city''s layout; everything else is bound to be similar." Said Michelle with a chuckle as she rubbed Chloe''s head while Alexander nodded in agreement. "Well, does that mean we''re done using this stupid carriage?" Asked Chloe hopefully, her words causing Alexander to wryly smile as he shook his head. "No, not quite yet; this is the city closest to the border of the Roswalk Kingdom; the city we''re planning to stay at is deeper into the Kingdom; however, it''s only five more days. After that, you''ll be free of the carriage for years!" Stated Alexander with an awkward smile, his words causing Chloe to pout as she reluctantly nodded, prompting Michelle to comfort her again. While walking through the unfamiliar city, I quickly found an Inn and bought two rooms for two days, allowing Chloe and everyone else to relax before we returned to the road for the final time. "Hey, Yuki, I believe this city has a Dungeon; want to go stretch a little bit?" Asked Alexander curiously as he sat on the bed and looked at Yuki, whose eyes lightened up in joy. "Yes!" Yelled Yuki excitedly as she clenched her four hands in joy, causing Alexander to chuckle. Chapter 197: Adventurer Guild After telling Michelle about our desire to visit the dungeon in this city, we exited the Inn and headed toward the Adventurer Guild deeper in the city, which I had found thanks to the map of the city I had bought from the Inn''s manager for five copper coins. Doing a dungeon run would not only be a little fun given the monotonous past month we''ve experienced, but it would also give us some extra money and allow Yuki to truly test out her newly acquired Mythical class, along with her mana Soom had taught her. However, while walking along the streets of the city, we had someone stalking us from a distance, something Yuki was oblivious to, but, as we were in a new, unfamiliar city, I had kept my guard for situations just like this, though I didn''t know whether to shake my head or not. Sighing, I used [Heroes Gaze], giving me a complete field of view around myself, allowing me to eye the stalker following us; I was confused as to why she was stalking us in the first place, but I just let it be for now. "Do you know what kind of Dungeon it''ll be, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she glanced at Alexander before leaning down and looking at the map in his hands. "Nope, it doesn''t say on here; you know the Adventurer guild wouldn''t allow that; they want to make their own money." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he handed the map to Yuki, prompting her to look at it. "So, we must go to the Adventurer Guild?" Asked Yuki with furrowed brows as she observed the map while Alexander shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, we don''t have to; we can always wing it; it''s not like we plan to go extra deep or anything, so realistically, we should be fine, at least from the monsters." Remarked Alexander lightly as he stretched his arms into the air while Yuki shook her head and handed the map back to him. "No, it''s fine; it would suck if the monsters on the first floor were venomous, and I happened to get poisoned." Said Yuki lightly, her words causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow before nodding. "Yeah, that''s a valid point, though, given you, I doubt the venom from a monster on the first floor would be enough to kill you; also, even if it were, it''s not like I don''t exist; I''d be able to easily heal you." Stated Alexander with a faint smirk while looking at Yuki, only to slap her firm butt, uncaring for the many eyes. "I don''t like using your bl- ability, Alex." Said Yuki firmly as she narrowed her eyes at Alexander, who raised his eyebrows before nodding. "Alright, that''s understandable; besides, there is no point in taking needless risks." Said Alexander lightly as he placed his hands behind his back beside Yuki, who occasionally got ogled at. The rest of the walk towards the Adventurer Guild didn''t take that long, and after ten or so minutes, it finally came into view on the left of us; the building was about the same size as the one previously in Hyphen, though it looked a little more worn out. ''Wonder if it smells just as bad.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he reached forth and opened the door while bowing towards Yuki, who entered before he glanced at their stalker. "Lazuli, will you be entering or not?" Asked Alexander as he stared at Lazuli, who stopped and silently looked at him before nodding. This entire time, the one who had been stalking us was Lazuli; why was she doing such a thing? I have no clue, but I didn''t bother with it and just let her be; once she entered the Adventurer Guild, I followed right behind her while the door closed on its own, and almost immediately, I was assaulted with a pungent smell. "Yeah, it definitely smells the same. Now, where is Ca- Oh yeah, forget, Cath isn''t here. Dammit." Muttered Alexander with a slight frown as he looked around the rowdy guild before sighing and shaking his head while approaching Yuki. "Tsk, why is she here, Alex?" Asked Yuki in slight anger as she pointed at Lazuli while eyeing Alexander, who once again shrugged his shoulders. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "She followed us from the Inn." Replied Alexander calmly as he looked at Lazuli, who was standing beside them while silently observing the guild. Yuki clearly didn''t like Lazuli''s presence, but other than a scoff, she simply turned around and ignored her entirely while I just stuffed my hands in my pocket, patiently waiting for our turn in line. "Oh, yeah, Lazuli, did you want to enter the dungeon with us?" Asked Alexander with a snap of his fingers as he glanced at Lazuli, who tilted her head while Yuki''s face twitched. "What''s a dungeon?" Asked Lazuli lightly as she looked at Alexander in confusion, prompting him to explain to her. By the time I finished explaining the concept of a dungeon, we had already moved to the front of the line, with Yuki asking for a map of the dungeon. "Monster''s to kill? Yes, I shall enter this Dungeon." Said Lazuli with a thoughtful expression as she nodded at Alexander, causing him to faintly smirk. "Give me a moment, Yuki." Said Alexander as he slapped Yuki''s butt while he leaned onto the desk, glancing at the beautiful demon receptionist wearing clothes a size too small on the opposite side. With Yuki out of the way, I spoke to the beautiful demon who, just like every other receptionist at an Adventurer Guild, minus Cath, was wearing revealing clothes, not like I, as a man, was complaining, and asked her for the papers to become an Adventurer. "Yes, one second. Sir." Said the demon with a friendly smile, displaying her sharp teeth as she stood up before turning around and bending over, grabbing several papers. It was in moments like these where I was thankful I wasn''t a virgin, and I had the trait [Heart Of A Hero] because I was entirely confident I would have a raging boner from how much of her butt was showing; I could even see most of her vagina. ''You know, I really respect Cath''s decision to not wear such revealing outfits.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he stared at the demon, who finally turned around and sat down while handing him the papers. "Here you go, sir." " Thank you. C''mon Lazuli." Said the receptionist and Alexander, respectively, as he grabbed Lazuli''s hand and brought her to the table Yuki was sitting at. "If you want to enter the dungeon, you must fill out these papers; if you need help, just ask me." Said Alexander lightly as he reached into his space pouch and handed Lazuli a pen along with the pieces of paper. With Lazuli focusing on the papers, I glanced at Yuki who was observing the map, though after having stared at the woman, my mind couldn''t help but wander a little. ''If Yuki wore such revealing outfits¡­ M-My goodness, just thinking about it got me erect.'' Thought Alexander as he wordlessly stared at Yuki, only for his erection to hit the table, snapping him out of his lewd imagination. "So, how is the dungeon looking, Yuki?" Asked Alexander curiously while scooting closer to Yuki, glancing over her arms as he gazed at the map. "It''s an Uncommon dungeon called Rocks; it seems to be filled with rock-like creatures, sort of like a golem. There are only 15 floors, with three guardians, but despite having 15 floors, the monsters are on the stronger side." Replied Yuki lightly as she handed the map to Alexander, who glanced through it. "Eh, 15 floors? That''s more than I expected, though it''s an Uncommon dungeon, so even if the monsters are stronger than average, they shouldn''t be as strong as the monsters we''re used to dealing with." Remarked Alexander calmly as he observed the map for a minute before stuffing it into Yuki''s cleavage. "Also, now that I think about it, I need to take an advancement test. After nearly a year, I''m only an E-Class adventurer, one rank higher than what I initially started as." Added Alexander with a yawn as he leaned against Yuki''s muscular arms while one of them made their way into his pants, causing him to roll his eyes. "Eh, you''re pretty strong, Alex; why are you still an E-Class?" Asked Yuki curiously with a tilt of her head as she looked at Alexander while her hand grasped his cock, seemingly just enjoying touching his manhood. "No reason, really; I guess I just forget. Also, another thing, I need to ask Marlin how to create a party, and then we can finally share the experience we get from killing monsters." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head before suddenly snapping his fingers while his and Yuki''s eyes slightly widened. "Oh, yeah, you need to do that quickly; we''ve missed so much shared experience!" Stated Yuki with a nod as she gently shook Alexander by the shoulders, causing him to nod while he tried to resist her, which didn''t work "I know, I know; I''ll ask him tonight, not right now." Said Alexander lightly as he patted Yuki''s thigh while his head gently whipped side-to-side. "Completed." Said Lazuli as she set the pen down and looked at Alexander, her words causing him and Yuki to stop as they both looked at her. "Finished? It''s only been like five minutes?" Muttered Alexander in slight confusion as he grabbed Lazuli''s papers and skimmed through them, only for his eyes to slightly widened. ''Damn, she actually did complete it.'' Mused Alexander lightly in slight disbelief as he glanced at the ever-stoic Lazuli. Chapter 198: Dungeon Exploration With Lazuli having finished the contract in record time, I went with her to return it to the beautiful demon receptionist, who gladly took it to the back room, where she only exited after a few minutes while holding an Adventurer license that was nearly identical to the one I had. However, here came the awkward part: in order to link the license to yourself, you need to drop your blood on it, yet Lazuli is a cyborg, and the only part of her that wasn''t robotic was her head and part of her spine. "Here you go, just drop your blood on it, and you''ll be good to go." Said the receptionist with a faint smile as she handed Alexander the license, causing him to nod with a friendly smile. "Thank you for your assistance, Mam." Said Alexander lightly as he turned around and walked towards Yuki with Lazuli closely following him. Sitting down beside Yuki, which prompted her to put her hand inside my pants as it calmly rested atop my manhood, I handed the license to Lazuli, who suddenly turned her finger into a small blade, causing me to widen my eyes as I instantly grab her hand while using [Heroes Gaze] to see all around me, only to sigh in relief when I noticed no one seemed to have noticed. Sighing in relief, I deactivated the skill and glanced at Lazuli, who gave me a confused look, causing me to grab the bridge of my nose. "Lazuli, you can''t just do that; if people find you doing weird stuff like that, they''ll cause you lots of problems." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli while tightly holding her hand, concealing her bladed finger. "Problems can be dealt with." Remarked Lazuli calmly, her choice of words causing Alexander to wryly nod. "Yes, problems can be dealt with, but the way I see it is that you''ll kill the people causing the problems, and that''ll only create larger problems, and so on and so forth. It''s just not worth creating problems in the first place, Lazuli; it''ll be too time-consuming to deal with all the future problems, and you won''t even win in the end." Stated Alexander with a nod as he stared at Lazuli, who tilted her head before nodding, prompting him to release her hand, which has returned to normal. "Listen, Lazuli, you''re quite special, and people aren''t really a fan of leaving something special alone, so to prevent people from discovering your special, observe what other people do and do that." Added Alexander with a small smile as he pointed at himself before waving his hand through the air, gesturing to the many people within the building. Although Lazuli didn''t say anything, she gave me a slight nod, causing me to faintly smile as I reached into my space pouch and grabbed a knife, yet before I could hand it to her, she suddenly punched me in the face, which thoroughly pissed off a certain someone, yet before she could make a scene, I grabbed her arms and pulled back down onto her seat. "You can get mad in a second, Yuki." Stated Alexander softly as he gazed at the angry Yuki before turning and looking at Lazuli. "So, care to explain why you punched me for no reason?" asked Alexander in annoyance as he stared at Lazuli, who tilted her head before pointing in a specific direction, causing Yuki and him to look. As we looked where Lazuli was pointing, we saw three guys fighting each other while many cheered them on; such a sight was relatively common in the guild, so I didn''t think much of it, but I see now where I messed up. "Okay, that one''s on me; I should''ve seen that coming. Yuki, don''t be mad at her; this was my fault." Remarked Alexander lightly as he stared at the three men fighting while patting Yuki''s arms, causing her to huff as her hand returned to resting just atop his manhood. Seeing how this was my fault for not correctly explaining to Lazuli, I gave her more detailed instructions, such as not using violence unless someone uses it towards you first, simple things I shouldn''t have missed, but I did. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ''Well, I suppose it''s better she hit me than someone else, not like it really hurt, but I feel like she''s been constantly abusing me ever since we first met.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he watched Lazuli slice her cheek before wiping it with her license, causing it to glow faintly while the letter F appeared within a square. "Alright, you''re finished, Lazuli; now you can enter the dungeon, Yuki, if you''d be so kind as to remove your hand from my crotch." Said Alexander with a smile as he gave Lazuli a thumbs-up while using his finger to gently wipe the blood off her small cut before glancing at Yuki, who slightly pouted before nodding. Standing up from the table, I led the way while Yuki and Lazuli followed me from behind, which may have been a bad decision given their feelings for each other, but they were grown adults. ''Actually, now that I think about it, I don''t even know how Lazuli feels about Yuki; after all, she did get two of her arms ripped off while fighting. I''d be pretty pissed with Yuki if I were her.'' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression, rubbing his head while gazing at the sky as he took occasional glances behind him. While thinking about random things, we quietly headed toward the center of the city, where the dungeon was located, and after several minutes of walking, we began to see it; however, unlike the one in Hyphen, which was partially emerging front the ground, causing it to look like a hill, this one was entirely flat with the rest of the ground. "Hmm, well, that''s new." Muttered Alexander softly as he gazed at the dungeon''s entrance from a distance with Yuki, who nodded while Lazuli tilted her head. Approaching the dungeon, there wasn''t a line, so we headed straight for the front where the two Adventurers acting as guards stood; after we each showed our license, we were allowed into the dungeon, prompting us to walk forward as we took the stairs that spiraled downwards. "They really could''ve used some torches right here; they''re just asking for someone to trip." Said Alexander lightly as he walked down the stairs, Yuki and Lazuli following behind him. After a minute of walking, we finally reached the end of the stairs and walked down a decently long hallway until it suddenly expanded in all directions, and no longer were the walls all smooth like before; now, it looked like a genuine cave. "Be careful here, Lazuli; there are dangerous monsters here whose sole desire is to kill anything with a soul." Said Alexander as he looked around his surroundings before pulling Trina out from his stomach, wielding the large purple and black greatsword. "Eh, Yuki, did you forget your shield?" Asked Alexander as he looked at Yuki, who was weaponless and was Lazuli, though one could say her body was a weapon in itself. "Nope, I purposely left it at the Inn since I wanted to use¡­ This!" Stated Yuki with a faint smile as she raised her forearm to the sky, only for an ethereal shield of mana to appear. "Your mana shield? That''s cool, but don''t you think it''s kind of small?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he stepped forward and tapped the mana shield while glancing at Yuki. "Small? Yeah, it is a little small, but I won''t be able to make large shields unless I get better at using it." Remarked Yuki with a faint smile, her words causing Alexander to nod. "True. Alright then, why don''t you lead the way like always, Yuki." Muttered Alexander as he backed away and gestured in front of him, prompting Yuki to smile as she walked forth with a mana shield. I had Lazuli follow right behind Yuki while I trailed behind her, sort of like a conga line, which wasn''t the best formation to use, but since this was her first time in a dungeon, I wanted to make sure she was safe, and it didn''t take long before we stumbled across our first victim. In the distance, we saw what looked like a humanoid made of pure stone, though given how large it was, it would be more appropriate to say it was Yuki size, except it only had two arms. "He''s mine!" Yelled Yuki enthusiastically as she dashed forward with her shield in front, yet before she could smash the monster to smithereens, a large gaping hole was suddenly blasted right through the chest, causing it to collapse onto the ground while turning into rubble. "Enemy eliminated." Said Lazuli as she aimed her futuristic cannon-like arm at the decreased monster, prompting her arm to return to normal while Yuki shot her a glare. "Y-You''ll get the next one, Yuki; I''ll make sure of it." Said Alexander softly while suppressing his laughter, causing Yuki to grunt as she turned around and headed deeper into the dungeon. When we came across another monster, I quickly stopped Lazuli, who damn near attacked again, and allowed Yuki to charge into it with her shield; well, the result was about as much as I expected, so I wasn''t shocked, but seeing her smash right through a large stone monster was kind of funny. "Haha, that was wonderful!" Declared Yuki with a large smile as she stared at her mana shield with stars for eyes. Chapter 199: Golems Galore With the three of us exploring the dungeon, killing any and all enemies we came across, we moved through the floors relatively fast; however, something I didn''t notice initially, thanks to Lazuli and Yuki both destroying their enemies, the golems have a small crystal inside their body where their mana is stored. The crystal is about the size of a child''s hand and is surprisingly fragile as I''m able to crush it within my hands, but it also seems to be the lifeblood of the golems, and so long as this isn''t destroyed, they will continuously regenerate, yet, there seems to be a little trick to bypass this. If you fill the crystal with more mana than what''s originally in there, the golem will cease to exist, though you''ve got to be a little careful since depending on how much mana there is inside of it determines how much of it you must force out of the crystal, and if one is too aggressive, it''ll damage the crystal, probably even break it as well. An easy way to get around this was to simply fight or keep the golem alive for longer, forcing it to use more of its mana, and once it''s depleted a lot, then kill the monster. "And that is crystal number thirteen." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he held a small crystal in his hand, which was softly glowing, before storing it within his space pouch. "I''ve got one as well; here you go, Alex." Said Yuki lightly as she used her hand to pierce into a golem''s chest cavity before forcefully ripping out a small crystal, which she handed to Alexander. "Thanks, though; you know you can continue to try practicing with it if you want; destroying a few doesn''t bother me." Remarked Alexander lightly as he grabbed the crystal and carefully injected his mana into it while speaking with Yuki. "I know, but I''ve already destroyed enough; besides, we could use the money right now." Said Yuki with a shake of her head as she glanced at Alexander with slight envy before turning and walking deeper into the dungeon, prompting him and Lazuli to follow. "Yeah, you''re not wrong." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he glanced at the glowing crystal in his hand before storing it within his space pouch. "So, how have you been enjoying the dungeon so far, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander curiously as he turned and walked backward while glancing at Lazuli, using [Heroes Gaze] so that he wouldn''t get taken by surprise. "There are many enemies, and the enemies are brainless." Stated Lazuli blandly as she looked at Alexander, who nodded. "Yeah, well, this is kind of like their home, so you know, it makes sense; as for them being stupid, well, they have a brain, but they''ve got no soul or ego, so they''re not even alive in a sense." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced before shifting his focus to Yuki, who had smashed through several other golems. "Alex!" Yelled Yuki as she held three small crystals in her hand, causing Alexander to turn back around as he approached her. "Yes, yes, I can hear you; no need to yell." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he grabbed the three crystals while slapping Yuki''s butt, causing him to suddenly hit himself in the face. "How the hell did I only notice it after four floors? Yuki, you''re not wearing any armor." Remarked Alexander lightly as he pointed at Yuki, who was wearing casual clothes, though funnily enough, so was he. "No, my armor was pretty much destroyed when we fought that one monster; besides, you''re also not wearing any armor." Replied Yuki as she glanced down at herself while shaking her head with an unsightly expression before pointing at Alexander. "True, but the difference is, you were a full set of heavy ass armor, while I barely even wear armor in the first place; I''ve been meaning to get better armor, but you know, considering the fact I''ve got exceptional healing, it hasn''t been that much of a concern for me." Stated Alexander as he glanced at himself before shaking his head, storing the three crystals, which were already filled with his mana, in his space pouch. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I didn''t wish to possibly jinx us, but the dungeon was hardly a threat to us, given the fact Yuki and I were casually chatting; of course, both of us had our guards up, but the fact we were able to talk like we''re walking through a forest, said a lot about the threat of this dungeon. Yuki was able to smash through the stone golems with ease, while I could slice through them even easier; as for Lazuli, her cannon of mana also got the job done; hell, if she truly wanted to, she could turn her arms into blades and cut the golems, they were strong and sharp enough to do so, though she seemed more content using mana. "Speaking of mana, here, why don''t you try this, Lazuli." Said Alexander lightly as he grabbed the crystal from a fallen golem and handed it to Lazuli, who tilted her head in confusion. "Just inject your mana into the crystal, but be careful; you''ll have to wrestle with mana already inside of it." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he stood beside Lazuli, who nodded before shifting her focus to the crystal and doing what he had said, only for it to explode a few seconds later. "Hmm, I understand." Said Lazuli with a nod as she wiped her hands clean before walking forward while Alexander gave her a curious look. ''She understands? What does she mean by that?'' Thought Alexander curiously at Lazuli in slight hope while closely following her. When we came across another golem, Lazuli blasted it with her wave of mana from her arm cannon while not even slowing down; once she neared the monster, she reached into its chest and grabbed the crystal, which Lazuli had excellently avoided; however, before my very eyes, I watched as how she filled the crystal with mana while having forcefully pushed the other mana out, all without even so much as cracking the crystal. "Is this acceptable?" Asked Lazuli as she turned to Alexander while he gave her a shocked expression. "You know, a very small part of me was somewhat expecting this to happen, but my goodness, you''re one quick freaking leaner; is this acceptable? Lazuli, this is probably even better than what I can do; without a little bit more practice, I definitely would''ve at least cracked the crystal, considering how much mana was still in it." Replied Alexander softly as he held the crystal with his hands before looking at Lazuli in slight awe while she nodded with the faintest smile from his praise. "Yuki, from now on, give the crystals to Lazuli." Said Alexander as he stored the crystal in his pouch while glancing at Yuki, who reluctantly nodded before approaching Lazuli with two crystals in hand. "Here, Lazuli." Said Yuki without an ounce of emotion as she stood in front of Lazuli while forcefully placing the crystals into her hands before turning around, not saying a single other word. Shaking my head at Yuki and Lazuli''s interaction, we continued through the fourth floor, encountering many golems along the way, but they were honestly more of a nuisance than a threat if anything; we did happen to come across a group of adventurers, who all blankly looked at us when they saw Yuki effortlessly smash a golem they were having some trouble with, which was a little funny, but we all kept our distance from each other as those adventurers were much more of a threat than these monsters were. "Hmm, looks like this is the fifth floor." Muttered Alexander lightly as he grabbed both his greatswords off his back while Yuki''s ethereal shield appeared on her forearms. As we entered the fifth floor, home to the guardians, we entered a large cavern, and standing in the distance was a massive golem at least five times the size of the normal ones, which is saying something, given the normal ones are all roughly Yuki''s size, and I was but a kid compared to her. "Alex, can I fight him by myself?" Asked Yuki as she looked at Alexander, her words slightly taking him aback as he glanced at the slowly approaching monster. "I mean¡­ If you think you can go ahead, just be careful. Wait, though, let''s at least see if the monster has any traits you should watch out for." Replied Alexander with a nod, his words causing Yuki to smile, yet he promptly stopped her before she could charge head first. Using my [Heroes Gaze], I scanned the guardian''s status panel, and other than straight-forward traits like [Iron physique] and [Abnormal Strength], which were both Rare and the only two traits the monster had, it seemed to be a very straight forward boss, so I let Yuki go and have her fun. However, watching someone who is only a fifth the size of their enemy demolish them was quite the sight, to say the least; I wouldn''t say the fight was one-sided in Yuki''s favor, given that their strength and endurance seemed to be relatively equal, the only problem was, one of them was obviously faster than the other; the time it took for the golem to attack, Yuki would''ve already punched the monster several times. ''I don''t know whether to be impressive or terrified; I''m very thankful that sexy hunk of a woman is my lover.'' Mused Alexader wryly with a nervous gulp as he watched Yuki pummel the golem''s leg until she destroyed it, causing the monster to fall, which spelled the end for it. Chapter 200: Profit! "Haa, I really needed that." Muttered Yuki with a relieved expression as she approached Alexander and Lazuli while dusting her hands off. With Yuki having just finished dismantling that massive stone golem into nothing but rubble using just her hands, its body collapsed, and just like the rest of the golems, it had a crystal inside of its chest, though its size was propionate to its body, so the crystal was about as large as Yuki''s fist. "Yuki, its crystal!" Stated Alexander calmly as he approached Yuki, who slightly widened her eyes before turning around, only to spot the crystal, prompting her to quickly run toward it. "Oh, oops, that was close." Said Yuki with a smile as she grabbed the crystal while walking towards Alexander, who gestured to Lazuli, causing her joyful expression to vanish immediately. Once Yuki gave Lazuli the crystal, she promptly forced the monster''s mana out of it and given how it took longer than two seconds, it seemed harder than other crystals, but that only made sense. Still, she managed to purify it of the monster''s mana, causing her to hand it to me, which I promptly stored in my space pouch while I jumped into the air and kissed Yuki''s cheek, reinvigorating her. "So, shall we continue deeper into the dungeon or not?" Asked Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced between Yuki and Lazuli, causing the former to rapidly nod. "Yes! This is a great way for me to blow off some steam!" Stated Yuki with a faint smile as she clenched her fists before stretching her arms, while Lazuli lightly nodded. "Well, since you both want to continue, let''s go then! Next stop, tenth floor!" Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he began walking while pointing one of his greatswords toward the ground, causing Yuki to roar in excitement. ___ ___ After our little fun spent in the dungeon, we promptly left it and headed back to the Adventurer guild to sell the spoils we''d acquired from the dungeon, though unfortunately, it seems we arrived at a bad time since the guild was quite busy and I was forced to wait in line before being able to speak with a receptionist, the beautiful demon from before had the shortest line, so I chose her. ''The line had one less person in it than all the others, Master; are you sure you didn''t choose it for other reasons?'' Asked Zartha blandly as she looked at the ever-clear sky within her small dimensions before glancing at Trina off in the distance. ''Hmph, no, besides, what are you even insinuating, Zartha? If I really wished to stare at her body, could I not just use [Heroes Gaze]? I''ll see everything she has to offer.'' Remarked Alexander defensively with a frown as he glanced at the hilt of his sword while the purple markings softly glowed. ''You wouldn''t ever do such a thing, Master; that''s not like you. However, what man would refuse such a welcoming sight if it''s there for everyone to see?'' Replied Zartha calmly as she inwardly sighed while looking upwards at the clear sky, prompting Alexander to awkwardly cough. ''Well, I mean, if she''s purposefully showing her body off, it would indirectly be rude as a man to not appreciate her beauty, would it not?'' Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at the receptionist, who happened to turn and bend over, causing him and every other man, whether in line or not, to stare at her exposed body. While I ogled, I-I mean, appreciated the woman''s body from afar, I patiently waited in line, which moved decently fast, and after nearly twenty minutes, it was my turn; while I may have been appreciating her assets, I at least had the respect to stare her in the eyes when speaking to her, though that didn''t mean I didn''t take a few glances at her cleavage. "I''d like to sell these crystals we got from the dungeon." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he handed his space pouch to the receptionist, causing her to nod as she grabbed his pouch before standing up. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Alright, sir, that will only take a few minutes. Oh, oops." Remarked the receptionist with a smile as she turned and approached the nearby door, only for her to accidentally drop the pouch, causing her to bend over and grab it before continuing toward the door and entering it. ''Okay Zartha, when she does something so blantalty obvious like that, are you still going to get annoyed at me when I look?'' Asked Alexander lightly as he folded his arms while glancing at his sword, causing Zartha to slightly sigh while shaking her head, not bothering to open her mouth. After that happy little mistake the woman made, I only waited for a few minutes, like she said, before returning while handing me my space pouch. "Your payment is in the pouch, sir." Said the receptionist with a smile as she folded her arms and leaned on them, causing her breasts to be pushed upwards, which was like a magnet to every man''s eyes. "Thank you. Have a nice day, mam." Said Alexander with a smile as he nodded to the woman before turning and leaving the line, causing the next person to enthusiastically take a step forward. Approaching Yuki and Lazuli sitting at a table, I sat with them while looking through my space pouch, curious how much we earned since I had felt like we acquired a pretty large chunk of crystals; we had over a hundred normal crystals, nearly two hundred, and two large crystals. We had actually cleared all fifteen floors of the dungeon, and to my surprise, every floor was the same as the previous ones; there wasn''t any variety in monsters, no guardian, everything was the same, just stronger, which wasn''t bad, making it easier for us since we had a pretty easy time killing the golems. However, we only have two large crystals because when we didn''t get to fight the tenth-floor guardian, our timing was unlucky since it seemed like a group of adventurers had just killed the guardian when we arrived at the tenth floor, though the deeper we went into the dungeon, the less people there were so we didn''t have a problem killing the final guardian. "How much money, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who subconsciously whistled in awe while staring into his space pouch. "Oh, we made a profit, my dear, Yuki. Look." Said Alexander with a smile as he handed the pouch to Yuki, who eagerly looked inside, only for eyes to slightly widen. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5¡­ silver coins? I wasn''t expecting that much money." Stated Yuki with a large smile as she glanced at Alex, who was smiling as well. Five silver coins was about all the money we had together, which was almost all from Michelle, so we had just doubled our reserve, which is great since we''re going to need to find a place to live when we reach our desired city, we can''t stay in Inn''s forever, after all, the house Yuki had bought took her over a decade to acquire, and that was only ten gold. Now that we''re most likely going to live in a very prominent city, the housing will be more expensive, hopefully not by too much, but we''ll need all the money we can acquire. ''I also leveled up, so there''s that, though thanks to the enemy''s low level, I only got one.'' Thought Alexander with a smile as he stood up and exited the building with Yuki and Lazuli. We had spent a decent amount of time in that dungeon since it was already afternoon, but it was definitely worth it, not only for the money, but it seemed like everything that had been happening had been stressing Yuki out, and this served as a good way for her to vent. "Did you enjoy that, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Lazuli, who faintly frowned before nodding. "Yes, it was enjoyable. What are the silver coins used for?" Replied Lazuli with a nod as she stared at Alexander in confusion, causing him to slightly chuckle. "I''ll tell you later." Said Alexander, causing Lazuli to nod while the three walked back towards the Inn. Once we arrived at the Inn, I hoped to have some lovey-dovey time with Yuki as that receptionist from before had aroused me quite a bit, though when I noticed Michelle and Chloe were nowhere to be seen, I sighed. "At least Michelle left a note." Muttered Alexander as he quickly read the note, only to sigh once again. ''Welp, there goes my plans to make love.'' Mused Alexander as he brunt the note with his fire mana before glancing at Yuki. "I''m going to meet up with Michelle and Chloe; try not to fight with Lazuli, please." Said Alexander with a smile as he gave Yuki a passionate kiss before slapping her butt and exiting the room while she nodded. Michelle had just taken Chloe to the city''s park, which was fine, but I wasn''t about to let her be out by herself; if something happened, she wouldn''t be able to do anything. After several minutes of jogging through the streets, I finally arrived at the park, only to spot Michelle speaking with some women while Chloe played with other children. "Oh my, do you see him? What a hunk." "My goodness, he is a hunk; I wonder what he''s here for. Maybe I should try talking with him?" Remarked two different women speaking with Michelle while they gestured to Alexander, causing everyone else to look in their direction, only to be taken aback when they saw him approaching. "Michelle¡­" Said Alexander with a sigh as he stared blankly at Michelle before kissing her on the cheek, causing her to proudly blush while the several women stared at her wide-eyed and mouth agape. Chapter 201: Creepy Man "Michelle, I know Chloe must''ve wanted to stretch her legs, but could you wait for me next time? I don''t really like the thought of you and Chloe being by yourself in an unfamiliar city; who knows what kind of creeps and dangerous people roam around the streets ." Said Alexander with a slight frown as he folded his arms and looked at Michelle, who slightly widened her eyes before nodding. "Ah, I-I didn''t even think about that; Chloe just looked really bored." Muttered Michelle softly as she lowered her head while the several women from before silently watched their interaction. "Haa, I know, I don''t blame you; just wait for me or Yuki next time so we can tag along. The likelihood of something happening to you is low but isn''t non-existent, not to mention that Chloe is a charming child; I''m sure you know there are many specific people who are attracted to that." Remarked Alexander with a slight sigh as he rubbed Michelle''s shoulder, consoling her before turning to look at Chloe while mentioning a certain group of people, causing her and the several women''s faces to morph into pure disgust and hatred. "Y-Yes, thank you for reminding me, Alexander; I-I won''t leave without you now." Said Michelle firmly while rapidly nodding her head, Alexander''s words striking fear into her heart. "Good." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he leaned down, giving Michelle a deep kiss that caused her to blush. "Well, that''s all I wanted to say; I don''t to further interrupt your guy''s conversation. I''ll be over there in the distance if you need me." Added Alexander with a small smile as he glanced at Michelle and waved at the several other women before pointing at a tree in the distance, which he promptly walked to. While walking away, I heard some of them women immediately start pestering Michelle with questions about me and whatnot, some of them even calling a sexy hunk, which, I won''t lie, felt very nice; after all, who wouldn''t like being complimented? ''I don''t want to sound narcissistic, but I am pretty good-looking.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smirk as he rubbed his cheeks while leaning against the tree, watching Chloe play with several other children. For the next few hours, I just patiently sat against the tree, nothing exactly fun; as a matter of fact, it was rather boring, but thankfully, I had two lovely sword artifacts to speak with, so it wasn''t all bad, besides, while it was still a few more hours out, the sun was just starting to get low, so we wouldn''t be out for much longer. "Oh, c''mon, Zartha, Trina, you two don''t know what some of the goddesses look like?" Asked Alexander lightly in disappointment as he stared at Zartha while present within their own personal dimension. "No, we don''t, Master. Our Father forged us during his accession to Godhood. To be technical, we barely even spoke with our Father when he was a God, let alone any other Goddesses." Stated Zartha apathetically as she glanced at Alexander, who was sitting opposite of her, while Trina snuggled against him. "Why do you even want to know what Goddesses look like, Master?" Asked Trina curiously as she looked up at Alexander, who smirked while Zartha rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I wanted to see how beautiful a Goddess was compared to a normal woman." Replied Alexander without shame as he looked at Trina, who stared back at him blankly. "Haa, Master, why are you always horny?" Asked Trina in slight disappointment as she eyed Alexander, who promptly shook his head. "Nope, I''m not being horny, Trina; I wasn''t referring to having sex with them or anything; I was simply curious how their beauty compares to mortals." Stated Alexander solemnly as he looked at Trina while repeatedly poking her nose, causing her to nod with a skeptical look. "Also, why the heck do you think it''s me being horny whenever I speak about women? Can I not appreciate a women''s beauty without being addressed as lustful or horny? It''s not like I''m always ogling them, now, I will admit, I do that, but to be fair, it''s mostly with Michelle and Yuki, which is totally fair; they''re my women, after all." Added Alexander as he looked at Trina in slight annoyance before glancing at Zartha, prompting the sisters to stay quiet. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rolling my eyes at their combined silence, I was about to say something, but before I did, I faintly sensed someone standing somewhat near me, causing me to exit from their private dimension as I opened my eyes and looked around, only to see a man in the distance, though he didn''t seem like he was here to pick up his child. ''Trench coat, perverted expression, staring at the park full of kids, seemingly no pants. Yeah, this dude is suspicious.'' Thought Alexander with a deep frown as he used [Heroes Gaze], only for him to recoil in slight disgust. After having seen something rather unpleasant, the man started to call to some nearby children playing in the sandbox, and one of them also happened to be Chloe; of course, out of curiosity, the kids approached the man, causing him to creepily smile as he grabbed the edges of his coat. "Eh, hey, Alex!" Said Chloe with a smile as she glanced at Alexander while standing behind the creepy man, who froze. "Hey, Chloe, having fun?" Asked Alexander with a smile as he stood beside the man, who looked tiny compared to him, before tightly wrapping his arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, super fun!" Said Chloe with a smile while the other children looked at Alexander curiously. "Well, that''s good to hear; now, if you don''t mind, I''ve got to help this man find his child. Seeya, Chloe." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile as he waved at Chloe before turning around and walking away, forcing the man to follow him. Once we reached a certain distance, Chloe and the children she was playing with returned to the sandbox, causing my smile to vanish while I squeezed my arm wrapped around the man''s shoulder. "So you''ve got two options; I can either take you to an alley and beat you up. Or, you can turn yourself into some guards and let them deal with you." Said Alexander coldly as he eyed the man, who was quivering in fear before eventually opening his mouth to speak. "F-First option." Muttered the man weakly, not even daring to raise his head, causing Alexander to look at him in surprise. "Heh, oh boy, you honestly chose wrong. I''ve got a lot of potions with healing properties that I don''t mind wasting on you, so I think you know where this is headed; I''ll make sure you learn your lesson and never do such a thing again." Stated Alexander with a faint smirk while walking out of the park, causing the man to tremble in horror as he tried to escape, yet to no avail. ___ ___ "Where have you been, Alexander? We''ve been waiting for you." Asked Michelle lightly as she glanced at Alexander while Chloe sat on her lap. "Ah, sorry, I was just dealing with something; I''ll tell you about it later. Anyways, let''s go." Replied Alexander apologetically as he grabbed Michelle''s hand and pulled her onto her feet before wrapping his arm around her shoulder while picking Chloe out of her arms. "Heh, we probably look like a proper family right now." Muttered Alexander in amusement as he glanced at Michelle, who simply sighed before looking at Chloe in his arms, causing him to chuckle. The walk back to the Inn was pretty quick, especially since I kept teasing Michelle by squishing her breast, which caused her to blush deeply; when we entered our rooms at the Inn, the first thing I noticed was that Lazuli was alive, which caused me to sigh in relief seeing as Yuki hadn''t done anything extreme. Speaking of Yuki, she was sleeping in her bed, along with numerous empty plates beside her, which may explain a lot. After the rest of us had dinner, Michelle put Chloe to sleep a little earlier since she was tired, while she and I spent thirty minutes kissing in the opposite room. I could tell we both wanted to do it, but neither of us was willing to do anything crazy when Chloe was in the opposite room, not to mention Lazuli was resting in the same room as us as well. "What!? You''re speaking the truth!?" Exclaimed Michelle with widened eyes as she sat atop Alexander''s lap and looked down at him, prompting him to nod while he ran his hands across her meaty thighs. "Yeah, though you don''t need to worry; I ensured he''d learned his lesson; he won''t be messing with children." Replied Alexander lightly with a smirk as he glanced at Michelle, who was sporting an absolutely disgusted and furious expression. After I finished soothing Michelle, which took several minutes, she suddenly looked at me with intense passion and desire, and for the first time, she was the one who began to take the lead as she grabbed my hand and led me off the bed. "Eh, Michelle, where are we going?" Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at Michelle, who didn''t hesitate to respond. "To the bathroom, where we''ll have sex the whole night." Stated Michelle sternly as she entered the bathroom and locked the door before pushing Alexander against the wall and squatting before him. Watching Michelle pull down my pants and give me a blowjob out of her own accord was a first, though I wasn''t complaining, and since this Inn had more than one bathroom, I didn''t argue her words and just enjoyed the night with her. Chapter 202: Destination Achieved "Heh, you okay, Michelle? You seem quite tired." Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he sat beside Michelle, who was slowly eating while constantly nodding off. "Haa, y-yeah, I-I''m fine; j-just tired." Muttered Michelle softly as she slightly nodded before leaning onto Alexander''s shoulder, falling asleep a few moments later. Chuckling at Michelle, I continued to eat my food with Chloe; Lazuli and Yuki were both still in their rooms, so it was just us three, though given how Michelle was sleeping, you could hardly account for her. As for why she was sleeping, well, we had spent the entire night having sex, and boy, was it fun, not to mention Michelle was so enthusiastic about everything since she took the lead, even going so far as to do most of the moving, which I''m usually doing. ''Last night was for sure fun, but it seems like someone is tired; welp, that''s fine, I''ve pumped her butt full of my cum, so she won''t be hungry for a while.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he set his utensil down and gently picked up Michelle before standing up. "Where are you taking, Mom?" Asked Chloe curiously as she hopped off the seat and followed Alexander. "Taking her to bed; your Mom and I did a lot of stuff last night, so she''s exhausted." Replied Alexander calmly as he walked up a flight of stairs before quietly entering Michelle''s room, only to see Yuki stretching. Seeing Yuki was awake, I stopped being extra quiet and just took Michelle to her bed before gently placing her down and covering her with a few of her blankets; kissing her, I turned and glanced at Yuki, motioning her to be quiet; something that was slightly difficult for her to do by nature. Lifting Chloe into my arms, Yuki and I walked out of the room before closing the door, only for me to give her a nice slap on the butt while jumping into the air and kissing her. "So¡­ How''d my little Oni sleep?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Yuki with a faint smile, prompting her to nod. "It was good; I just wish the bed was bigger." Replied Yuki lightly with a slight smile before rubbing her back, causing Alexander to nod while chuckling. "Anyways, I''m going to use the bathroom; I''ve needed to pee for some time." Added Yuki as she walked down the long hall before entering the bathroom, while Alexander continued down the hall with Chloe in her arms. "Michelle is probably going to be asleep for some time, so, as a pretty responsible adult who isn''t your parent, want to go do some things Michelle wouldn''t normally let you do?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Chloe, who rapidly nodded with a smile, yet before the two could leave, Yuki suddenly opened the door. "Hey, Alex; were you and Michelle having sex in here? The bathroom reeks of your semen." Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at Alexander, who was covering Chloe''s ears. "Yes, I was, and next time, please think what you''re going to say when there is a child in my arms." Stated Alexander in annoyance as he stared at Yuki while his face constantly twitched. "Oh, s-sorry, I-I forgot." Muttered Yuki awkwardly as she glanced at Alexander before shifting her focus to Chloe, only to quickly close the door. Sighing, I removed my hands from Chloe''s ears and continued down the halls, hoping she wouldn''t bring up what Yuki had just said, but I should''ve known better as she was curious like any child "What''s sex, Alex?" Asked Chloe curiously as she looked up at Alexander, whose face aggressively twitched. "That is something you should ask Michelle since she knows more about it than me; now, let''s go and enjoy our time in the city." Said Alexander with a smile as he poked Chloe''s cheek before quickly changing topics, causing her to smile joyfully while forgetting about it. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ''Haa, sorry, Michelle; though, if you''re going to be angry, it was Yuki''s fault.'' Mused Alexander wryly as he exited the Inn with Chloe in his arms. ___ ___ After Chloe and I had our fun for a few hours, we returned to the Inn and met up with Michelle, who was surprisingly awake, and Lazuli; now, like the intelligent kid Chloe was, the first thing she did was ask Michelle about sex, and she wasn''t happy by any means if the death glare she gave me was anything. Like a proper lover, I pushed all the blame onto Yuki before grabbing Lazuli''s hand and leaving the Inn while Michelle was forced to deal with her child''s curiosity. With it being just Lazuli and I, we spent our time walking around the city, mostly in silence as she wasn''t much of a talker, but given the almost non-existent smile she constantly had, she seemed to enjoy it; we did happen to encounter Yuki while exploring the city, and unsurprisingly, she was eating food, something she doesn''t get bored of doing. Since there was still plenty of daylight remaining, the three of us headed towards the dungeon, and although we cleared all fifteen floors, we only got to fight the final guardian, which was unfortunate, but we still made pretty good money for it only taking like four or five hours worth of our time. Once that was over, we returned to the Inn, where Michelle, Chloe, and I returned to the park so they could enjoy themselves a little while I just leaned against the same tree as yesterday, pretty much serving as a guardian, so no freaky people like the one from yesterday appear. Well, that''s what I wanted to do, but Michelle kept calling me over to her, and eventually, I went to join her group of acquaintances, who all began asking me questions, which were mostly about Michelle; some of them did get a little too personal for my taste, such as how big my manhood was and what not. Hell, a few of the women even kept rubbing their feet on my crotch, though since I didn''t get an erection out of it, they stopped after a while. By the time it was dark, we all said our goodbyes, and they promptly left after acquiring their children; a few of them did secretly give me the address to their homes when Michelle wasn''t looking, which I just burned. ''Huh, Michelle seems to attract very horny mothers; well, I guess she is one as well, so I suppose that makes sense.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he stared at Michelle, who was carrying Chloe, before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. By the time we got home, Chloe was already sleeping on my shoulder, which prompted Michelle to take her to bed while we four adults ate dinner before finally going to sleep; since Lazuli and I share rooms, as I knew neither Yuki nor Michelle were comfortable with her, I wasn''t able to have fun with my lover or mistress, so the night was lonesome. ___ ___ "How much longer, Alex?" Asked Chloe softly as she looked at Alexander, who was pulling the carriage. "Only a few more hours at most, Chloe." Replied Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Chloe, who nodded before continuing to kick her feet while looking at the passing ground. It''s been five days since we left the previous city, and right now, we''re heading toward our final destination, which was known as Cassandra and the reason why I picked that city was for a multitude of reasons, but the main factor was that it was deep within the Kingdom, so if a war ever erupted, we''d be safe for some time. I had no idea what the world''s politics was like, so while my worries were probably unfounded, it wasn''t something I wanted to forget. The other reason was that Cassandra was the city with the epic-ranked dungeon, which meant a lot of things, but most importantly, it meant that it would facilitate our growth for quite some time. ''However, because of that, we''ll most likely encounter B and A-class adventurers, not something I''m exactly keen about, but it is what it is.'' Mused Alexander with a slight frown before slightly sighing and shaking his head. Since we were deep within the Roswald Kingdom, the roads were relatively safe from bandits and whatnot, so many people were taking these roads; we even passed several just today. For the next few hours, I continued to silently pull the carriage while everyone else chatted, well, except for Lazuli, so it was really just Michelle and Yuki; however, when I saw Talis come swooping down toward me, I knew we must''ve been close to our destination. "Alex, I just spotted a large city in the distance, so we should be close." Stated Talis with a chirp as she gently perched herself on the reins of the carriage while glancing at Alexander, who faintly smiled. Nodding at Talis, I continued with the same pace, and just as she said, not even ten minutes later, I spotted the city''s walls along with a long line of carriages and people trying to enter. "See that, Chloe; we''ve pretty much made it." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he got in line behind a small group of people while glancing at Chloe, Lazuli, Yuki and Michelle. "Yes! Finally!" Yelled Chloe happily, causing Michelle and Alexander to chuckle in amusement. Chapter 203: Broke Boys After waiting in line for nearly twenty minutes, we finally entered the city with ease, and let''s just say Chloe had an absolute field day that we''d finally reached our destination; however, first things first, we needed to find an Inn. Now, finding an Inn in such a large and prominent city wasn''t difficult as there were many Inn''s around; the problem was, they were decently more expensive than any Inn I''d lived in, which wasn''t good, but since I didn''t know how long we''d be staying in one, I figured it would be best to splurge a little bit, and so I did, though of course, I asked Yuki, Michelle, and Lazuli first, not like Lazuli really seemed to care in the first place. With Yuki and Michelle''s input, we settled on a somewhat expensive Inn, which was eighteen copper coins a night, nearly four times as much as I''m used to, but the price wasn''t unjustified, as we had a massive room on the topmost floor with three bedrooms along with our own bathroom and kitchen inside of it. "Woah, this is beautiful." Muttered Michelle with a faint smile as she walked around the room with Chloe following her while Alexander plopped onto a random bed, prompting Talis to land on his chest. "Hmph, it better be beautiful for how much we''re paying." Said Alexander with a grunt as he glanced at Michelle before looking at Yuki and Lazuli entering the room. "Eh, yeah, this place is beautiful." Said Yuki with a nod as she did a quick look around before approaching Alexander, while Lazuli did the same. "It''s so big!" Yelled Chloe with a smile as she ran around the rooms while spreading her arms, causing Alexander to faintly chuckle. While Michelle did a little exploring, I glanced at Yuki, who was to my right, staring at Lazuli to my left, causing me to wince since I knew she would ask me about Soom eventually, and I would be forced to tell her the truth. However, once that happened, Yuki would definitely try to kick Lazuli out once she realized Soom wouldn''t ever come back, yet I couldn''t just kick Lazuli out; she wouldn''t last long in the world. ''Ugh, what the hell am I supposed to do? Zartha, Trina? Don''t you two have some advice for me?'' Asked Alexander with a frustrated sigh as he closed his eyes while rubbing his face. "You can''t have the cake and eat it too, Master." "Um, I-I don''t know." Said Zartha and Trina, respectively, as they looked upwards, causing Alexander to sigh once more. While I was feeling stressed out about how I was going to deal with Yuki and Lazuli, I heard Michelle return to our room before sitting on the foot of the bed, prompting me to open my eyes as I glanced at three beautiful women surrounding me on each side of the bed, which, I will not lie, helped ease the stress I was feeling. "What must we do now, Alexander? This place is nice, but we can''t stay here forever; we''ll need to buy a house or rent one." Asked Michelle as she looked at Alexander while Yuki nodded in agreement. "She''s right; this Inn is too expensive to stay at for long." Said Yuki lightly while kneeling before the bed as she glanced at Michelle before looking at Alexander, who sat upright. "Yeah, I figured that part out pretty quickly; we can''t stay here for too long; just five days alone will be nearly one silver. That''s far too much for the current us." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he furrowed his brows while staring at Yuki, who tilted her head, causing him to suddenly kiss her before standing up. "Cute. Well, I doubt we''ll be able to buy a house any time soon, so renting is probably our best option for now, which kind of sucks, but it is what it is; better than being eaten alive by the monsters rampaging through Hyphen." Added Alexander with a smile as he poked Yuki''s nose before standing up and stretching his body while looking at everyone. "Yeah, much better than the alternative." Muttered Michelle with a wry expression as she nodded in agreement before glancing at Yuki, who was faintly blushing. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I don''t want to waste any time as that''s just more money to pay, so do you want to check out the house right now, Michelle, or do it tomorrow?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Michelle, who was slightly taken aback before nodding. "N-No, right now is fine; I could use the chance to get a little exercise in, I feel like I''ve gained some weight during this past month." Replied Michelle with a nod as she stood up while grabbing her stomach, only for Alexander to smirk as he slapped her butt. "Heh, if you gained weight, it''s going to all the right places, so don''t you worry; I''m not complaining." Said Alexander with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around Michelle''s waist and ground his crotch against her plump butt, causing her to faintly blush. "L-Let me go shower; I haven''t taken one in nearly three days; I feel dirty." Said Michelle softly with a faint blush as she pushed off Alexander before walking away, prompting him to slap her butt just as Chloe came running through, significantly deepening her blush. "Eh, did Mom do something bad, Alex?" Asked Chloe curiously as she stopped running and looked at Michelle before glancing at Alexander, who smirked before nodding. "Yes, Michelle was being a bad girl, so I had to punish her. Actually, as a matter of fact, I should go punish her some more in the bathroom; thanks for reminding me, Chloe." Replied Alexander with a nod as he gently rubbed Chloe''s head while smiling before chasing after Michelle, who tried to lock him out, yet she was too slow. "A-Alexander, w-wait; n-no, not now. ~Ahh~, d-don''t ~Ahh~, s-so deep!" Said Michelle, her quiet voice echoing from beyond the bathroom door, prompting Chloe to listen intently. "You''ve been a bad girl, Michelle, so I''ve got to punish you thoroughly." Added Alexander lightly as he whispered into Michelle''s ear, only for a rhythmic clapping noise to resound throughout the bathroom, along with her moans, causing Chloe, who was eavesdropping, to widen her eyes. "~Ahh~, i-it''s too much! S-Slow, down ~Ahh~ Alexander! I-I can''t h-handle it! ~Ahhh~ S-So rough!" Remarked Michelle, her pleasure-filled moans being mistaken for painful cries by Chloe while Alexander ravaged her insides with his cock. "Hmph, lucky." Muttered Yuki with an envious frown as she folded her arms while gazing at the bathroom door. "Hmm, is this sex?" Said Lazuli softly with a confused yet curious expression as she glanced at the bathroom door, while Alexander and Michelle''s voices were drowned out by the water hitting against their bodies. ___ ___ Currently, Michelle and I were walking through Cassandra, taking things slow as we took our time to get accustomed to our new home; though, she was quite upset with me right now because of what happened earlier in the bathroom. "Okay, okay, I apologize, Michelle; it''s my fault. I shouldn''t have done anything with Chloe being right outside listening to us, but she only thinks I was punishing you, so it''s not as bad as you''re making it seem. Besides, she isn''t technically wrong." Said Alexander apologetically as he wrapped his arm around Michelle''s shoulder while kissing her cheek before whispering into her ear, causing her to ignore his every word. "Just so you know, you can''t pin this whole thing on me; you''re also somewhat at fault; you weren''t letting go; in fact, I nearly creampied you. Getting you pregnant wouldn''t have been good right now." Remarked Alexander lightly as he eyed Michelle while poking her ample breasts, causing her face to twitch in annoyance. "I kept saying stop." Replied Michelle as she eyed Alexander, who faintly smirked. "You were saying that, but you actually want me to continue; don''t lie to yourself. I would''ve actually stopped if you genuinely wanted me to, but someone couldn''t get enough of me." Stated Alexander with a shake of his head as he lowered his head and gently bit her ear, causing her to faintly blush while scoffing in annoyance. Chuckling at Michelle''s anger with me, we continued walking down the streets of Cassandra, observing some of the houses that looked to be within our budget, which, for reference, was about ten silver coins, not that much at all. ''I really need to visit Master''s office in the Mage Guild; she might''ve left some money just randomly lying around; she can be quite messy.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he glanced at the house, only to wince when he saw a for sale sign in front of one. "Michelle, does that say 15 fucking gold coins?" Asked Alexander with an unsightly expression as he eyed the sign while Michelle nodded. "Yes. Yes, it does." Replied Michelle softly as she stared at the sign with a twitching expression. The worst part about the house was that it was smaller than the one Yuki or Michelle owned, yet it was fifty percent more expensive; we weren''t close to affording it, but it felt like I was being scammed. "If that house costs 15 gold coins, how much would it be to rent? 20 silver coins a month? 25? 30?" Muttered Alexander with a curious expression as he and Michelle continued walking, their hopes having been drastically lowered. "Haa, I don''t know, but whatever it is, we most likely can''t afford it." Said Michelle sadly, shaking her head. Chapter 204: Dominating Behavior After Michelle and I had our hopes dashed by the exorbitant price of a single home, we continued walking through the city, mainly observing and getting accustomed to the daily life of Cassandra; we also discovered a few streets Michelle should not walk down unless absolutely necessary. ''Speaking of streets Michelle should avoid, I think we''ve just found another one.'' Mused Alexander lightly with a slight frown as he and Michelle walked down a minor street full of suspicious and wicked men. Even without using [Heroes Gaze], it was pretty obvious this was a street where, let''s just say, certain people frequented; however, most kept their distance from Michelle and I, thanks to my [Heroes Aura] that caused those with wicked or evil hearts to be fearful of my presence. While my aura worked on a good chunk of the people, it didn''t work on everyone; after all, not everyone took kindly to being afraid of someone you''d never seen before. "Alexander, they''re approaching; s-should I do something?" Asked Michelle softly as she glanced at a pair of approaching men before looking down at her slightly exposed cleavage. "No, it''s fine; just don''t show any fear; they''ll be less likely to act upon their intention." Replied Alexander calmly with a shake of his as he glanced at Michelle while continuing like usual, seemingly not even paying attention to the pair that threatened to block his path. Although I wasn''t looking at the pair, I was using my [Heroes Gaze] to keep an eye on them while also making sure no one came up from behind; the person on the right was an elven man, given his long, pointy ears, and the man on the left looked to be either a mouse or rat demi-human given his mouse-like tail and ears. Funnily enough, just like how I wasn''t paying them any heed, so were they; instead, all of their focus was on Michelle, and of course, I couldn''t blame them; she had a body that men would die for, and I should know, I''m one of those men. "Yo, missy, you trying to hang out with a couple of real men rather than that pretty boy? We''ll make sure to show you fucking good time." Asked the demi-human with a wicked smile as he and his partner stood in front of Michelle, openly ogling her with lecherous eyes. "Yeah, why don''t you just fuck off; we''ll take things over from here." Said the Elf with a smirk as he stared fixedly at Michelle''s incredibly impressive chest while speaking to Alexander, not even looking his way. Thanks to all their rather apparent lustful intention, they were making Michelle quite uncomfortable, given how she tried to further hide her cleavage, though that just spurred the two men on as her breasts jiggled around; so, to make things even more uncomfortable, I used the arm that was wrapped around her shoulder to firmly grasp her breast. "No, now, if you''ll excuse us, we''d like to continue our date." Said Alexander sternly as he glanced at the pair before walking forward and pushing them out of the way, which only further angered them. "Hey, punk! Where the fuck do you think you''re going with our women!?" Exclaimed the demi-human angrily as he grabbed Alexander by the shoulder before pulling him around, staring directly into his purple, crystal-like eyes. "Yeah, bastard; if you have a fucking brain, leave before we cripple you. You can pick her up next week after my boys and I finish having our fun with her." Remarked the Elf as angrily as he eyed Alexander before lustfully looking at Michelle while outstretching his hand right for her breasts. Before the man could touch Michelle, I grabbed his wrist before throwing him at his friend, causing the two to skid against the ground, and by the time they had stood up, I was holding Trina in their direction after having doubled her size using [Expand]. "Listen, fellas, do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way?" Asked Alexander with a deep frown as he dangerously stared at the pair, causing them to clench their fists before clicking their tongue and turning around. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Tch, bastard." "Where the hell did he even get that sword?" Muttered the elven man and demi-human, respectively, as they walked away while occasionally glancing at Alexander before eventually disappearing down an alley. Seeing the two finally leave, I shrunk Trina down to half of her normal size, causing her to resemble a short sword, before placing her in my space pouch; though I was actually absorbing her back into my body, I just didn''t want anyone to know, except Michelle of course. "Now, let''s continue on with our little date." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he leaned down and kissed Michelle on the cheek before continuing down the street while constantly being looked at by various people. "Um, are you going to remove your hand, Alexander?" Asked Michelle softly as she looked at Alexander''s hand, which was grasping her ample breast. "Oh, I forgot about that¡­ No." Replied Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Michelle''s chest before shaking his head, causing her face to twitch as she just shook her head. After that little encounter with this, those men from earlier, we spent about another hour to an hour and a half walking around Cassandra before eventually returning to the Inn we''re currently staying; during my little date with Michelle, we may or may not have passionately made out in an empty alley, no one really knows. ___ ___ "We''re back!" Yelled Alexander with a smile as he and Michelle entered the Inn, yet to their surprise, no one acknowledged their existence, not even Chloe. "Well, this is surprising." Muttered Alexander softly while Michelle nodded in agreement, prompting the two to calmly walk through the room. Turning the corner, we saw Yuki, Talis, Chloe, and surprisingly Lazuli playing cards; they were so focused they didn''t even register us, and while a part of me wanted to make ourselves known, I really wanted to see how things would end. "Um, do you have a 3, Yuki?" Asked Chloe lightly as she looked up at Yuki, whom she sat across from, only for her to shake her. "Nope, go fish." Replied Yuki with a faint smirk as she eyed Chloe, who pouted before grabbing a card. "5. Talis?" Asked Lazuli blandly as she looked at Talis, whom she sat across from, only for her to shake her beak while cutely chirping. When it got to Talis''s turn, while she did chirp, she used her talons to tap on the ground, and depending on how many times she tapped, that was the number she was asking for, which I personally thought was genius. "So, do you want to interrupt, or do you want to continue our make-out session on that bed in the other room?" Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at Michelle, who glanced at the four playing cards before kissing him. "Well, that answers that question." Muttered Alexander with a smirk as he picked up Michelle before entering the other rooms, only for the ruffling clothes and faint moans to echo throughout the room. "I-I thought you said ~Ahh~ only kissing?" "S-Sorry, you''re just too damn sexy, Michelle; you''ve got to understand." Said Michelle and Alexander, respectively, their faint voices barely sounding like a whisper from beyond the door. ___ ___ Once I finished covering Michelle in my seed since I couldn''t give her a creampie and possibly impregnate her, she took another shower while I joined the four in the game of go fish; after that, we had an early dinner before Yuki, and I retired to our room. I''ve been showing my mistress some love, and I needed to do so with my actual lover; I''ve just been holding off since Yuki can be quite loud, so I wanted to wait until we''re in a proper room. For the whole night, and even well into the morning, Yuki and I did nothing but passionately make love; she was a little more aggressive than usual, but it''s been nearly a week since we''ve last done it, so it''s understandable. Still, if it weren''t for me promising we''d continue tonight, I don''t think she would''ve stopped. ''Oh, I''m thankful my body heals since I''m pretty sure Yuki would''ve broken my hip.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling. Yuki was currently in the shower, and I would''ve joined her, but she takes up nearly the entire space, so that wasn''t happening; besides, I could use this chance to figure out our next move. "Haa, we need money; to do anything, we need money. I could sell some stuff I have; they should be worth a decent amount, though a few silver isn''t going to change our situation that much." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he rolled over onto his side, grabbing his space pouch placed on the dresser beside the bed. Searching through my space pouch, trying to see everything I could sell, I couldn''t help but wince when I realized almost everything I could sell belonged to Master; I had several of her potions in here, and I''d rather sell my own fucking arm before I got rid of those. Not only do they belong to Master, but they''re not just normal potions she created; they''re special. "Wait a fucking second! Why didn''t I fucking think of this sooner!? I''m fucking stupid!" Exlciamed Alexander in shock as he practically leaped out of bed and exited the room, only to be met with Michelle braiding Chloe''s hair in the distance. "Oh, Alexander, goo- A-ALEXANDER!?" Said Michelle with a smile as he looked at Alexander before widening her eyes and quickly covering Chloe''s eyes. "S-Shit, I-I forgot." Remarked Alexander apologetically as he looked down at his naked self before quickly entering his room. Chapter 205: Diluted Ichor After that little accident I had with Michelle and Chloe, like the mother she was, she gave me a rather long lecture, and since it was completely my fault, I couldn''t do anything but listen to her; though, it seems she''d been holding this in for some time given the number of things she mentioned. Once the hour-long lecture finally ended, I was free to begin my genius idea of acquiring money, which was something I should''ve thought of quite some time ago, but better later than never. "Hmm, what are you doing, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she entered the room with two towels wrapped around her body, which were just barely covering her breasts and crotch. "I''m solving our money problems, Yuki. Damn, you''re so sexy." Replied Alexander with a smile as he sat beside a bucket of water before glancing at Yuki, only to lustfully gulp. Taking a few seconds to appreciate how sexy my lover was, I tapped the spot beside me before shifting my focus back to the bucket before me, prompting Yuki to sit to my left and nearly causing the bucket to spill with how she plopped onto the ground. Reaching into my space pouch, I grabbed a vial of my blood before handing it to Yuki, who frowned, seemingly still having problems with my blood. "Do you know what rank that is, Yuki?" Asked Alexander with a smile as he looked up at Yuki, who furrowed her brows before shaking her head, causing him to smirk. "That is considered Mythical; a Mythical potion, so to speak. Now, imagine if I were to sell that; how much money do you think we''d make?" Added Alexander with a large smile as he grabbed Yuki''s hand, which held the vial, causing her to frown deeply before shaking her head again. "I don''t know; I''ve only ever bought uncommon potions. However, I really don''t think you should do that, Alex; I know it''ll give us money, but if somehow people find out you can make Mythical potions¡­" Replied Yuki solemnly, tightly holding the vial and gazing at Alexander as she trailed off towards the end since she did not even know what awaited him. "Hehe, don''t worry; I''m not." Said Alexander with a faint chuckle as he kissed Yuki''s breast before grabbing the vial out of her hands and holding it above the bucket. "However, what if I diluted until it was no longer a Mythcial potion? I wouldn''t get as much money, but it would also not get nearly the same amount of attention, which is good for us." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he uncorked the vial before pouring a small drop into the large bucket of water. The instant my golden blood fell into the water, it rapidly dissolved while causing all the water to take on a goldish appearance; it wasn''t nearly as potent nor as viscous as my blood, but it was something special from just a mere glance. ''So, what rank is it now?'' Thought Alexander as he used [Heroes Gaze] and examined the bucket of golden water, causing his purple eyes to release a faint glow. //////////////////// Name: Diluted Ichor Rank: Legendary Description: The diluted Ichor of the True Hero, capable of healing a plethora of illnesses, diseases, and injuries; even able to ward off certain curses. //////////////////// "So, is it good now?" Asked Yuki curiously as she leaned closer to the bucket of golden water before glancing at Alexander, who furrowed his brows while shaking his head. "Well, it''s better than before, but not what I quite wanted: Legendary is still probably a little too much. I''ll try diluting it again; hopefully, that will work." Replied Alexander with a thoughtful expression while tapping his chin, prompting him to stand up and exit the room before returning a few minutes later with another bucket. Placing the bucket beside the previous one, I was about to start diluting it, but before I did, Yuki''s towel dropped to the ground as she began to put on her clothes, causing me to gulp as I fixedly watched her while sporting a massive erection. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "My goodness, that''s too much woman for one woman to have how can I even handle all that?" Muttered Alexander softly as he ogled Yuki''s body before shaking his head a few minutes later and focusing back on the task at hand. While my sexy lover got dressed, I grabbed another vial to scoop up some of the golden water before pouring just a single drop into the new bucket of water; just like before, that single drop rapidly turned the water golden; however, this time, there was only a faint golden tint within the water, it wasn''t a deep shaded gold like before. "Alright, hopefully, this worked." Muttered Alexander lightly as he once again used the hero''s gaze. //////////////////// Name: Golden Water Rank: Epic Description: This diluted water has some rather powerful healing effects on whoever drinks it, capable of healing many wounds and injuries while preventing illness and diseases. //////////////////// Reading the information it offered, I faintly smiled and thrust my fist into the air; with this, I should hopefully be able to acquire a decent amount of money. ''Though even so, I still have to be a little careful; I can''t just go around and selling hundreds of these, only a few, no more than five at once.'' Thought Alexander firmly as he gazed at the second bucket full of fine golden water, only to look up when he spotted Yuki bending over. Being flash-banged with Yuki''s full moon, I took a moment to recite some calming words within my mind while I closed my eyes since I was confident if I gazed at her butt again, I wouldn''t be able to stop myself. "Did you complete it, Alex?" Asked Yuki curiously as she tied her white, shoulder-length hair into a ponytail before sitting right beside Alexander, who was still trying to calm down the rising lust within him. "Yes, I got it to work; now the only problem is disposing of the first bucket." Replied Alexander with a nod as he stood up and stretched his body, unknowingly putting his crotch right in front of Yuki, causing her nostrils to flare as she inhaled his scent. "Anyways, I''m going to shower now; try not to spill those." Added Alexander lightly as he pointed at the buckets while glancing at Yuki, who was absent-mindedly staring at his crotch, breathing heavily. "O-Okay." Muttered Yuki softly as she watched Alexander leave the room, causing her to remove her pants and spread her legs while she masturbated. ___ ___ "Um, I wasn''t really paying attention when you explained it to me, but where are we going?" Asked Yuki awkwardly as she glanced down at Alexander, whose expression constantly twitched in annoyance. "I explained it three times; how do you still not know what we''re doing?" Replied Alexander in disbelief as he glanced at Yuki, who awkwardly coughed before looking away, causing him to sigh while he once again explained. "Haa, alright, listen; we''re just looking for an alchemy store, a place where I could potentially sell my potions." Added Alexander with a sigh as he wrapped his arm around Yuki''s waist, which was about at shoulder height for him, while eyeing her. "Ahh, so that''s it. Sorry, I was too caught up with sucking your cock." Replied Yuki with slightly widened eyes before apologizing, causing Alexander to sigh. After I finished showering, when I returned to my room, I caught Yuki masturbating on the floor; of course, I had to do something, so we engaged in a little bit of foreplay, only using our hands and mouth, which ended up lasting for nearly an hour; though to be fair, I should''ve picked a better time to explain to her than when she was giving me a blowjob. Right now, Yuki and I were just walking around Cassandra, searching for possible alchemy shops and whatnot where I could sell my potions, which were really just bottles of my highly diluted ichor. As a matter of fact, I didn''t even have the bottles on me; I had left them at the Inn with Michelle and Lazuli. I intended to sell them by myself, and I didn''t want there to be anyone else but me there while the exchange was happening. "Woah, look at that, Yuki; this will give us an idea of how much money we''d make." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he pointed to the window of an alchemy shop nearby, prompting them to approach it. Standing in front of the display window, Yuki and I observed the prices the shop offered, and the first word that came to my mind was robbery; just for an uncommon potion, it was already fifty silver, which was more money than I''d ever had in one sitting. Rare potions were worth a few gold, some even being upwards of ten gold, and as for Epic or Legendary potions, they weren''t on display, besides, I doubted just any shop sells Legendary potions. ''If Rare potions can be sold for ten gold coins by the shop, then I should be able to get close to that much by selling an Epic potion to them.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he gazed at the several potions before he and Yuki finally walked away. After observing the prices, I thought about whether selling them to alchemy shops was the best option; despite Master being a great alchemist, I knew very little about when it actually came to the world of alchemy. ''Hmm, maybe I should hold off a little; we still have some money, so I don''t need to rush things. I could use this chance to visit the Mage Guild, and maybe I''ll be able to ask Master''s friend she spoke about.'' Thought Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he leaned his head against Yuki''s breast while walking down the streets of Cassandra. Chapter 206: Mage Guild After some thinking, I eventually decided to hold off on selling my golden water made from my diluted blood and planned to hopefully speak with Master''s friend; maybe she could give me some insight about what''s best to do with them. So until then, I used five large vials to store the golden water while using the remaining buckets as drinks for everyone but Yuki, who vehemently refused when I offered it to her; having everyone drink my diluted blood was probably the safest and most effective way to get rid of it, granted I didn''t tell any of them it was of my blood. When Yuki and I returned home from our little outing, I cooked everyone dinner as the room we rented out also came with a small kitchen area, though it didn''t really matter since I didn''t have the proper seasoning to work with; still, everyone enjoyed it, except for Lazuli of course. During the rest of the night, we all sat together and talked until we headed to sleep, which Yuki and I had been waiting for since we started making love shortly after we closed the door to our room; for the whole night and somewhat into the morning, we intensely made love, shaking the entire bed from the rough pounding I gave her. ___ ___ "~Ahh~, that feels great ~Ahh~, Alex." Muttered Yuki with a faint smile as she looked down at Alexander, who was plowing her vagina while sucking on her breasts. Increasing my speed, I shoved my cock as deeply as possible within Yuki, yet just as I was about to spew my thick ropes of semen right toward her womb, I removed my cock and placed it on her stomach as I covered her beautiful blue-skinned body in my semen; once I finally finished cumming, I ground my manhood against her vagina, desiring to put it for another round, but as I glanced at the window, I couldn''t help but sigh. "Alright, Yuki, I think we''ve got to end it for now; it''s already morning." Said Alexander with furrowed brows as he glanced at Yuki, who was using her four hands to scoop the semen off her body before drinking it, causing his cock to twitch eagerly. "But I was about to orgasm?" Remarked Yuki sadly as she looked at Alexander with a pouting expression, causing him to roll his eyes as he lowered his face toward her crotch. "I''ll finish you with my mouth, okay?" Asked Alexander as he stuffed his mouth onto Yuki''s crotch, using his teeth to occasionally bite her clitoris while using [Expand] on his tongue as it danced around inside her, causing her to moan. While I was eating Yuki out, I heard the door open behind me, nearly causing me to stop as I used [Heroes Gaze] to look behind, only to internally sigh in relief when I spotted Michelle, who was quietly sneaking towards me. Once she neared me, she got onto her knees and began stroking my cock from behind, an awkward position if you ask me, but I wasn''t complaining when I had a sexy woman stroking me. Once Yuki got close to orgasm, I increased my speed and intensity, prompting her to close her legs around my head, pushing me further into my crotch while taking away my ability to breathe. "~AHHHHHH~ c-cumming!" Stated Yuki loudly as she squirted out all of her juices onto Alexander, who drank as much as he could, slurping it off her vagina. After a few moments, Yuki finally released my head, allowing me to sit upright while I gently slapped her thighs. "Alright, now go and take a shower before Chloe wakes up; now, speaking of Chloe, I''m going to have a little fun with her mother." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile as he gave Yuki''s vagina a kiss, only to leap off the bed, landing behind Michelle, who was kneeling on the ground, before picking her up and tossing her onto the sex-stained bed beside his lover. "Eh, w-wait, I just wanted to give you a handjob, Alexander." Said Michelle softly as she looked at Alexander, who grasped her chin before forcefully kissing her, using his lengthened tongue to completely dominate her mouth. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Hmm, when did you get here, Michelle?" Asked Yuki curiously as she rolled onto her side and looked at Michelle, who was being completely taken advantage of by Alexander. "J-Just a m-mi~AHHHHH~ a-ago!" Replied Michelle lightly as Alexander finally freed her mouth, only for her to moan loudly when he thrust his cock into her vagina, reaching her very cervix and causing her to violently orgasm. Grasping Michelle''s thick, jiggly butt, I prompted her to wrap her arms around my neck as I stood up on the bed while her juices dripped onto the bed; lifting her waist up, I slammed it back down onto my cock, causing her to snap her head back while she moaned even louder than Yuki. "S-Sorry, Yuki, but she''s not going to be able to talk right now." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he plowed Michelle''s insides with his cock, spreading her apart while she loudly moaned in pleasure at his tip constantly knocking against her womb. "Okay; well, I suppose I''ll take a shower now then." Stated Yuki with a nod as she hopped off the bed and stretched a little before exiting the room, heading straight for the bathroom while Alexander and Michelle were engrossed in their rough yet passionate sex. ___ ___ Thanks to Michelle joining, I didn''t leave my room until noon, and even then, that was simply for her and I to take a shower, which lasted another hour as I couldn''t keep my hands to myself; how could I when she was flaunting that sexy body of hers? However, like usual, I had gone a little too hard on Michelle, and now her back was a little sore; though from the satisfied smile, I could tell she didn''t regret it one bit. "Mom, are you okay? You keep grabbing your back." Asked Chloe in concern as she approached Michelle, who faintly smiled while affectionately rubbing her cheek. "Oh, I feel great, Chloe; you don''t need to worry." Replied Michelle with a motherly smile as she kissed Chloe''s head before glancing at Alexander with slight hunger, seemingly still wanting more. Exiting my room after putting on my jacket as it was a little chilly, I approached Yuki, who was sitting down and eating like usual, and gave her a kiss before walking over to Michelle and doing the same, though since Chloe was watching, I teased her by making it unnecessarily passionate and long, which seemed to work given the deep shade of red on her cheeks. "Hehe, alright, I''m heading to the Mage guild; now, I plan to return before dinner, but no promises, okay?" Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Michelle before squatting down and gently rubbing Chloe''s head. Seeing both Michelle and Yuki nod, I stood up and approached Lazuli, who was calmly sitting by herself, prompting me to grab her hand as I gave it a simple kiss like a proper gentleman. "Are you okay, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at Lazuli, who tilted her head in slight confusion. "Yes. Why wouldn''t I be?" Replied Lazuli blandly as she stared at Alexander, causing him to fold his arms. "I don''t know; I was just asking, that''s all. If you happen to leave the Inn, try not to do anything dangerous or deadly, okay?" Said Alexander lightly as he eyed Lazuli, who silently looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. While I was a little skeptical of Lazuli since she took a long to respond, I just shook my head and hopped Michelle or Yuki could keep an eye on her; saying goodbye, I left the room, and the same with the Inn while I walked down the streets of Cassandra, heading towards the Mage Guild in the distance. ''I hope they''re not super arrogant like the other mage I encountered.'' Thought Alexander, his mind wandering back to the leader of the Firmania party, Lucy Monrue. Once I arrived at the Mage Guild, the first thing I noticed was that the outside looked fancy, though when I entered the inside, I couldn''t help but take a second to marvel at how much nicer it was compared to the Adventurer Guild; it looked nice, wasn''t filled with aggressive people, and best of all, didn''t smell like sweat, shit, vomit, and alcohol. ''Though, I''ve gotten used to the daily life of an Adventurer Guild, so it doesn''t bother me that much anymore.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he approached the receptionist''s desk in the distance. "Yes, how can I help you?" Asked the receptionist with a faint smile as she looked up at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before responding. "Um, I''m here to visit my Master''s office; her office isn''t here, but she said a teleportation device should take me to the correct branch." Replied Alexander, his words causing the receptionist to nod while smiling. "Okay; I just need your Master''s name and their Mage Guild license, or one that has been registered in their name that identifies you as their disciple." Stated the receptionist with a nod as she stood up while Alexander reached into his space pouch. Grabbing a small, pitch-black rock that projects the word Grand-Archmage. "My Master''s name is Lavender Vestalis." Said Alexander lightly as he showed the receptionist Lavender''s license, causing her eyes to widen at the words projected into the air. Chapter 207: Kurama "Oh my, Grand-Archmage?" Muttered the receptionist in shock as she stared at the words projected into the air, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow. "Hmm, is something the matter, Mam?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at the object in his hands before looking at the receptionist, who shook her head. "N-No, it''s just, I-I''ve never seen a Grand-Archmage''s license, that is all. Excuse my behavior, and if you could follow me." Replied the receptionist softly as she cleared her throat, regaining her bearings while gesturing Alexander to follow. Nodding at the woman, I stored Master''s license in my pocket and followed her as we walked up a flight of stairs; when we arrived on the second floor, we took a right down a long hallway before entering the furthest door on the right. Entering inside, other than the large size of the door and the room itself, the only thing worth noting was the marble pad in the center of the room; however, when I used [Heroes Gaze], I noticed a substantial amount of runes engraved onto the marble pad, and not only that but there was an impressive amount of space mana stuck inside of it. //////////////////// Name: Teleportation Pad Rank: Epic Description: Marble engraved with many runes powered by space mana allows intercontinental travel within seconds. //////////////////// ''Well, that''s impressive.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he stared at the teleportation pad, only to glance at the receptionist as she picked up a seemingly hand-held version. "May I borrow your License, Sir?" Asked the receptionist as she approached Alexander, who nodded before handing Lavender''s license to her, prompting her to carefully hold it while placing it on the hand-sized teleportation pad. After a few moments of quietly standing, the hand-held pad on the woman''s hand and the teleportation pad on the ground suddenly released a soft glow, prompting the woman to carefully hand Master''s license back to me. "So, do I just step onto there?" Asked Alexander as he approached the teleportation pad, standing beside it while looking at the woman, who nodded. "Yes. The teleportation pad will take you directly to your Master''s office." Replied the receptionist, causing Alexander to nod as he stepped onto the teleportation pad. Just as I was about to turn around, the moment I blinked, there was a flash of light, and the next thing I knew, I was standing alone in a similar room, the only difference being that the woman was nowhere to be seen. "Um, well, that was quick." Muttered Alexander lightly as he stepped off the teleportation pad and approached the only door before opening it, only to be met with darkness. Stepping into the darkness, I was about to use [Heroes Gaze], but it turns out I didn''t need to since the room was suddenly illuminated by mana torches on the wall, allowing me to see the massive room that was Master''s office. "Heh, it smells just like her." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he deeply inhaled the room''s scent. Closing the door behind me, I took a moment to look around, and well, I couldn''t help but sigh at what I witnessed; it was a messy office like no other. Books were lying on the ground everywhere, vials, tubes, and other alchemy tools were seemingly tossed into multiple piles, with several even being broken, a few of the desks were on their sides, and the ground was covered in several different kinds of liquids; all in all, it was an absolutely disgusting mess, worse than anything I''ve ever seen, though for some I couldn''t help but faintly smile. "Haa, Master; we''re going to need to talk about your cleanliness." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he observed the messy and dirty office before taking off his jacket and getting to work. ___ ___ Pouring the two vials into the cauldron, I added some of my mana to stabilize the concoction, yet even with it, the potion was showing signs of instability; clicking my tongue, I grabbed another vial and poured it into the cauldron, and after a few seconds, the potion suddenly calmed down. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Ahh, did I finally do it!?" Exclaimed the woman with a smile as she eagerly stared at the potion while keeping calm, ensuring the potion remained stable. "Master Kurama! Mrs. Lavender''s teleportation pad has been activated!" Yelled an older woman as she barged into the room, her sudden intrusion breaking Kurama''s concentration and causing her to accidentally add more mana. I wasn''t able to respond in time as the potion suddenly exploded, coating my face with its pinkish color; taking a deep breath, I turned my head and looked at my disciple, wanting nothing more than to strangle her. "What. Did. You. Say. Kana?" Asked Kurama angrily as she stared at Kana while her nine tails violently wagged. "M-Mrs. L-Lavender''s t-teleportation pad h-has been activated." Replied Kana meekly as she deeply bowed towards Kurama, too afraid to look her in the eyes. What Kana said momentarily caused me to forget about everything I was just doing as I grabbed my smoking pipe and approached her. "Hmph, after nearly half a century of silence, that tree finally wants to return? I''m going to give her one long lecture." Muttered Kurama in annoyance as she blew out a puff of smoke, passing Kana while exiting her office. "Clean up the mess you caused, Kana, or I''ll have you go and acquire my ingredients." Ordered Kurama sternly as she glanced at Kana, who rapidly nodded without a single complaint. "''Y-Yes, Master!" Despite wanting nothing more than to talk with Lavender, I needed to clean myself; our first interaction in nearly fifty years couldn''t be covered in my failed experiment. ''Then again, it''s not like it hasn''t happened before.'' Mused Kurama as she entered her private room while removing her clothes, revealing her flawless skin and womanly figure to no one. Stepping into the bathroom, I took a quick bath before exiting. I also changed my clothes to something more casual; I did not need to look presentable when I was merely seeing Lavender; as a matter of fact, I didn''t even need to wear anything; we''ve both seen each other naked plenty of times. "Speaking of naked, I wonder if that tree has finally found a man after so long? Staying a virgin after two entire millenniums is both embarrassing and respectable, though, of course, I''ll mock her for it." Muttered Kurama with a curious gaze as she exited her private room and approached the door in the distance, only to smirk while blowing a puff of smoke. Lavender would probably be expecting me, so I transformed into my other form and morphed into a small fox with black and reddish fur; I also covered myself in illusion magic. ''Alright, your little tree, you better have one good explanation, or I''m pissing on you.'' Thought Kurama calmly as she walked onto the teleportation pad, holding her smoking pipe with her tail. After a few moments of waiting, there was a flash of light, and I was suddenly teleported to a nearly exact-looking copy of the room I was just in; stepping off the pad, I approached the door and silently opened it with my tail. However, what I saw greatly surprised me. I didn''t see Lavender anywhere; instead, I saw a young man with no shirt cleaning up her office, which I had to give props to as Lavender''s office was quite a mess. ''Hmm, he''s quite handsome.'' Thought Kurama lightly as she gazed at Alexander''s physique before slowly approaching him, confident in her illusion magic, at least, that was until he looked at her. ''H-He¡­ He doesn''t see me, right?'' Thought Kurama suspiciously with a slight frown as she stared at Alexander without moving a muscle while he curiously gazed at her. "Hmm, weird, what''s a beautiful fox like you doing here?" Asked Alexander with a faint smile as he set down the cauldron in his hand before approaching Kurama and lifting her into his arms. I was so shocked that a random young man was able to see through my illusion with such ease that I didn''t even react until he embraced me; however, instead of getting upset, for some reason, his embrace was very soothing to the mind. "This is very nice." Said Kurama subconsciously with a slight growl, causing Alexander to chuckle with a nod. "Heh, Master would say the exact same." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Kurama while gently stroking her fur, causing her to widen her eyes in confusion and shock. "Eh, y-you can understand me?" Asked Kurama in surprise as she raised her head and looked at Alexander, yet only growls befitting of a fox escaped her mouth. "Yeah, I can understand you. I can understand all animals; it''s not just you." Replied Alexander with a faint nod as he gently poked Kurama''s nose, causing her to furrow her brows, but she didn''t do anything. "Though, speaking of animals, care to explain how you entered Master''s office? I doubt you''ve always been here." Asked Alexander with a curious look as he sat on a chair and eyed Kurama, who suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief. "M-Maser!? T-This office belongs to your M-Master!?" Exclaimed Kurma in absolute shock as she stared at Alexander, who proudly raised his head. "Hehe, Yes. Well, actually, she''s more than just my Master; she''s sort of like my Mother also¡­" Muttered Alexander with a loving expression as he stared at the ceiling while Kurama softly nodded, still too shocked to say anything. "¡­ As well as my lover and wife. Hehe, and boy, did she take her duties as a wife seriously; she never refused my advances; sometimes, we''d literally spend all day doing nothing but making love and only taking a break when we needed to eat or use the number 2. Lavender was a little reserved in the beginning, but after a few times, she couldn''t get enough of me; heh, she''d even wake me up with a morning blowjob. Do you know how amazing that is? To be woken up by the woman you love giving you a blowjob?" Remarked Alexander with a slightly lustful expression as he reminisced about Lavender while Kurama''s mind had gone blank from pure shock and disbelief. "Oops, sorry about that. I tend to lose myself when talking about Master." Added Alexander with an apologetic expression as he lifted Kurama off his lap, removing her from his hardened erection. Chapter 208: Kurama Learns The Truth I happened to get a little ahead of myself and started blabbering about Master; I usually tend to do that whenever I''m alone, but it should be; she was a fox, and I highly doubt she would care enough to go around telling people, not like anyone would understand her anyway, and speaking of telling people¡­ "So, will you answer my earlier question? How did you enter Master''s Office?" Asked Alexander with furrowed brows as he looked down at Kurama in his arms, his words breaking her out of her daze. "Haa, fine." Replied Kurama with a sigh as she nodded, regaining her composure while Alexander set her back on his lap. Stroking the fox''s back, I waited for her to speak, yet what I did not expect was for the supposed fox to suddenly transform into an incredibly beautiful woman with long reddish hair, reddish, fluffy ears on the top of her head, an oversized, loose-fitting kimono, and a smoking pipe to finish things off. ''Woah.'' Thought Alexander softly with a nervous gulp as he gazed at Kurama while his hand just so happened to rest atop her head from his stroking. "Mind removing your hand from my head?" Asked Kurama lightly as she blew a puff of smoke out while looking at Alexander, who quickly nodded with an awkward expression. "S-So umm, you''re a fox? T-That''s cool." Remarked Alexander with an awkward smile as he looked at Kurama, who softly nodded. "Well, specifically, I''m from the Kitsune family, but yes, I am a fox." Replied Kurama lightly as she gazed at Alexander, who nodded with a smile, only for him to clear his throat. "S-So, you know, t-those things I-I said about Lavender? T-Those were really j-just my fantasy; I-I have a massive crush on her Master, and I tend to have some r-really naughty dreams with her¨C" Remarked Alexander with an embarrassed expression as he sheepishly rubbed his head, causing Kurama to raise an eyebrow while exhaling a puff of smoke. "Oh, don''t worry, boy; you don''t don''t need to lie now; I won''t say anything. Although I may need to talk with Lavender about lusting after her disciple, I''m quite happy to know she''s finally found a man after so long. At least I now know she hadn''t been avoiding me for the fifty years for nothing." Stated Kurama lightly, shaking her head as she gently tapped Alexander''s head with her smoking pipe before faintly smirking. I had to use [Heroes Gaze] just to be safe; the last thing I wanted to do was ruin Master''s reputation because of my big mouth, but, thankfully, she wasn''t lying; she would indeed keep everything I said today a secret. "Though I must say, from the sounds of things, you and Lavender were having quite a good time; having her wake you up with a blowjob? From what I can feel poking my butt, I''m quite impressed she was able to handle something so large; I''m also impressed by the size of your manhood despite being human." Remarked Kurama with a faint smirk as she gazed at Alexander, who blushed in embarrassment while looking away. "S-Sorry; y-you''re just a very beautiful woman, a-and you''re sitting on my lap." Stated Alexander awkwardly with a blush as he looked away, causing Kurama to quietly chuckle before she stood up, causing him to sigh in relief while he quickly tried to hide his erection. ''Ugh, see, this is why I don''t like having such a large cock; how am I supposed to hide it when this happens!?'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he looked down at his crotch, trying his best to hide his enormous erection, yet, no matter what he did, it remained obviously apparent. Since there was nothing I could do about my erection, I just left it alone and turned around; it was pretty embarrassing, but all I could really do was not bring it any attention and hope it disappeared quickly. "S-Sorry about earlier; I''m quite horny, but I can usually control myself." Remarked Alexander apologetically as he looked at Kurama while grabbing his shirt and putting it back on, causing her to nod. Stolen story; please report. "Oh, yes, you don''t need to tell me about how horny humans can be." Muttered Kurama calmly with a nod, her words causing Alexander to awkwardly chuckle. "So, Lavender''s disciple, where is that tree at? I need to give her a spanking for leaving her friend clueless about her whereabouts; if it weren''t because she was a powerful mage, I''d have been worried sick." Asked Kurama with a huff of annoyance as she eyed Alexander while grumbling to herself, causing him to lower his head while deeply sighing. "Hmm, did something happen to Lavender?" Asked Kurama with a frown as she approached Alexander, taking him aback while he nodded. "Y-Yeah, y-you could say so." Replied Alexander wryly as he raised his head and looked at Kurama, whose expression only turned worse. "What happened with Lavender?" Asked Kurama sternly as she neared Alexander, staring at him with her vertical slit eyes, causing him to bite his lip before eventually sighing. A part of me didn''t wish to tell her the truth; she cared about Lavender just as much as Simba, Marline, and Lily did, yet in the end, I figured it be more cruel to hide the truth about Master''s passing, though telling her wasn''t easy. "M-Master s-she''s¡­ She''s dead." Replied Alexander softly as he lowered his head, causing Kurama to freeze while a snap resounded, her broken smoking pipe falling to the ground, yet surprisingly, she merely chuckled. "Hehe, funny boy; now, do not play with my emotions again. Even if you''re Lavender''s disciple, don''t think I won''t punish you in her stead." Stated Kurama with a scowl as she glared at Alexander, who sighed before suddenly grabbing her hands. As I held her hands, I transferred my emotions toward her, causing her furious expression to recede while I took a breath before speaking the truth once more. "Listen, Master¡­ she''s dead. Lavender Vestalis is dead." Stated Alexander solemnly as he stared into Kurama''s eyes while transferring his emotions to her, including some sadness that happened to leak through. After a few moments of silently staring at each other, seemingly trying to comprehend the words I had just said, she finally reacted and began to cry. "L-Lavender? N-No, h-how could L-Lavender die? S-She''s so s-strong, though. H-How c-could she d-die?" Asked Kurama meekly as she stared at Alexander in confusion while tears streamed down her face, causing him to sigh before he stood up and pulled her into his embrace. "I-I don''t know. She''s dead, though, and she''s not coming back. Lavender is dead." Replied Alexander softly as he hugged Kurama and gently stroked her back, causing her to sob to her heart''s content within his calming embrace. I, myself, had to wipe a few tears as well; being reminded of Master''s death was never an easy thing; even though it''s been roughly a year since then, I''ve merely come to accept her death. I still greatly miss her. For several minutes, nearly twenty minutes, she sobbed while within my embrace; I did my best to help her, but other than being a shoulder for her to lean on, there was nothing I could do for her; I didn''t know her, and she didn''t know me. ''Heh, she might even hate me now.'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he gently stroked Kurama''s back while her many tears drenched his back. After a few more minutes, she finally stopped crying, prompting me to release her while I pushed the chair towards her, causing her to sit down and silently stare at the ceiling. "H-How?" Asked Kurama softly as she stared at the ceiling, constantly wiping her snot and tears, while Alexander stood adjacent to her. "Poison. Mythical poison." Replied Alexander calmly with a hardened expression as he clenched his fist, his friendly demeanor nowhere to be seen. "M-Mythcial Poison?" Muttered Kurama in shock as she quickly realized the implications of Alexander''s words, causing her face to quickly morph into fury while her nine tails violently wagged. "Who!? Who was it!? Who poisoned her!?" Exclaimed Kurama furiously as she suddenly grabbed Alexander by the collar while baring her fangs. Grabbing her hands, even after infusing my body with neutral mana and using [Strength Augument], I could barely remove her hands from my collar, and I still doubted she was seriously trying. "I don''t know." Replied Alexander calmly with a lack of emotion as he narrowed his eyes at Kurama, who seemed to lose all energy at his words and lifelessly plopped onto the chair behind her. Seeing her just lifelessly stare into the sky, I sighed before reaching into my space pouch and handing her Master''s old space pouch that I fixed up for her birthday. "Here; hopefully, this will help. I''m going to return to cleaning up Master''s office; if you need anything, just say my name. Oh, it''s Alexander or Alex; either one is fine." Stated Alexander lightly with a small smile as he looked at Kurama, who was fixated on Lavender''s space pouch. "Kurama." Replied Kurama softly, causing Alexander to faintly smile with a nod. Leaving Kurama to come to terms with Master''s death, I continued cleaning her office; it kept my mind preoccupied, but it wasn''t long before Kurama started to help me. With Kurama assisting me, it went by much faster, and it wasn''t long before Master''s office was spotless, without a single thing on the ground; granted, it could smell better, but I preferred Master''s smell, in some weird way, it felt like she was hugging me. Chapter 209: Kylo "Master''s office is finally clean, but for some reason, I don''t feel a sense of accomplishment. Hmm, wonder why." Muttered Alexander lightly as he rubbed his chin while staring at the neat and tidy office, only to shake his head, shifting his focus to Kurama. "Also, thanks for the help, Kurama; it would''ve taken much longer without you." Added Alexander with a faint smile as he gave Kurama a thumbs up, causing her to forcefully flash a smile before lowering her head once more. Kurama was still pretty shaken from learning about Master''s death, so I mostly just left her be, which kind of sucked because I came here hoping she''d be able to help me out a little, but I wasn''t shameless enough to ask her of anything right now, that would just cruel in my opinion. ''Though I can''t wait too long; I''ve got people to take care of, I''m not living by myself.'' Mused Alexander with a sigh as he glanced at Kurama before turning around and approaching the door on the opposite side of the room. With Master''s room now clean and organized, I was finally able to make it to the other door without worrying about breaking something; opening the door, I expected to see whatever room I was about to enter, which seemed to be a bedroom given the large bed in the center of the room, or at least a place to rest, but unsurprisingly, there was a mess of clothes everywhere. "My goodness, Master, you''re a freaking pig." Said Alexander with a sigh as he eyed the clothes sprawled on the floor before shaking his head and reaching down, picking up said clothes. Picking up Master''s clothes, giving her rather sexy panties a whiff, since well, I couldn''t help it, and let''s just say, I kept a few of them for myself, which may sound weird and very perverted, but to be fair, Master is technically my wife so it should be fine; besides, I''ve caught her sniffing some of my dirty clothes before so it''s fair. ''Whatever makes you feel like you''re not a pervert, Master. Though I''m curious, would it be more weird to sniff someone''s clothes without their knowledge or do it after asking them for permission?'' Said Trina lightly as she rolled her eyes while lying on her back, only to furrow her brows with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, you know, that is a good question¡­ I don''t know. I''ll try that with Michelle and Yuki and see what they think." Remarked Alexander with a curious expression as he stuffed purple and black panties into his space pouch after giving them a big whiff, only for someone to clear their throat. "Those were mine, Alex." Said Kurama softly with a faint blush as she leaned against the door frame and looked at Alexander, who deeply blushed at her words. "T-These are? W-Well, that e-explains w-why I thought t-they smelled weird. U-Um, I don''t mean to say they don''t smell good, they do, it''s just, t-they smelled weird considering M-Master''s scent." Said Alexander in embarrassment as he grabbed the purple and black panties before handing them to Kurama, who took them with a wry smile. "T-Thanks?" Muttered Kurama as she gave Alexander a confused look, causing him to sheepishly smile before he reached back into his space pouch. "U-Um, since we''re on this topic, are any of these yours?" Asked Alexander with crimson cheeks as he held various underwear in his hands while looking at Kurama, whose face twitched. "J-Just those pink ones; every other pair is Lavender''s." Replied Kurama, her words causing Alexander to hand her the pink panties before storing the rest in his space pouch. After that, Kurama and I just silently stood there while I avoided making eye contact; how could I, after I had accidentally just buried my face into her underwear? Not to mention, I felt dirty now; it was okay when I did it with Master''s underwear, but I know her, and I''m comfortable around her, though not with Kurama. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ''I-I think it''s more weird to sniff the underwear of someone you''ve just met.'' Thought Alexander with a crimson blush as he glanced at Kurama, who also sported a faint blush. I had no clue how to start a conversation after getting caught sniffing her underwear, so I just returned to cleaning the room, and no, I didn''t take any more panties, nor did I sniff them. Since it was mostly just clothes on the ground, I threw them all into a random box, so it didn''t take that long at all, which was unfortunate since there was still a very weird and awkward atmosphere hanging between Kurama and I. Trying to do anything to not bring attention to myself, I took this chance to observe the room, eyeing the many pictures she had placed around; most of them were of herself. I even saw a few photos of her younger self, and well, she looked pretty much the same; she didn''t seem to have that same experienced look in her eyes, something only masters in their craft would have. ''Eh, who is this? Is that Master''s little sister? She looks just like her; honestly, it''s kind of cute.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he stared at a picture of Lavender and her sister hugging. Setting the picture down, I decided to steal a few pictures of Master for myself; no one would be using this place anymore; besides, I wanted to hang as many pictures of Master as I could. However, while I observed the photos, my eyes instantly stopped on a hanging portrait of Master''s adventurer party, The Gypsies, yet there was someone in there I''d never seen. ''Master, Marlin, Lily, Simba, but who''s that?'' Thought Alexander with a deep frown as he approached the portrait, staring deeply at the smiling human donned in armor standing right beside Simba. I had no idea who that was, but the longer I stared at him, the fiercer my heart beat as it pumped anger throughout my body, filling me with fury I''d only ever felt when I thought Simba was attacking Master. "Kurama, who the hell is he?" Asked Alexander with a snarl and a dark expression as he pressed against the portrait while staring at Kurama, who finally raised her head. "Huh? You don''t know about The Gypsies? Didn''t Lavender tell you about them?" Asked Kurama in confusion as she glanced at the photo while approaching Alexander, who shook his head. "I know about them; matter of fact, I''ve even met Marlin, Lily, and Simba; they visited during Master''s final days. However, not only haven''t I ever seen him, he hasn''t once been mentioned by any of them." Replied Alexander firmly with a hardened gaze as he stared unflinchingly at Kurama, who bit her lip, suppressing her imminent sadness. "I-I''ve only met the Gypsies a few times, except for Lily; she and I had a little thing in the past; however, his name is Kylo, and I heard from Lavender he has or had major feelings for her. Clearly, nothing ever happened, but he probably took the news of Lavender''s death the hardest." Said Kurama lightly as she glanced at Lily, her words surprising Alexander, though he hardly cared about such information right now. "Kylo? Well, I don''t like him. Matter of fact, I quite hate him." Stated Alexander firmly as he lowered his arm and glanced at the smiling Kylo, causing Kurama to shake her head. "While Lavender would sometimes complain at his constant advances, she''s only spoken good things about him; you shouldn''t hate someone just because he had a massive crush on Lavender." Said Kurama with a slight frown as she glanced at Alexander, who shook his head. "That''s not why I hate him, it''s something¡­ I just can''t put my finger on it." Muttered Alexander with a deep frown as he furiously stared at the photo, his heart warning him of Kylo''s existence. I don''t know why I hated Kylo with such a passion upon seeing him for the first time, but I didn''t doubt my heart or my feelings; for whatever reason I hated him, I just assumed it was justified, not like I could question it much right now, but I sure as hell was going to call Lily, Simba, and Marlin. "Well, I''m going to forcefully change your decision." Said Kurama lightly, shaking her head as she glanced at Alexander before plopping onto Lavender''s bed and closing her eyes. I ignored Kurama''s words and turned the picture around; I wouldn''t ever calm down if I could constantly see him. Sitting down, I glanced at Kurama, who was lying in Master''s bed, and just silently watched her while we did nothing for nearly thirty minutes before I checked the time. "Hey, Kurama, do you mind if I visit you tomorrow or maybe the day after, depending on how you feel? I initially came here hoping to get your assistance, but asking anything of you right now feels wrong." Asked Alexander as he suddenly opened his mouth, breaking the everlasting silence and causing Kurama to open her eyes. "You can ask me now, it''s fine. Maybe I could use whatever you wanted to ask me as a way to distract myself from Lavender." Said Kurama lightly as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" "¡­No." Said Alexander and Kurama, respectively, as he glanced at the latter, who forced a smile before shaking her head, causing him to frown. Chapter 210: Kurama Will Handle It "If you''re not sure, I''ll just save the conversation for a later day." Said Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he suddenly stood up and stretched a little bit before exiting the room, causing Kurama to do the same. "Just tell me, okay? We may not know each other that well, but you''re Lavender''s disciple¡­ And lover, the least I could do to honor my best friend would be to help you." Stated Kurama softly as she quickly caught up to Alexander and grabbed his hand, prompting him to turn around with a raised eyebrow. "Haa, okay, though it''s nothing crazy; I''m just in a rough spot money-wise, and I was hop¨C" Replied Alexander with a slight sigh as he shook his head and cleared his throat, though he couldn''t finish as Kurama suddenly handed him a sack of coins. "Oh, it''s just money? Why didn''t you say so earlier? Money is the last thing I''m worried about." Remarked Kurama with a raised eyebrow as she outstretched her arm while holding a sack full of coins before Alexander, whose eyes faintly glowed. I wasn''t going to accept her offer since that''s not why I came here, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I used [Heroes Gaze] to look at the coins inside the sack; however, what I saw were several coins I''d never seen before. The coins had a silver tint to them, but compared to the matt silver coins, these specific coins were much more glossy, not to mention slightly bigger. "U-Um, are those possibly platinum coins?" Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at the sack before looking at Kurama, who tilted her head in confusion before nodding. "Yes, as an alchemist, I''ve hundreds of platinum coins, although, believe it or not, given my profession, I burn through money like no other; the amount in this sack would hardly last me two years." Replied Kurama with a wry smile as she jiggled the sack, causing coins hitting each other to echo through the room. While it might''ve been very tempting to take that sack off her hands, I hadn''t reached that point; I hadn''t reached low enough to the point where I''d take money from my Master''s friend, so in the end, I simply pushed the sack back to Kurama, who seemed confused by my actions. "I appreciate it, Kurama, but you didn''t let me finish speaking earlier. I''m struggling money-wise, so that''s why I came here to ask the best way to sell these potions. Master was an alchemist just like you, and having lived with her for nearly seventeen years, I''ve learned a thing or two about alchemy." Stated Alexander with a faint smile while shaking his head, causing Kurama to to tilt her head in confusion before she raised an eyebrow in surprise as she grabbed the vial of golden water he handed her. Now, I might''ve been bending the truth a little bit; I didn''t learn all that much about alchemy from Master even though I spent a lot of time with her, though that''s because I never really held a passion for alchemy like she did. ''Her passion for alchemy was one of the things I loved so much about her as well.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced to the right, looking at a picture of Lavender, before shaking his head and shifting his focus to Kurama, who had just consumed his potion. "Hmm, not only is it a very good potion, but it also tastes amazing, that''s quite rare. I know Lavender is an amazing alchemist, but I''ve got some doubts she could impart enough skill into someone in only sixteen years for them to create such a good potion." Remarked Kurama with a slightly surprised expression as she smacked her lips, only for her to open her eyes and skeptically look at Alexander, who lightly chuckled. "Hehe, thanks for the compliment, Kurama. However, yes, I did make these potions; they weren''t that hard for me; it''s just the ingredients that are pretty rare." Stated Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Kurama before reaching into his space pouch, only to hand her three more potions. "Well, I''ll be damned, you''ve got an incredible talent for alchemy, boy; Lavender must''ve been drilling her teaching into you forcefully, huh?" Asked Kurama with a whistle of awe as she held the three potions before glancing at Alexander with a faint smirk, causing him to wryly chuckle, though he didn''t elaborate. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "So, I had initially thought about selling them to alchemy shops, but then I remembered you existed, so I was just wondering if you could possibly give me some tips on what I should do with them. Master taught me a lot of things, but she did a terrible job of telling me about the world." Replied Alexader curiously as he looked at Kurama, who faintly nodded before storing the vials in her pouch. "Oh, that''s all you wished to ask? That''s also easy; just let me deal with it. I''ll have these potions sold within two days, so you can come pick up your money then." Said Kurama with a nod as she dismissively waved her hand at Alexander, causing him to slightly widen his eyes. "Eh, are you sure, Kurama? The last thing I want to do right now is add more things to your plate." Asked Alexander softly as he suspiciously as he eyed Kurama, who calmly shook her head. "Heh, I can see why Lavender would like you so much; she''s always been fond of kind and thoughtful men; you being handsome was just the cherry on top. However, you worry too much, boy. I may be depressed and furious, but I''m a grown woman, and I can handle emotional turmoil; besides, selling your potions would be equivalent to me taking an extra step when walking up the stairs. I wouldn''t even notice it." Stated Kurama with a faint smile as she gave Alexander a once over before furrowing her brows and shaking her head while dismissively waving her hand, causing him to nod slowly. "I understand; also, sorry if I offended you; I didn''t mean it like that. I was just concerned for you, that''s all." Said Alexander apologetically as he lightly nodded, causing Kurama to faintly chuckle before shaking her head. "No worries, Alex; I can tell you were just concerned for my well-being. I find that to be quite sweet, actually." Remarked Kurama softly with a faint smile as she stepped closer to Alexander, staring deeply into his eyes while gently placing her hand on his cheek, causing him to faintly blush. "T-Thanks for everything, but I-I''ve got to return home; I don''t want my lover to get worried. B-Bye Kurama, I-I''ll visit you tomorrow; also, sorry for being the bearer of bad news." Stated Alexander with a slight blush as he quickly distanced himself from Kurama while approaching the room with the teleportation pad, causing her to nod. "Fufufu, take this then; it''ll allow you to directly visit my office." Said Kurama softly with a faint smirk as she began using her smoking pipe while tossing a small, black rock at Alexander. Catching the rock, I gave it a weird look before storing it in my space pouch. "Thanks, Kurama; see you later." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he waved at Kurama before quickly closing the door, only for a faint flash of light to emit from several small cracks. "Heh, you really found one hell of a man, Lavender; not only is he compassionate, but he''s also young and handsome. I''m quite proud of you; it seems waiting over 2,000 years was more than worth it. I only wish you got to enjoy it some more." Muttered Kurama with a faint smile as she spoke to seemingly no one while a tear streamed down her face. "However, I''ll do my best to look after him. I hope you don''t mind; we''re friends, after all." Added Kurama with a slight chuckle as she sat down, only her laughter to morph into the sound of sobbing. "W-Why, Lavender? Why did you have to die?" Said Kurama as she quietly sobbed, her tears staining her beautiful face. ___ ___ "Is it just me, or does Master''s friends seem a little weird?" Muttered Alexander lightly as he exited the Mage Guild, walking through the streets of Cassandra while heading back to the Inn. Softly sighing, I stopped thinking about that and just headed home; after recalling Master''s death, I just wished to spend time with Yuki, Talis, and Michelle. After several minutes, I finally returned to the Inn, and when I entered the room, I sighed in relief to see that everything was perfectly how I remembered. Chloe and Talis were playing, Michelle and Yuki were speaking, and Lazuli was silently sitting on the couch by herself, causing me to sigh slightly while I removed my jacket. "Yo, I''m back." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he tossed his jacket into his and Yuki''s room before approaching her and Michelle, giving them deep kisses. Giving Michelle''s breasts a slight squeeze, I received a slight smack on my hand, causing me to chuckle while I just gave Yuki, who was looking at me eagerly, a bland look. "Nope, you''ll enjoy it, and no sexual things when Chloe is present." Said Alexander lightly as he eyed Yuki, who pouted, causing him to roll his eyes while he gave her another kiss. Leaving those two, I approached Lazuli, and, feeling a little bold, I laid on the couch with my head resting on her lap, which garnered some reaction from her. "Do you not like this?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Lazuli, who shook her head after a few moments of silence, causing him to faintly smirk while he closed his eyes. "Hmm, sleeping?" Muttered Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, only to slowly place her hand on his head while gently stroking his head. Chapter 211: Like Master Like Disciple When the next day arrived, I first checked how much money we had remaining, and I couldn''t help but wince; we could stay in this luxurious hotel for about five more days before we''d essentially be broke. Sighing at our somewhat stressful situation, I got out of bed and stretched my body while Yuki rolled onto her side and watched me, ogling me with blatant lust despite having spent several hours making love last night; however, even so, it felt great to be stared at by Yuki with such lust, the feeling of being lusted after the women you love, was amazing. With a smirk, I did a few questionable stretches, which involved me teasing her with my crotch, even going so far as to stroke my cock, though that seemed to be the tipping point for Yuki as she promptly yanked me back onto the bed, where we spent another hour making love, only stopping because we heard Chloe''s voice outside our room. ___ ___ "Ahh, I feel so much better now." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile, exiting his room after showering, feeling refreshed as he tied his wet, shoulder length hair into a ponytail before sitting beside Michelle. Wrapping my arm around Michelle''s shoulder, I gave her an intimate kiss that lasted several seconds before pulling her deeper into my embrace, prompting her to lean on my arm. "We should be getting some money soon, so want to go look for suitable houses again?" Asked Alexander curiously as he leaned down and slightly nibbled on Michelle''s pointy ear, causing her to faintly blush while nodding. "Y-Yes, I''d like to move into a house as quickly as possible; this Inn is nice, but it''s very expensive and doesn''t feel like home. Sorry." Replied Michelle with a small smile as she glanced at Chloe, who was eating, before apologetically looking at Alexander. "Hmm, sorry for what?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he tilted his head in confusion while looking at Michelle, who gestured to everything in front of her. "Are you referring to this Inn? Oh, my cute, sexy, and breedable, Mistress; you''re worrying too much. Yes, it is expensive, and yes, I would''ve been satisfied with a normal Inn, but I wish to provide the very best for my women; besides, I''m a man, so I should be doing that anyway, to begin with. So, if you''re going to apologize for anything, apologize for not giving me my morning blowjob like you''ve been doing." Remarked Alexander lightly with a shake of his head, causing Michelle to softly smile, only for her face to twitch as she gave him a blank look. "I would''ve, but SOMEONE was having fun with Yuki." Said Michelle calmly as she stared at Alexander, who chuckled in amusement while kissing her on the cheek. "Hehe, we''ve still got some time before we leave." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he lifted Michelle off the couch before placing her on his lap, causing her to roll her eyes while she wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling in his embrace. While Michelle and I snuggled on the couch, occasionally kissing, Yuki exited the bathroom after she finished showering, though she was still wet, and simply walked back to our room while dripping onto the floor; to top it all off, she wasn''t even wearing a towel, so all of her sexiness was on display, not that I was complaining or anything, but then again, there was no towel big enough for in this Inn so there wasn''t much she could do about it. "Woah, Yuki, you''ve got so many muscles!" Stated Chloe in surprise as she stared at Yuki''s firm and muscular physique, causing her to smile as she turned and looked at her. "Heh, do you like them?" Asked Yuki with a large smile as she raised her four muscular arms before flexing each in various poses, causing Chloe''s eyes to shine in awe while Alexander''s shone in lust. "Yes! They''re awesome! They''re even bigger than Alex''s!" Said Chloe enthusiastically as she rapidly nodded while approaching Yuki, who faintly blushed from her words. "You know, I feel both offended and complimented at her words." Muttered Alexander lightly as he glanced between Yuki and Chloe, causing Michelle to chuckle while playfully hitting him. "Alright, dear, that''s enough; let Yuki get dressed; she can''t be standing around naked." Remarked Michelle lightly as she glanced at Chloe, who pouted before nodding and returning to the table. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Yes, she fucking can." Said Alexander quietly as he watched Yuki''s figure vanish into his room, causing Michelle to roll her eyes. While Yuki was getting dressed, Lazuli came out of her room and sat on the couch right where Michelle used to be sitting; she didn''t say anything and simply closed her eyes, which was the norm for her, so neither of us thought anything of it; after a few more minutes, that sexy hunk of a woman finally exited the room with clothes on, which did next to nothing at hiding her voluptuous body. "Ugh, I need to get new clothes, these don''t fit." Muttered Yuki in annoyance as she looked down at her tight-fitting shirt, which hugged her chest, while her pants stretched at the seams. Before I could even say anything, Michelle gave me a look, causing me to awkwardly smile since she knew me so well. When Yuki sat down, she did so to my immediate right, and it caused me to smile since three incredibly beautiful women surrounded me; what man wouldn''t smile at this? "Ahh, I fucking love life." Muttered Alexander with a large smile as he leaned his head onto Yuki''s arms. ''Language, Master.'' Said Trina lightly with a slight frown as she had a hand on her hip while pointing towards the sky. "Lazuli, when is Soom returning?" Asked Yuki with a near-emotionless voice as she glanced at Lazuli, who opened her eyes and tilted her head in confusion. "What are you referring to, Yuki?" Replied Lazuli in pure confusion as she looked at Yuki, who was getting easily annoyed, which wasn''t like herself. "H-He should be returning soon, Yuki; within the next week, alright?" Said Alexander with a forced expression as he interrupted the two''s conversation while covering both of their mouths, mainly to prevent Lazuli from spilling the truth. After a few more moments, Yuki simply scoffed before folding her arms and looking away while Lazuli returned to doing what she was previously doing, which was nothing, causing me to sigh in relief as I lowered my hands back onto Michelle''s body; however, when I looked at her, she was giving me a slightly annoyed look, causing me to wryly smile since she was Yuki''s side regarding Lazuli. ''You''re going to have to tell them, Master.'' Said Zartha calmly as she stared at the sky, causing Alexander to slowly nod. For the next several minutes, the four of us silently sat on the couch while Talis tried to get away from Chloe, though since none of the windows were open, she was just flying around the rooms in a circle. Eventually, Michelle and I stood up as we went to get dressed to look at houses. As usual, she wore an outfit that complimented her appearance amazingly, though that might just be my bias. "Try not to destroy anything, Yuki; love you." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he blew a kiss to Yuki before closing the door, exiting the Inn a few moments later beside Michelle. ___ ___ Stepping off the teleportation pad, I approached the door, and just as I was about to knock, it was suddenly opened by a middle-aged woman wearing a long black robe with bespeckled glasses. "Um, h-hello?" Said Alexander awkwardly as he waved at the woman, who silently stared at him. "Huh, yes, Master Kurama is right, you''re quite hot." Muttered the woman lightly with a nod as she stared at Alexander before nudging her glasses onto her face; though unknown to him, they were a special artifact that allowed one to see through objects. Hearing Kurama''s name, I sighed in relief since I thought at first I had arrived at someone else''s office, and that would''ve been awkward; clearing my throat, I outstretched my hand towards the woman, yet when I looked at her, I noticed she was giving me a very perverted expression. ''This is¡­ Slightly uncomfortable.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he stared at the woman who was ogling him; though unknown to him, she saw something only a few women had gotten the chance to see. "Kana¡­ Kana!" Yelled Kurama in slight annoyance as her voice echoed throughout the office, yet even so, Kana was too busy staring at Alexander to notice. "S-She''s over here, Kurama." Said Alexander softly as he looked at the doorway, only for an annoyance Kurama to appear a few seconds later. "Tsk, unbelievable. Is she doing that again?" Muttered Kurama with a click of her tongue as she eyed Kana, who was sporting a perverted expression. Before I could even ask what ''that'' was, Kurama smacked the back of Kana''s head, causing the glasses she was wearing to fall onto the ground, shattering. "N-NOOOO!!! MASTER KURAMA, WHY!?" Exclaimed Kana loudly in earth-shattering despair as she dropped to the floor while trying to scoop up the remains of her broken glasses. "Hmph, I don''t care; show Alexander to my office." Ordered Kurama as she blew out a puff of smoke while sternly staring at Kana, who reluctantly did as she told, wiping the tears that threatened to escape her eyes. ___ ___ Once Alexander and Kana left the room, I waved my hand, prompting the illusion I cast in the room to disappear, causing Kana''s shattered glasses to vanish as I had caught them before they touched the ground. Putting them on, I exited the teleportation room while using an illusion to dispel the glasses on my face, though when I saw Alex, I couldn''t help but smile. "Hehehe, my god, he''s hung." Muttered Kurama with a perverted laugh and depraved expression befitting of the degenerate kitsune she was. Chapter 212: Rich!! While following behind Kana, we walked through a large room that looked very similar to Master''s office, the only difference being the layout of the desks and bookshelves, but other than that, it was pretty much the same. "Here''s Master Kurama''s office." Said Kana blandly as she opened the door and glanced at Alexander, still greatly saddened at the supposed loss of her glasses. Nodding at Kana with a smile, I entered Kurama''s office and looked around while she closed the door behind me; the inside was much different compared to Master''s as there were no beds, but it did remind me of her office back home in the forest. ''Hmm, wonder what this potion is.'' Thought Alexander curiously as he closely inspected a beaker filled with a greenish liquid. While observing the beaker, the door was opened as Kurama entered, prompting me to glance at her as I stood up, though I noticed she was giving me a slightly weird look. ''Hmm, weird.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he eyed Kurama, only to shrug his shoulders, ignoring it. "So¡­ how''s, um, life? We didn''t really talk much last time, and if you don''t mind, I''d like to get to know you." Asked Alexander curiously as he sat down in the chair and looked at Kurama, who raised an eyebrow before faintly smirking. "Well, I won''t oppose speaking with a handsome man such as yourself." Replied Kurama lightly as she set her smoking pipe on the desk before plopping onto the couch opposite the room. "Isn''t that saying supposed to be said by a man?" Muttered Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Kurama, who dismissively waved her hand. Chuckling, I quietly listened to Kurama as she spoke about her daily life and the stress that came with being an alchemist; of course, she didn''t forget to praise herself when she could, which caused me to smile slightly. I would interject every now and then, asking different questions and whatnot, but mainly, I spent most of my time hearing her speak, which wasn''t bad; she had a lovely voice; as a matter of fact, she might have the best voice I''ve heard. ''It''s up there with Master''s, that''s for sure.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he glanced at the ceiling before shaking his head. Surprisingly, there was apparently a lot of stuff going on in Kurama''s life, so by the time she finally finished talking, nearly ninety minutes had passed; half of it was probably spent her complaining about unnecessary stress and other similar things, but that was fine, I didn''t mind being an ear for her to vent too after she just learned about Master. "Hehe, sounds very stressful; glad I''m not in your shoes. Not like I wear shoes to begin with." Remarked Alexander with a slight chuckle as he looked at Kurama, who scoffed in annoyance. "Hmph, yeah, it''s fucking annoying. I just wish I had better ways to relieve my stress." Muttered Kurama with a nod as he glanced at the ceiling before looking at Alexander, only to lick her lips, slightly weirding him out. It may have just been my imagination, but I don''t know why I felt that last sentence of hers felt like she was hinting at something; anyway, I trusted my heart and didn''t comment on it. ''Haa, I''m probably just overthinking it.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he shook his head while standing up and stretching, prompting Kurama to fixedly stare at his butt. "S-So, what about you, Alex? How''s life been treating you this past year?" Asked Kurama curiously as she sat upright and looked at Alexander, who sat back on the chair while sporting a wry expression. "The past year? Oh dear, I wouldn''t say it''s nearly as stressful as your life, but my goodness, some crazy shit has happened; I''ll tell you what." Replied Alexander with a slight chuckle and a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Kurama, who seemed to smile in interest. "Ho, you''ve piqued my interest now, so you best tell." Said Kurama with a faint smile as she gave Alexander a feisty growl, causing him to chuckle while nodding. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Well then, after arriving at Hyphen with Marlin, Simba, and Lily''s help, the first mission I did as an Adventurer in hopes of following in Master''s footsteps resulted in me meeting an Orc that tried to rape me¡­" Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he took a deep breath and began recounting his events ever since he left his home in the forest, causing Kurama to slightly widen her eyes. ___ ___ I finished my story when we arrived at Cassandra, which was only a few days ago, but as silence took over the room, I glanced at Kurama, only to see her staring at me with widened eyes, causing me to chuckle. ''To be honest, I probably should''ve modified my story a little bit to exclude the fact about my Ichor, but eh. Though I have a feeling she''ll ask for some of my blood when making potions.'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he looked at Kurama, who was still silently staring at him in shock. Obviously, I wouldn''t have dared to mention my Ichor to Kurama if I hadn''t trusted her, and although we don''t really know each other, [Heroes Gaze] is incredibly helpful in that regard; besides, she was one of Master''s friends, one she mentioned quite a lot. Still, telling an alchemist about the mythical ichor that circulated through my veins probably wasn''t the smartest thing. "That is¡­ Quite the story." Muttered Kurama lightly as she blankly stared at Alexander, who chuckled in amusement. After a few more moments, Kurama finally regained her composure, though surprisingly, she never once mentioned the fact about ichor, well, other than obviously giving me a very stern warning, which was a little intimidating given the way her nine tails swayed behind her; however, other than that, she didn''t mention my ichor again. "So, you''ve got a lover and a mistress now? What were their names again?" Asked Kurama with a raised eyebrow as she gazed at Alexander, who happily smiled. "My lover and future wife is Yuki Ama; she''s a large Oni of pure muscle and quite stoic, though she''s very bashful whenever I compliment her appearance, and she turns into a little kid pretty much. It''s so incredibly adorable, not to mention how much of a fucking woman she is. All I know is that I need to profusely thank her mother for giving birth to such an amazing woman." Remarked Alexander with a lovely smile as he passionately spoke about Yuki, his every word containing the pure, unadulterated love he had for her, causing Kurama to smile. "My mistress, Michelle, I don''t actually know her last name, though she might not even have one. She''s pretty freaking sexy and is very bashful by nature; I don''t know why, but I''ve got a feeling you and her would get along quite well." Added Alexander with a smile as he thought about Michelle, only to furrow his brows while looking at Kurama, who nodded. "Hehe, that''s quite funny since I was thinking the exact same thing." Said Kurama with a faint chuckle as she looked at Alexander, who slightly nodded. "Anyways, I see you''ve taken Lavender''s passing rather well if you''ve found a lover and a mistress so soon." Added Kurama lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who wryly shook his head. "I¡­ Wouldn''t quite say that, even now, my heart still aches in pain for her, but Yuki and Michelle help with greatly offsetting the pain. Besides, it has been a year since then; I can''t collapse onto my knees and cry every time I think about her; that''d be rather shameful." Remarked Alexander with a wry expression, his words causing Kurama to nod softly as she descended into silence. "Yeah, I suppose you''re correct. I meant to give you this earlier, but here you go, the money you''ve received from your potions." Said Kurama as she reached into her clothes and tossed Alexander a small sack of coins, prompting his eyes to widen when he opened it. ''4-42 gold coins!?'' Thought Alexander in shock as he stared at the coins in the sack, his expression causing Kurama to faintly chuckle. "You would''ve gotten 56 gold coins, but I did drink one of your potions. Sorry about that." Said Kurama softly as she awkwardly coughed, though Alexander didn''t seem to hear her. "Oh, this is more than enough. Thank you so much, Kurama!" Stated Alexander with a large smile as he ran forward and tightly embraced Kurama in a hug, lifting her off the couch, to which she chuckled. "You''re welcome, though I didn''t do much." Remarked Kurama lightly as she began secretly sniffing Alexander with a perverted expression, one he couldn''t see. After a little bit of hugging, I set Kurama back on the couch while rubbing the back of my head; despite how happy I was, I stayed for a few more hours just to speak with Kurama since, although she was a little weird at times, she was good company. Only when afternoon arrived did I finally leave. "Bye, Kurama, and thanks for everything; I''ll be visiting a lot, if you don''t mind, of course." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he stood up and exited the office, heading towards the teleportation office while Kurama leaned against the doorframe. "I''d never say no to a handsome man such as yourself visiting me; just be careful from now on." Said Kurama with a slight smile as she hungrily licked her lips while staring at Alexander''s butt. "See you later as well, Kana, and it was nice meeting you." Remarked Alexander as he entered the teleportation room, only for a flash of light to appear a few moments later. "Here you go, Kana. Don''t enter the office; I''ll be doing something private." Stated Kurama as she displaced the illusion around her face and tossed Kana her glasses, only to lock the door to her office. "I can''t believe you, Master Kurama!" Remarked Kana in anger, relief, and disbelief as she grabbed the glasses and glared at the locked door, only for moans to echo throughout the entire room. Chapter 213: New House, Same Argument Pulling the carriage through the streets, which were decently empty as it was early in the morning, Yuki walked beside the carriage while Michelle, Chloe, and Lazuli sat on the front seats as I pulled it; Talis, on the other hand, was flying above like usual. It''s been a few days since I received my gold coins from Kurama, and right now, we were heading towards our new and official home, one that we had intended to stay in for a very long time. Michelle and I had gone searching for houses almost immediately when I returned to the Inn from Kurama''s office, and although it took a few days to find the perfect house, we weren''t in a rush anymore since we had plenty of money for the Inn. Still, we eventually found our desired house, and I didn''t hesitate to buy it outright, which turned into a lengthy process of four hours as I spoke with a real estate manager; they were called something else in this world, but they held the same exact job so the name didn''t really matter. As of right now, only Michelle and I know what the house looks like, and I''ve refused to tell anyone since I wanted it to be a surprise, especially for Yuki since I had her in mind while we searched for the right house. ''Heh, speaking of surprise.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smirk as he turned down a minor road laced with houses on either side. After a few more minutes of walking, I made a left turn and came to an immediate halt in front of the corner house, which was slightly taller than most of the other houses. "Michelle, can you help me?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Michelle while pointing to the closed gate, causing her to nod while she carefully hopped off the carriage. Once Michelle opened the gate, I promptly pulled the carriage into the front yard, which was about the same size as our previous house, so it wasn''t anything special, just barely big enough to comfortably fit the carriage. "Is this it?" Asked Yuki curiously as she gazed at the house before looking between Michelle and Alexander while both smiled with a nod. "Yep, and I''m sure you''ll love it; Alexander put a lot of thought into the search just for you." Said Michelle with a smile as she reached into her pocket and grabbed the keys to the house while Yuki''s expectations grew. "Hey! Don''t go and tell her my secrets." Said Alexander with a slight pout as he stared at Michelle while assisting Chloe and Lazuli down the carriage. Approaching the front door, I gave Yuki''s muscular butt a nice slap, though before I could give Michelle one, she turned around and faced me, causing me to click my tongue as I snatched the keys out of her hands, only after giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I hope the inside is huge so I can play with Talis!" Stated Chloe excitedly as she stared at the house before raising her head and looking at Talis, who descended towards them. "Ouch! Watch where you land, stupid bird." Said Yuki in annoyance as she glared at Talis, who perched herself right on her shoulder. "Alright, calm down, you two." Said Alexander lightly as he grabbed the door handle and inserted the key, only to smirk and open the tall door. Once the door to the house was open, I stood beside it and was about to bow, but I couldn''t even get halfway before Chloe bolted into the house, causing me to chuckle, though it turned into a wince when I noticed the dirt she tracked onto the floors. "A-After you ladies." Said Alexander with a wry smile as he bowed towards Yuki, Michelle, and Lazuli, prompting them all to enter. "Huh, the door is tall enough for me to enter without hunching." Muttered Yuki lightly with a raised eyebrow as she entered the house while Alexander followed right behind her. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Closing the door behind me, I walked down the front hall and entered the living room, where Chloe was currently running around while giggling to herself. Yuki and Lazuli were taking their time to explore the house while Michelle was trying to clean up the mess Chloe made; giving her butt a nice slap, causing her to lightly squeal while I continued on like nothing happened and approached Yuki. "The kitchen is so large; you should be able to make a whole bunch of tasty dishes, Alex." Said Yuki excitedly with a smile as she observed the large kitchen, which was even bigger than their previous one, causing Alexander to smirk. "Heh, the kitchen was one of the few things on the top of the list for our perfect house. Now I''ll be able to feed my little monster all the food she can possibly stuff into her stomach." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he stared at the dual stoves, ovens, and sinks before glancing at Yuki, who was giving him a frown. "Alright, alright, I''m sorry for calling you that; I know you don''t like it, but sometimes I can''t help myself." Said Alexander lightly with a sigh as he gave Yuki an apologetic hug, causing her to snort, though she accepted his apology. "Anyways, let me show you upstairs. I know for a fact you''ll like it." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he grabbed Yuki''s arm and forcefully led her upstairs while Lazuli, Chloe, and Michelle quietly followed behind. Running upstairs while leading Yuki, I passed a few doors before opening the one that led to the bathroom, and I didn''t even need to point it at as I saw her face light up in delight. "M-My bathroom!?" Exclaimed Yuki in shock as she stared at the large shower while nearly crying in happiness. "Yep. You would complain about how the bathrooms at Inns weren''t able to accommodate your large, sexy size, so I figured, why not just have the exact same bathroom as the one from your house?" Remarked Alexander with a massive grin as he looked at Yuki while the others peeked from behind her large body. I think I underestimated how annoyed Yuki was at the other bathrooms since she immediately embraced me in a hug and kissed all over my face, which I enjoyed every second of; however, things started to escalate when I felt her try to remove my pants. "Woah, slow down, Yuki, not right now!" Stated Alexander as he pushed off Yuki with one hand while barely keeping his pants on with the other. After finally freeing myself from her embrace, I pulled my pants back on and blankly stared at Yuki, who was giving me a pouting expression, causing me to roll my eyes, though I had to admit, she looked so freaking sexy that it easily worked on me. "Calm down, we''ll do it later; matter of fact, we can even do it in the shower; it''s more than big enough to accommodate the two of us." Said Alexander with a smirk as he gently patted Yuki''s hip before pulling her down and passionately kissing her. Although she was still pouting, she nodded with a smile, prompting the two of us to leave the bathroom as we explored the second floor; granted, I already had done so. "There are three rooms and a Master bedroom, which is where you and I will be staying. Chloe and Talis will be sharing one room, and Michelle will sleep in the room beside us." Stated Alexander lightly as he stood beside the door while Yuki walked around his and her bedroom. "What!? I''m still sharing a room!?" Exclaimed Talis with a frown as she flapped her wings while staring at Alexander, who nodded. "Yes, now stop crying; it''s not like you need a room by yourself anyways; all you have is a hanging nest." Replied Alexander lightly as he folded his arms and eyed Talis, who chirped in annoyance though he had long since stopped listening. "So, that means we''ll have a guest room?" Asked Yuki curiously as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who awkwardly coughed before looking away, causing her a deep frown. "Alex." Said Yuki dangerously as she approached Alexander, who winced but refused to raise his head. "Alexander Vestalis!" Stated Yuki sternly as she stared down at Alexander, who flinched at her words before finally sighing. "I-I can''t just kick her out, Yuki. Where will she stay? How will she survive? I can''t just kick her out without knowing she''ll at least be somewhat safe. I-I know you hate her, and you have all the reason to, but can you really just kick her out without a second thought?" Remarked Alexander softly as he closed the doors behind him and looked up at Yuki, his gaining power the more he spoke. "She attacked you and me shortly after we met and then nearly KILLED you, Alex! I''ll gladly kick her out! Besides, she still has Soom to take care of her." Said Yuki angrily as she eyed Alexander while her muscles aggressively twitched. "No¡­ No, she doesn''t. Soom, he''s dead." Said Alexander softly, his words surprising Yuki as a large portion of her anger vanished. "W-What do you mean? H-How did he die?" Asked Yuki in confusion as she stared at Alexander, who sighed in response while nodding. "I-I lied about the whole thing; he was never coming back, Yuki." Replied Alexander lightly as he kept his head down, refusing to look Yuki in the eyes. Chapter 214: Not Alexanders Day After I finished telling Yuki the truth about Soom and Lazuli, rather than feeling angry, she was more annoyed and a little heartbroken, if anything. I may not have spent a long enough time with Soom to really be impacted by his death, but the same can''t be said for Yuki. Soom would spend much of his time teaching Yuki how to control her earth mana, so it''s not surprising that she was slightly heartbroken at the revelation of Sooms death. "Y-Yuki-" Said Alexander softly as he tried taking a step forward, only for a slight gust of wind to hit him in the face, prompting him to come to an immediate halt. Opening my eyes, I glanced at the large blue fist mere inches away from my face, causing me to nervously gulp as I followed the arm and looked at Yuki, who wasn''t the least bit happy with me. "Just¡­ Be quiet right now, Alex; you''ve spoken enough." Stated Yuki in slight disappointment as she glanced at Alexander, who sighed before nodding. It never felt good to be given a look of disappointment from someone you loved; matter of fact, it quite stung, almost like a scorpion had stabbed my heart. Anyway, I listened to Yuki and didn''t utter another word. For now, I just sat down, leaning against the wall, and patiently waited for Yuki to say something. Only after a few minutes did Yuki finally look at me, her eyes still carrying traces of disappointment, causing me to awkwardly avoid eye contact. "Why didn''t you tell me then?" Asked Yuki with a frown as she looked at Alexander, who awkwardly rubbed his head. "I-I just didn''t think it was best to speak about it then. After all, Lazuli was still going through losing her last family member, and I felt it would be better if none mentioned him. Sorry." Replied Alexander softly as he glanced at Yuki before lowering his head in defeat, causing her frown to deepen. "So, when Lazuli attacked for a second time, it was because you were preventing her from following Soom; was that it?" Asked Yuki as she looked at Alexander, who gently nodded, causing her to click her tongue before going silent. "Yuki, I-I understand you don''t like Lazuli, but you''ve seen her; you''ve spent time with her whether you''ve wanted to or not¡­ She''s simply confused and misunderstood, and she''s never held the desire to purposefully hurt or harm anyone for no reason. She attacked you ''cause she probably sensed the monster half from you, and she attacked again because I wouldn''t let her follow after Soom, her father; those are valid reasons, granted I think she acted a little too quickly." Remarked Alexander softly as he raised his head and glanced at Yuki, who furrowed her brows while folding her arms. "She''s special, Yuki, and if we kick her out, she''ll have nowhere to go, no one to help her, and before long, she''ll stumble into something bad, whether that be through her own efforts on accident or someone else. Once that happens, her life will be over; they will learn she''s special, take her to some secretive place, and take her apart while conducting experiments on her. You hate her, yes, but do you hate her enough to not care that she''ll more than likely go through that?" Added Alexander lightly as he stared unflinchingly into Yuki''s piercing yellow eyes, which held traces of hesitation and understanding. Standing up, I grabbed Yuki''s topmost hands as I squatted right in front of her while she stared at me. "I''m not saying she needs to stay with us forever, just some months, maybe even a year; long enough to where she can live on her own without any of us worrying about whether she''ll make mistakes and miss-read situations since she does that rather frequently." Said Alexander as he gazed deeply into Yuki''s eyes, the two sharing a moment of silence, only for her to scoff before looking away. "I¡­ I''ll think about it, s-so give me a few days." Said Yuki hesitantly as she looked away, avoiding eye contact and missing the massive smile that adorned Alexander''s face. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I was about to hug Yuki in joy, but before I could, I was lifted into the air by my foot, causing me to flip upside down while she stood up. "¡­However, until I''ve come to a decision, you will not be using this room." Declared Yuki sternly as she opened the door and tossed Alexander out the room like a rag-doll despite his large stature, which was tiny compared to hers. While lying against the wall upside down, I wryly smiled and waved at Yuki, who simply snorted before slamming the door shut, causing me to sigh; though I didn''t try to argue with her, I felt like I deserved it. ''I just hope she doesn''t take weeks to make a decision.'' Muttered Alexander with a wry smile as he flipped himself and stood on his own two feet. "Um, is everything okay between you and Yuki, Alex?" Asked Chloe softly as she peeked her head out from the bathroom and glanced at Alexander, who tilted his head before nodding. "Yeah, why do you ask?" Replied Alexander curiously as he approached Chloe and softly rubbed her head, causing her to faintly smile. "B-Because I heard you and her arguing, and whenever Mom and Da-Sam argued, it would always end up with her getting mad, and he''d leave the house." Remarked Chloe lightly as she looked up at Alexander, who frowned before softly smiling with a raised eyebrow. ''Huh, calling her father by his name, he really wasn''t in her life, was he? Though, now that I think about it, this is the first time I''ve ever heard his name.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced at Chloe before picking her up in his arms. "Well, Yuki is probably a little upset with me, but it''s nothing serious, and she''ll eventually move past it. But to help with that, I should cook something delicious for dinner, and to do that, we''ll need a lot of ingredients." Said Alexander lightly as he walked down the stairs with Chloe in hand, Michelle and Lazuli nowhere to be seen. "Ohh, can I come? I haven''t seen Cassandra yet." Asked Chloe with a pleading expression, causing Alexander to nod with a smirk. "Yes, sure, I don''t mind, but just know, if Michelle gets upset, you''re taking the blame." Stated Alexander solemnly as he stared at Chloe while leaving the house, causing her to nod excitedly. "Alright then, off to the market district!" Said Alexander with a smile as he walked down the street with Chloe in his arms, not knowing their actions would come to bite them in the ass. ___ ___ Spending a few hours at the market, I didn''t hesitate to splurge as we still had two gold coins left even after buying the house; yeah, the house cost forty gold coins, it was expensive, but since it was our future home where we''d live, I didn''t want to be stingy. Besides, although I''ll try not to, I can always just make those potions again, so really, money isn''t a problem for us. Once, my space pouch was stuffed with several sacks, which were filled with spices, herbs, vegetables, fruits, meat, bread, and pretty much anything edible I could find in the market; only then did Chloe and I return home. However, the moment we got home, we were met with an absolutely furious Michelle, causing me to question whether we should even enter the house, though I wasn''t brave enough to turn back around. "¡­ Hmph, you should''ve known to inform me, Alexander! I was worried sick!" Yelled Michelle furiously as she took several deep breaths while glaring at Alexander, who was sitting on his knees with his head down. "Tsk, you''re sleeping on the couch for the next week." Added Michelle sternly as she stared at Alexander. "B-But I sleep with Yu-" "Did I stutter young man?" Said Alexander and Michelle, respectively, as she forcefully interrupted him with her firm voice. "N-No Mam." Replied Alexander weakly with a nod as he lowered his head again, causing Micelle to grunt as she picked up Chloe before sitting down and laying her over her knee. "Don''t think you''re safe either, little girl; I''ll ensure you understand you can''t leave anywhere without first informing me." Stated Michelle with a stern expression as she eyed the petrified Chloe before pulling down her pants. "W-Wait M-Mom-AHHHHH!" Said Chloe fearfully as she tried to stop Michelle, only for a loud smack to echo throughout the house, followed by a shriek of pain. Watching Michelle punish Chloe by repeatedly smacking her butt, causing her to scream in pain, I promptly lowered my head, feeling both terrified and apologetic for Chloe since this was my fault. After some time, Michelle eventually stopped, leaving behind a sobbing Chloe. "Haa, I''m sorry, dear, but you can''t go and do something like that." Said Michelle apologetically with a pained expression as she hugged Chloe, kissing her on the head before standing up and walking away, ignoring Alexander. Once Michelle and Chloe vanished upstairs, I finally heaved a sigh of relief, only to sigh again as I plopped onto the ground. ''Today just isn''t my day; first, I made Yuki mad with me, and now Michelle is. Haa, fuck me.'' Thought Alexander, in exhaustion, as he repeatedly knocked his head against the floor. ''Language, M-'' Said Trina softly with a faint smile, hoping to lighten the atmosphere, only for her to be interrupted. "Not now, Trina." Stated Alexander blandly as he ruthlessly cut her off. Chapter 215: Home, Sweet, Home Since I currently felt terrible about myself and there was nothing better to do, I left the house, heading towards the Mage Guild to spend the rest of the day with Kurama; however, unluckily for me, she was performing alchemy so I couldn''t speak with her, which meant I spent my time getting to know Kana, her disciple. Kana was pretty chill; she was a little blunt with questions, but other than that, she seemed like a nice woman; well, this also excluded the fact that she was a little bit of a pervert. I always catch her staring at my but and crotch, which was a little uncomfortable, but it wasn''t too hard to pretend I never noticed her actions. However, it was a little confusing; Kana was slightly up there in age, around Yuki''s age, but she still looked great, and I had no doubt she could easily sleep with a man to satisfy her sexual desires. ''Haa, I don''t know; maybe she''s the picky type, and I just happen to be her type? Or maybe she is just a bigger pervert than I thought.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he walked down the street of Cassandra and rubbed his chin. Those were thoughts I could save for later as I arrived at our new home a few minutes later. When I entered the house, I noticed no one besides Lazuli and Talis was on the first floor; everyone else seemed to be on the second floor. "When will we get furniture, Alex? The hard floor doesn''t feel good." Asked Talis with a frown as she lifted her head and glanced at Alexander, who sighed in exhaustion. "Tomorrow, so just deal with it for now." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Talis, who chirped in annoyance while flapping her wings, though she promptly ignored her. We could''ve bought the house with furniture, but that would''ve cost five extra gold, which would''ve been three extra gold we don''t have; besides, that was a complete scam as well. We could probably buy all of the required furniture for less than ten silver, fifteen silver if we really wanted to splurge; so knowing that, why would I waste so much money? "Only a fool would." Muttered Alexander lightly as he entered the kitchen, only to sigh when he noticed the several sacks sprawled on the island. "Haa, Lazuli, can you come help me." Said Alexander with a slight frown as he tossed his jacket onto the counter, only to turn and glance at Lazuli, who approached him. "Yes, you called Alexander?" Asked Lazuli with a bland expression as she glanced at Alexander, who pointed toward the island, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. "Can you help me put all this stuff away?" Replied Alexander lightly as he stretched slightly before grabbing a sack and dumping all its contents onto the island, prompting Lazuli to nod. With Lazuli''s help, things went much faster; granted, she had no idea where things were supposed to go in the beginning, so informing her was a slow process, but once she learned, she moved with quickness. By the time we finished, only an hour had passed, though by then, the entire cabinets, pantry, fridge, and whatnot were nearly filled, giving Lazuli a high-five, something she''s long since been taught about. Putting on my only apron, I grabbed a pot, pan, and numerous ingredients and started cooking while Lazuli curiously watched me. Halfway through, I heard heavy footsteps walking down the stairs as Yuki entered the kitchen, though only after giving Lazuli a stare. "No touching, Yuki." Said Alexander sternly as he eyed Yuki, who stood beside him, causing her to grunt in annoyance while she folded her arms before backing away. A few minutes later, I heard another pair of footsteps walking down the stairs, which could only be Michelle and Chloe; speaking of those two, I don''t think either of them had tasted a true dish of mine. Anyways, other than a quick glance, which allowed me to confirm Michelle was still very pissed at me, I continued cooking and only finished roughly thirty minutes later. "Lazuli, could you get me the plates?" Asked Alexander as he turned off the stove while glancing at Lazuli, who nodded and swiftly did as he said. Once I got the plates, I gave each plate a reasonable portion, depending on who they were for, before dumping the seasoned chicken into the pot of mashed potatoes and handing it to Yuki, causing her to take it with a large smile. "Hope you all enjoy." Said Alexander with a wry smile as he grabbed two plates and headed toward the living room, leaving Yuki, Michelle, and Chloe to search through the kitchen for utensils. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Sitting on the ground, I placed Talis''s plate right in front of her before sitting on the ground and eating, though after a few bites, I suddenly heard three consecutive moans of pleasure coming from the kitchen, causing me to faintly smirk. "~Ahhhh~" Said Michelle, Yuki, and Chloe, respectively, as they all moaned in heavenly pleasure after taking merely one bite, causing the food to explode with flavor in their mouths. "Heh, hopefully, that''ll ease their annoyance with me." Muttered Alexnder with a faint smirk as he looked at the kitchen and gently scratched Talis''s body. ___ ___ It was the night of the next day, and after having a terrible sleep on the hard floor since, we spent all day unpacking the carriage; when that finished, I took the carriage to a furniture store, which was unfortunately on the other side of the city, so it took quite a while. After buying a few couches, tables, desks, chairs, beds, rugs, etc¡­ I stored them all within the carriage before returning home. Once I returned, most of the items were already unpacked, so it wasn''t too hard moving everything into the house and place it where we wanted it; however, I will say, taking Yuki''s bed was really a pain in the ass, even with the taller door frame, it was still a process getting it through, we also couldn''t just force it through otherwise we risked damaging it. "Haa, finally. Took nearly all fucking day¡­ But finally." Muttered Alexander with a sigh of relief as he plopped onto their new couch, enjoying its comfort. Now, the only thing missing was decorations, such as pictures and whatnot, though that could wait for later; now that this house was actually liveable, I just wanted to rest. ''I really wish this world had a TV.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he stared at the empty wall. Honestly, without a TV, this couch felt a little pointless, but since I would be sleeping on it for the next couple of days, it didn''t feel that pointless right now. Everyone else was probably getting ready to sleep, so I did the same and lay on the couch, drifting to sleep in a matter of minutes as I closed my eyes, unaware of the dangers that began to arise. ___ ___ South of what was previously Hyphen, a large camp of bandits called the Dwellers were enjoying their spoils of yesterday''s raid of a small town. The leader of the Dwellers, Sul, calmly walked through his camp, glancing at his men as they drank themselves to unconscious, fought amongst themselves, ate until their stomachs bulged, or slept with their unwilling prisoners, though they did that within a tent in the corner of the camp since the screams and sobbing would ruin everyone''s mood. "Captain Sul, not going to enjoy the party?" Asked an older man with a faint smirk as he lifted his cup and glanced at Sul, who lustfully smirked. "Hehe, I am, but it''s been days since I''ve managed to release my pent-up lust; I''ll return after I finish using my sex slave." Remarked Sul with a nasty grin as he glanced at the older man, who chuckled before downing his cup. Once the Captain of the Dwellers, Sul, reached a large tent that other bandits tended to avoid, he promptly entered, only to immediately remove his pants, freeing his hairy manhood as he approached the young man who was chained to a log embedded into the ground; she wore nothing but a thin cloth that covered her voluptuous curves, yet while her body and even face may have been remarkable her eyes¡­ they were empty, devoid of light and emitted nothing but eerie darkness that even shadows kept their distance from. "Heh, I''m real glad I kept you all these years; you used to be such a tiny girl that would constantly scream whenever I fucked you¡­ But now, you''re not only incredibly sexy, you don''t even utter a word." Stated the man with a wicked grin as he approached the young woman before grabbing her head and shoving his manhood down her mouth. Sul continuously slammed his manhood down the young woman''s throat, uncaring for how she felt; however, while Sul was forcing himself onto the young woman, what sounded like footsteps slowly approached their camp, though given the loud camp, none heard their approaching demise. "O-Oh, yeah, I forgot to say, but your mom died a few days ago; she was a good slave and kept many of my men satisfied. O-Oh, f-fuck, I-I''m about to bust." Stated Sul calmly as he ruthlessly thrust his hips into the young woman''s face, and just when he spewed his seed into her mouth, the ground trembled while a mighty roar of pure echoed throughout the night "ROOAAAAAAARRRRR!!" The might of the roar was so powerful nearly everyone within the camp lifelessly collapsed onto the floor while bleeding from their orifices; Sul and a few others who were strong enough to survive the roar were in no shape to move. "W-What w-was that!?" Exclaimed Sul in terror as he rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling while still cumming, only for the entire tent to suddenly be destroyed. Peeking through Sul''s tent was a massive reptilian head with a mouth full of deadly sharp teeth, yet Sul wasn''t even given a chance to process what was happening as he and the portion of the ground were devoured. Once the monster finished devouring Sul, it turned to glance at the young woman, who stared back, yet a sight that would''ve absolutely shocked any adventurer happened as the soulless monster lowered its head in submission toward the young woman. The young woman didn''t say anything and simply pulled against the chains that bound her, causing them to snap underneath her unordinary strength as she slowly stood up while her long, black hair covered her face, allowing for only a sliver of light to reach her eyes. "Destroy." ¡­And with a single command, the monster raised its head and violently roared once more, destroying everything and killing everyone, yet its attack was harmless to the young woman. Chapter 216: Progress of Life. As we got settled into our new home, we started hanging pictures and other types of decorations, though we didn''t go overboard since now that we were all living together, we had to keep space for new memories we''d make together; speaking of memories, I had just returned from the market after buying a camera. It was pretty expensive at nearly five silver, but it was more than worth it in the long run. "Alright, everyone, get in position; we''re taking a photo to commemorate today." Said Alexander as he held the door open while gesturing everyone to the front yard, causing them to all exit the house one by one. Once everyone was outside, I closed the door and headed towards the gate leading into our front yard; standing right in front of it, I signaled to Yuki, who promptly approached. "Yes?" Asked Yuki curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who pointed at the ground. "Can you make a small pillar? I want to make sure I can get everyone in the photo." Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who nodded before reaching down and grasping the earth, only to lift a smooth, rectangular pillar out from the ground. The way Yuki used her earth mana was a little weird since she would move her body in certain ways every time she used it; she could use it without doing so, but she stated it was much easier if she moved her body. Fidgeting around with the camera, I double-checked it was facing exactly how I wanted it before turning the dial and pushing it; with a five-second timer, I quickly arrived near everyone and stood in the middle. Wrapping my arm around Michelle, who was standing to my right and holding Chloe in her arms, I held Yuki''s hand, attempting to show our intimacy, though it was a little difficult when you take into account our size difference; with Lazuli standing beside Michelle, Talis quickly perched herself on my shoulder, just in time for a flash to emit from the camera a second later. "How''d we look?" Asked Michelle curiously as she watched Alexander dash towards the camera. Waiting for the camera to finish printing our photo, I ripped it off and flicked it a few times before gazing at it while everyone else arrived behind so they could also look. "We look great." Stated Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at the photo, only for Yuki to snatch it from his hands. "Ay, be gentle, Yuki; we don''t want your massive hands to rip it." Added Alexander with a slight frown as he eyed Yuki, who promptly ignored him. "Eh, I never realized it until now, but I really am much bigger than everyone." Said Yuki lightly as she gazed at the photo before passing it to Michelle and Chloe while Alexander nodded. "Duh, do you think all those times I''ve called you massive were me joking around? You''re freaking massive, Yuki." Remarked Alexander with a twitching expression as he eyed Yuki, who awkwardly chuckled. "Where should we hang it?" Asked Michelle curiously as she and Chloe gazed at the picture, only to finally hand it over to Lazuli, who silently looked at it. "Hmm, that''s a good question." Muttered Alexander as he rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression while gazing at the house. Grabbing the picture handed to me, I entered the house and stared at the walls, searching for a good spot, though funnily, I had two great spots. "How about this? Let''s make two pictures; one will commemorate us, our new home, and our journey to get here, while the other will be a picture of our family. We''ll have to change the second picture whenever someone new joins, but what do you guys think?" Remarked Alexander with a slight smile as he pointed at two spots on different walls, causing Yuki, Michelle, Chloe, and Talis to ponder. "I don''t mind." "Yes, I quite like it." "I also like it!" "I approve." Stated Yuki, Michelle, Chloe, and Talis, respectively, as they glanced at Alexander before nodding, causing him to smile. "Though were you perhaps insinuating something when saying whenever someone joins our family? Haven''t you been visiting this Kurama rather frequently?" Asked Michelle with a playful smile as she eyed Alexander, causing Yuki to furrow her brows while folding her arms. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Hmm, is this true, Alex? Were you intending to find more lovers? I don''t mind, but can''t you at least wait until we marry?" Asked Yuki with furrowed brows as she eyed Alexander, whose face aggressively twitched. "First off, Michelle is merely teasing us, Yuki. Secondly, no, I had no intention of going out of my way to find lovers; if I happen to meet a woman I fall in love with, that''s one thing, but I''m not purposely looking for one." Remarked Alexander lightly as he blankly stared at Michelle, who chuckled to herself, while Yuki nodded before side-glancing her. "Hehe, c''mon, don''t look at me like that, Yuki." Said Michelle with a smile as she glanced at Yuki, who huffed before looking away, causing her to chuckle further. "Though, I was insinuating something when I mentioned changing the photo whenever someone joined our family. I was referring to whenever you two give birth to my children." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced between Yuki and Michelle before approaching the wall facing the couch. "C-Children?" "Bearing A-Alexander''s children?" Said Yuki and Michelle, respectively, as they deeply blushed, their cheeks glowing with a crimson hue. "Yeah, I mean, you two are my women; it should only make sense that I impregnate you at least once." Replied Alexander lightly with a nod as he focused on the wall, missing the chance to witness two incredibly embarrassed women. While trying to figure out how the picture should hang, Yuki suddenly grasped me as she dragged me upstairs, only for her to toss me onto our bed, which I''d never gotten to lay on until now, before closing the door. "Um, i-is everything okay, Yuki?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he sat upright while glancing at Yuki, whose expression was of pure lust as she gazed at him, causing him to gulp nervously. Yuki didn''t say anything and simply stripped down until she was in nothing but her birthday suit; while I now knew what was happening, I was still confused, yet she didn''t bother explaining to me since she literally ripped my clothes off my body and began playing with my cock, which was already erect. After a few moments, the door opened again; this time, Michelle entered and locked the door behind her while stripping. These two didn''t utter a single word and got straight to the action as they both began to lick and blow my cock, while I lay on the bed watching. ''Haa, whatever, no point in trying to make sense of this.'' Thought Alexander with a shrug of his shoulders as he grasped Michelle''s legs before pulling her onto his face. ___ ___ After the three-some I had with Yuki and Michelle, which lasted through the entire night, I was back to sleeping on the couch, well, only for one day; then I started sleeping with Michelle while waiting for Yuki to come to a decision, which only took three more days. Sitting on the couch beside Lazuli, we both gazed at Yuki standing before us while Michelle was sitting on a different part of the couch. "After ten days, I''ve finally decided that I''ll allow Lazuli to stay with us." Stated Yuki lightly with a slight frown as she gazed at Lazuli, seemingly not too happy with her decision, though seeing Alexander smile was enough for her. "HOWEVER!" Added Yuki sternly as she clenched her fists while flexing her muscles, causing her body to seemingly grow while she narrowed her eyes onto Lazuli. "¡­If you attack any one of us again, Lazuli, I''ll kill you." Declared Yuki sternly with a vicious expression while staring deeply at Lazuli, who furrowed her brows before shaking her head. "I won''t. I wish to stay with Alex." Said Lazuli with a lack of emotion as she indifferently glanced at Yuki, who scoffed before sitting back down. "Haa, good, because I wouldn''t be able to protect you since Yuki is the strongest one here. Not like I would try to protect you if you attacked us¡­ For the third time." Remarked Alexander with a sigh of relief as he glanced at Yuki with a faint blush before blankly eyeing Lazuli, who simply tilted her head. "Anyways, this is great! Now, we can finally return to our Adventurer lives like before! I''ve done my research on the Epic dungeon, and I heard it''s similar to a forest on the inside; the monsters are also apparently similar to creatures you''d see in the forest, like wolves, deer, bears, birds, etc." Added Alexander with a large smile as he stood up while grabbing Yuki''s hands, causing her to faintly smile also. "Can we also take some normal quests as well? I like dungeon diving, but it can get a little¡­ Boring." Asked Yuki lightly, only for her to receive a deep kiss from Alexander before he nodded. "Heh, of course, Yuki. Now, let''s explore that dungeon; tomorrow, we can do a normal quest!" Stated Alexander with a smile as he stood up and ran upstairs, having infected Yuki with his enthusiasm as she followed right behind. "Oh, I also need new armor; Alex, c-can you maybe make some more of that Golden water? Full body armor is very expensive." Asked Yuki as she snapped her fingers, remembering her lack of wearable armor, causing Alexander to sigh before nodding. "Haa, yes. I suppose we''ll have to hold off for a few days." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he entered his room, his enthusiasm nowhere to be seen. Thanks to Yuki reminding me about her armor, we had to wait another week before we could visit the dungeon; though Yuki wasn''t the only one who got new armor, I got some as well, same for Lazuli, which left us with no gold coins left which was kind of wild when you think about it as I had roughly fifty-six gold coins from selling four vials of my Golden Water I made from diluting my blood. Anyway, once we were all prepared, we spent our days like proper Adventures; Michelle stayed home, doing whatever; Talis would join us whenever we completed quests, but other than that, she was who knows where, and as for Chloe, she returned to school. Just like that, our lives slowly progressed as we practically forgot about Hyphen, and before long, in what felt like a blink of an eye, years passed. Chapter 217: Years Passed Waiting just outside the school, I leaned against a nearby tree and closed my eyes while the minutes quickly passed by; ten minutes later, a faint bell sound was heard coming from the school, and about another minute later, students of varying ages all began to pour out from the building. Opening my eyes, I approached the gated school and searched amongst the crowd of children until I spotted Chloe walking amongst them; she was surrounded by several other children her age as they enthusiastically talked; from the looks of things, Chloe was quite popular. ''Haa, I wish I was popular back in school.'' Mused Alexander with a wry smile as he looked at Chloe before faintly shaking his head, garnering Trina''s sympathy. ''It''s okay, Master, being a loser isn''t the worst.'' Remarked Trina with a faint smile as she looked at the bright, clear sky within her personal dimension. "Thanks." Muttered Alexander with a twitching expression as he opted to mostly ignore Trina. Ignoring Trina, I waited as Chloe approached me with her girl group, who all began to mention me when they noticed, a few of them even slightly blushing. "Chloe, do you know him? He''s so handsome." "Yeah, are you going to talk to him? Is he perhaps your lover?" "Alright, come on, you two, if anything, he''s more like a father or older brother." Said the little girls as they whispered to Chloe while constantly glancing at Alexander, causing her to roll her eyes. "No, umm, he''s my Mother''s lover, but he''s not really my father either; it''s a little weird. Hmm, I''ll explain it some other time, anyway; bye!" Said Chloe with a thoughtful expression as she rubbed her chin, her words causing the two girls to sigh softly, only for her to smile before dashing toward Alexander. "ALEX!" Yelled Chloe with a smile as she speedily dashed toward Aleander before suddenly stopping on a dime, causing him to lightly shake his head in amusement. "Heh, so, how was school?" Asked Alexander curiously as he squatted down and rubbed Chloe''s head, causing her to smile while recounting the events of earlier today. "It was cool, but mostly everything was the same as usual; oh, I almost forgot, a boy gave me this in the morning." Remarked Chloe with a smile as she glanced at Alexander, only for her to reach into her backpack, revealing an envelope. "Don''t tell me this is another love letter?" Muttered Alexander with an exasperated expression as he held the envelope before handing it back to Chloe, who simply smiled. "Eh, probably, but that''s fine; I''ll just store it with the rest of them when I get home." Said Chloe lightly with a smile as she stored the envelope in her backpack, prompting Alexander to stand up before walking away. "Anyway, where is Mother? It''s been a while since she''s missed picking me up." Asked Chloe curiously as she raised her head and looked at Alexander while walking beside him. "Umm, she''s been hurting a little since this morning, so I went in her stead." Replied Alexander awkwardly as he looked away, causing Chloe to narrow her eyes while smirking. "Hmm, you went too hard on Mother during sex, didn''t you?" Stated Chloe as she intently stared at Alexander, who wryly chuckled while avoiding eye contact. "Hey, you shouldn''t speak about that; you know Michelle doesn''t like it." "But Mother isn''t here, is she?" Said Alexander and Chloe, respectively, as they looked at each other, causing the former to click his tongue while nodding. "Touch¨¨." Muttered Alexander softly while Chloe chuckled in victory. "Still, Alex, if you continue to go so hard on Mother, you might seriously hurt her." Remarked Chloe solemnly as she looked at Alexander, who rolled his eyes before playfully hitting the top of her head. "I know, Chloe, a child like you doesn''t need to lecture me about that; it''s just, sometimes, your mother is¡­ A little TOO stimulating. You''ll understand what I''m talking about later in life." Stated Alexander calmly as he glanced at Chloe, who was rubbing her head, only to shake his head while thinking back to last night. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Hmm, if you say so." Muttered Chloe skeptically as she glanced at Alexander before shaking her head. Ever since last year, when Michelle and I caught Chloe peeking at us during sex, Michelle has given her the sex talk, which was the perfect timing as she had just started puberty around then; since then, Chloe has been rather nosy about my sex life with Michelle and Yuki. Well, I say nosy, but really, she''s at that age where she''s curious and interested in the opposite gender, and since I''m the only man in the house, it''s rather obvious she''d stick her nose in my private business. ''Hmm, though interestingly enough, she hasn''t shown much desire in any of the boys at her school.'' Mused Alexander with a curious expression as he looked at Chloe, only to shrug his shoulders. Anyway, now that Chloe is twelve, only a few months away from thirteen, she''s been experiencing rapid growth, and she''s been slowly changing from a girl to a woman; it''s a little bitter-sweet to see the adorable little girl slowly morph into a beautiful woman, but I suppose that''s how life is. ''However, I am getting a little ahead of myself; Chloe is still only twelve.'' Thought Alexander calmly as he stretched his arms into the sky while yawning. "I see someone''s tired; didn''t get enough sleep last night, Alex?" Asked Chloe with a faint smirk as she glanced at Alexander, whose face twitched at her obvious remarks. Ignoring Chloe, we continued walking down the street of Cassandra, taking a little break by one of my favorite food stalls before we resumed walking; after a few more minutes, home finally entered eyesight. "Alright, now that we''re home, little missy, it''s time to turn yourself down; Michelle isn''t as nonchalant as me." Remarked Alexander as he eyed Chloe, who smirked while zipping her mouth shut, causing him to roll his eyes before opening the door. "MOM! I''m home!" Yelled Chloe loudly as she entered the house, immediately removing her shoes and dropping her backpack onto the floor. "I''m in the living room, Chloe." Said Michelle, prompting Chloe to speedily dash into the living room and leaving Alexander to deal with her backpack. Putting Chloe''s backpack on the hanger, I closed the door, and since I never wear shoes, I just cleaned my feet on the doormat before entering the living room. ''I really need to start wearing shoes.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced at Chloe and Michelle before looking at Lazuli sitting in the corner, calmly reading. "Heh, someone''s looking beautiful." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he plopped onto the couch beside Lazuli, who blankly glanced at him before returning to reading, causing him to grab his chest. "Ouch, and here I thought we were finally making progress." Muttered Alexander quietly as he whispered into Lazuli''s ear, causing them to twitch while she looked at him once more. With the two of us so close together, we could vividly feel each other''s breath gently hitting our faces, and as I stared into Lazuli''s bright blue eyes, I felt them drawing me closer, and she must''ve felt the same since we both leaned in closer; grabbing her cheek, I felt our lips connect as we gently kissed. Feeling her hands wrap around the back of my neck, I pushed her book out of the way and leaned in closer as I began to get more aggressive, kissing her with more passion while she responded in kind; however, before things escalated too much, someone''s cough brought us back to reality. "We''re still here." Said Chloe blandly as she glanced between Alexander and Lazuli while Michelle nodded. "Haha, I-I forget." Remarked Alexander awkwardly with a blush as he removed himself from Lazuli, who picked up her book and continued reading while she gently touched her lips. "Yes, we can clearly see that, Alexander." Stated Michelle lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who sheepishly smiled, causing her and Chloe to roll their eyes. Once Michelle and Chloe returned to their conversation, I turned and glanced at Lazuli; over the past five, nearly six, years, our relationship has grown considerably. Yet, neither of us has asked the question; it''s like we''re stuck in that awkward position where we''re more than friends but not quite lovers either. Obviously, we both have feelings for each other, relatively strong feelings to boot, and I''d more than love it if Lazuli were to become my lover or woman; I don''t think she''d refuse either, considering she''s constantly reciprocating my advances. ''The only problem is¡­ Ahh, speak of the devil.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he stared at Lazuli, only to shift his focus to the stairs when he heard heavy footsteps. "Hey, what did I say about leaving hair in the shower, Lazuli?" Asked Yuki in annoyance as she eyed Lazuli while entering the living room, causing her to raise her head. "Don''t do it." Replied Lazuli blandly as she looked at Yuki, who scoffed at her words before nodding. "Yes, so why the hell did I find your hair in the shower?" Asked Yuki with thinning patience as she eyed Lazuli, who raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "I don''t know." Said Lazuli calmly as she shifted her focus back to her book, only for Yuki to snatch it out of her hands. "I was reading that." Stated Lazuli indifferently as she eyed Yuki, who tossed the book into the distance, causing her to stand up while Alexander sighed. ''This is the problem I''m referring to.'' Thought Alexander with a deep sigh as he stared at Yuki and Lazuli intently staring at each other. Chapter 218: Status Panel & Lazuli Seeing Yuki and Lazuli staring each other down, I couldn''t help but sigh while rubbing my face; in these five years, they haven''t gotten much nicer to each other, and it''s usually either I or Michelle who must act as a mediator between the two. However, despite their hostile relationship, deep down, they''ve acquired a certain amount of respect or understanding of each other. Hence, their arguments are never too serious, but they''ll still leave the loser in a bad mood for a few days. "Alright, you two, please don''t fight; let''s just be calm and peacefully talk things out." Said Alexander lightly as he stood up and forcefully stepped in between Yuki and Lazuli, pushing them away from each other. "Hmph, I was peaceful last time, Alex, and I still found hair in the shower; since peace isn''t working, I''ll take a more forceful approach this time." Remarked Yuki with a frown as she scoffed in annoyance while narrowing her eyes at Lazuli, who stared back with her emotionless eyes. "It''s fine, Alex; I''m not one who learns through peace." Said Lazuli calmly as she gazed at Yuki, who was provoked by her words. "Tch, bastard!" Muttered Yuki in slight anger as she flexed her muscles and stepped forward, only for her to be lifted over Alexander''s shoulder. "Yuki, calm down; it''s not too serious; it''s just some hair. Lazuli, don''t provoke her; you know that''s stupid; also, go clean your mess in the shower." Stated Alexander firmly as he gazed between Yuki and Lazuli, causing them both to scoff. "Since YOU said so, Alexander, I shall oblige." Said Lazuli lightly as she nodded at Alexander before walking up the stairs, causing Yuki to grunt in annoyance. While Lazuli walked up the stairs, I returned to sitting on the couch, only this time, I had a nearly eight-hundred-pound woman on my lap, not that I was complaining. "Will you stop being upset, Yuki? It''s just some hair; I know it can be annoying, but it''s really not that big of a deal." Remarked Alexander as he looked at Yuki while rubbing her firm, muscular thighs, greatly arousing him. "Hmph, I had already asked her twice before today; she clearly doesn''t respect my words." Replied Yuki in annoyance as she scoffed before folding her arms, causing Alexander to furrow his brows while staring at her fingers. "Hmm, where is your ring, Yuki?" Asked Alexander curiously as he grabbed Yuki''s hand, causing her to dismissively wave her hand. "It''s on the counter in the bathroom. I was about to take a shower, but someone had left their hair in the bathroom." Said Yuki lightly as she glanced at her hand before looking at Alex, who nodded while wrapping his arms around her waist. The ring I was referring to was the one I had personally crafted for her; it was very similar to Master''s, with the only difference being the ring being made of silver rather than iron or really whatever metals I could find. The center of the ring also contained a drop of my blood, so even when I wasn''t near her, it would still protect her in my stead. I had also made one for Michelle, which she was currently wearing; it looked identical to Yuki''s, and the only way to differentiate them was by the names I had engraved on the inside. However, unlike Yuki, I hadn''t married Michelle; a year after we moved to Cassandra, Yuki and I finally got married, and it was definitely one of the greatest, happiest, and most memorable days of my life. After a lengthy discussion that spanned several weeks, we decided to get married in the church of Eywa, the Goddess of Azarath and the same Goddess Master prayed to. Neither Yuki nor I was big in religion, so we didn''t care too much, but there was a strong belief that the specific church you marry within would decide your future marriage, and unlike me, who didn''t believe in such things, Yuki did, so I of course accommodated to her. Since neither of us knew much about Gods and Goddess, we had to do some research, and in the end, Goddess Eywa was the best choice; there were a few close ones, like Herman, the God of Strength & Spirit, and Chloeminum, the Goddess of Fertility & Lust. I''d like to point out that Yuki thought God Herman was a good choice; I chose Goddess Choleminum, though it didn''t matter since we went with Goddess Eywa. "How did I only realize it now; the month Chloe is named after Goddess Chloeminum!" Remarked Alexander with a snap of his fingers, his words causing Yuki, Michelle, and Chloe to nod. "Yeah, you''re probably right, Alexander." "Wait, if I''m named after Goddess Chloeminum, does that mean I''ll be fertile and lustful?" Said Michelle and Chloe, respectively, as they faintly nodded, only for the former to gently smack the latter. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "How many times must I tell you? Stop talking about that stuff, Chloe; besides, you''re only 12, so you don''t need to worry about any of that. At least wait until you''re an adult." Remarked Michelle with furrowed brows as she eyed Chloe, who pouted while rubbing her head. "Hmph, I''m going to my room. Maybe that love letter I got from that boy will talk about his desire to fertilize me." Stated Chloe with a huff as she stood up and grabbed her backpack by the front door before heading upstairs, followed by her door shutting moments later. "Haa, this girl." Muttered Michelle with a shake of her head, causing Alexander to chuckle in amusement. "Oh, she''s at that age, Michelle, don''t worry too much. Besides, speaking about fertilizing, you and Yuki look like you could use a few helpings of fertilizer." Remarked Alexander lightly with a faint smirk as he reached his hands into Yuki''s pants while gently fondling Michelle''s breasts, only for them to both gently slap his hands away. "No, I''m showering; we can do it after that." "Did you not just spend hours last night ruthlessly pounding my backside? Why do you think I had you pick up Chloe?" Remarked Yuki and Michelle, respectively, as the former shook her head while the latter gave him a look of annoyance, causing him to snort. "Hmph, well, who kept begging for me to go harder? It damn sure wasn''t me." Asked Alexander with furrowed brows as he suspiciously eyed Michelle, who rolled her eyes while folding her arms. "It''s clean." Said Lazuli blandly as she walked down the stairs and glanced at Yuki, who scoffed. "Hmph, about damn time." Muttered Yuki in annoyance as she stood up, causing Alexander to pout while he fixedly stared at her butt. "I think I''ll also leave since someone likes bringing up private matters." Said Michelle lightly as she stood up, only to wince while grabbing her back, causing Alexander to roll his eyes. "Do you need help?" Asked Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he stood up and picked Michelle into his arms, causing her to awkwardly nod with a faint blush. Once I had taken Michelle to her room to rest from the intense pounding I gave her last night, I returned to the living room and sat beside Lazuli, who was reading like before; with a mental command, I opened my status panel, checking up on my growth. //////////////////// Name: Alexander Vestalis Species: High-Human Age: 17¡ú 22 years Tier: 1¡ú 2 Level: 78¡ú 188 Experience: [7%] Class: Hero(Genesis) Sub-Class: Botanist(Rare)[Endurance / Intelligence] Sub-Class: Sub-Class: Title(s): True Hero(Genesis), Reincarnator(Epic), Journeymen Chef(*Rare), Apprentice Mage(Uncommon), Swordsmen(Uncommon), Leader of The Apostles(Common) Lifeforce: 100% Mana: 22,296/22,296¡ú 30,540/30,540 Vigor: 1,345¡ú 3,894 Endurance: 1,498¡ú 3,909 Agility: 1,203¡ú 3,478 Dexterity: 1,178¡ú 3,150 Intelligence: 2,256¡ú 3,054 Perception: 1,676¡ú 2,094 Traits: Heroes Aura(Mythical), Heroes Will(Mythical), Heroes Physique(Mythical), Heart of a Hero(Legendary), Enhanced Perception(Rare), Enhanced Intelligence(Rare), Nature''s Friend (Rare) Skills: ?????(???), Heroes Gaze¨Clvl4¡ü(Mythical), Omnilingual¨Clvl3¡ü(Mythical), Rebirth¨Clvl4¡ü(Mythical), Lightning Cloak¨Clvl8¡ü(Epic), Mana Manipulation¨Clvl9¡ü(**Epic), Shrink¨Clvl7¡ü(*Epic), Expand¨Clvl8¡ü(*Epic), Blink¨Clvl3¡ü(*Epic), Firestorm¨Clvl9¡ü(Rare), Fire Blast¨Clvl9¡ü(**Rare), Fire Breath¨Clvl9¡ü(**Rare), Wind armor¨Clvl3(*Rare), Fire Ball¨Clvl9¡ü(**Rare), Fire Shot¨Clvl2(**Rare), Wind Blade¨Clvl4(**Rare), Wind Shot¨Clvl9¡ü(**Rare), Wind Step-lvl7¡ü(**Rare), Cook¨Clvl2¡ü(***Epic), Meditation¨Clvl10¡ü(*Rare), Teleport¨Clvl5¡ü(Rare), Void Slash¨Clvl9¡ü(Rare), Mana Regen¨Clvl9¡ü(*Rare), Air-Jump¨Clvl8¡ü(Uncommon), Strength Augmentation¨Clvl5¡ü(*Rare), Speed Augmentation¨Clvl4(*Rare), Lightning Bolt¨Clvl8¡ü(Uncommon), Mana Enhancement¨Clvl10¡ü(Uncommon) Condition: //////////////////// Looking at my stats, I felt pretty good about myself; I was currently a C-Rank Adventure, and I had the stats and skills to back it up; matter of fact, I was one of the strongest C-rank Adventures in all of Cassandra, with the only one being stronger than me is Yuki. Yuki''s gotten much stronger over the years as well, but apparently, the gap between the C and B ranks is quite massive; even after five years of growth, she still hasn''t managed to reach it, which says something. Granted, from what I''ve heard, she was pretty close to qualifying for B-Rank, which means I also wasn''t too far away ''cause it''s not like she''s THAT much stronger than me. I have noticed some of my higher-ranked skills take very long to level up; even after nearly seven years, [Omnilingual] has only leveled up once! Pretty crazy, right? However, while I was looking at my stats, I felt a hand rub my crotch, prompting me to dispel my status panel as I glanced down at Lazuli, who was smirking at me while her hand was inside my pants. "Lazuli, we really shouldn''t do this in the living room." Said Alexander lightly as he unzipped his pants, freeing his raging erection, which Lazuli stroked with her soft, dainty hand while he reached his hand into her pants. "There is a bathroom." Replied Lazuli calmly as she pointed to the bathroom in the distance, causing Alexander to quickly scoop her into her arms while waddling to the bathroom, thanks to his pants. Closing the bathroom door, I placed Lazuli on the sink and pulled her pants off while we passionately kissed; grinding my shaft against her sopping wet vagina, I felt her hand grab my cock as she led me into her insides, causing me to grunt as I sheathed all twelve inches inside of her, something I find to be incredibly impressive given her petite stature. "Ugh, f-fuck, you''re so tight." Muttered Alexander softly as he played with Lazuli''s breasts while she wrapped her legs around his waist, squeezing them closer together. "You''re spreading my insides; if I weren''t a cyborg, you''d have ripped me half." Said Lazuli calmly with a faint blush as she looked at Alexander, who began to thrust into her, causing her to faintly moan within his mouth as he passionately kissed her once more. Chapter 219: Asckbon Continent Since most of Lazuli''s body was robotic, I didn''t have to worry about getting her pregnant like I do with Michelle and Yuki, which meant I was able to spew my seed deep inside her tight vagina without any repercussions. Grasping Lazuli''s small butt, I lifted her off the sink and passionately kissed her while rapidly thrusting into her, causing her to constantly moan within my mouth as I scraped her insides with my cock; feeling her insides suddenly squeeze even tighter than before, I faintly smirked as I removed my shaft from her vagina just as she aggressively squirted her juices onto me. "Heh, you always try to deny it, but you''ve got a really weak vagina, Lazuli." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he rubbed his shaft against Lazuli''s sopping-wet vagina while she frowned at his words. "It''s not weak; you simply know all of my weak spots, Alex." Replied Lazuli blandly as she gave Alexander an annoyed look, causing him to chuckle while he set her on the ground. "Alright, how about you do the moving now?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he sat on the toilet while his large, juice-soaked cock twitched, causing Lazuli to grasp it with her hand before lowering herself onto it. "Urgh, i-is it just me, or are you even tighter than before?" Added Alexander with a soft grunt as he glanced at Lazuli, who didn''t respond and simply began bouncing on his cock. Despite how tight she felt, the view I was getting was incredibly stimulating; seeing her butt constantly shake significantly heightened the pleasure I felt, and it didn''t take long for me to reach my limit as I felt myself about to release everything. "I-I''m about to c-cum, Lazuli." Said Alexander quietly as he grasped Lazuli''s waist before standing up, lifting most of her body into the air, given the height difference. As I neared my limit, I stopped holding back and violently pounded her, causing her to moan loudly in pleasure while the pressure surrounding my cock increased once more, which finally sent me over the edge as I stabbed my shaft as deep as possible before cumming inside her. "Urgh, m-my goodness, you''re wringing me dry!" Said Alexander with a grunt of pleasure as he gazed down at the point where she and him were connected. While I was still cumming, Lazuli happened to orgasm as well, squirting her juices onto the floor once more, along with some of my semen; once my cock finally began to calm down, I removed myself from her, only for my semen to instantly spill onto the ground. "Great, I''m going to have to clean it up." Muttered Alexander with a sigh as he looked at the mess he and Lazuli. "That was great, Alex." Said Lazuli lightly with a faint smile as she leaned into Alexander''s embrace, prompting him to kiss her cheek. "Oh, there is more where that comes from, but let''s save it for later. When we don''t have someone eavesdropping on us." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he grasped her soft butt, fondling it to his liking, only for his face to scrunch up in annoyance while he stared at the door. Unfortunately, when it came to sex or making love, Lazuli was somewhat similar to Yuki regarding exhibitionism since neither seemed to care who watched or heard us when we made love, seeing how her expression hardly changed when she heard me. However, she was aware enough to know that it wasn''t something others should know about, so she promptly wore her pants, uncaring for the semen that slid down her thighs, which honestly looked very sexy from my point of view. After putting my own pants on, I stepped over the puddle of juice and semen before opening the door, only to see Chloe standing right beside the door with a heavy blush, which depended even more now that she got caught. "Ever heard of the term privacy?" Asked Alexander in annoyance as he stared at Chloe while Lazuli glanced at her before exiting the bathroom. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "U-Um, w-well, to be fair, I-I had initially come down here to use the bathroom since Yuki was taking a shower; a-also, you and Lazuli shouldn''t be doing that kind of stuff in the bathroom to begin with." Replied Chloe with a look of embarrassment as she stared at Alexander, only for her to notice the puddle on the ground, causing her imagination to run rampant. "No, don''t try to pin this on me; you could''ve just used the bathroom in my room." Remarked Alexander as he narrowed his eyes at Chloe, who pouted in annoyance. "I wanted to, but since I respect you and Yuki''s privacy, I didn''t want to just barge into your room without at least asking, but I couldn''t really do that since Yuki was showering, and you were¡­ having sex in the only other bathroom I could use." Stated Chloe with a pouting expression as she eyed Alexander, who clicked his tongue while grumbling under his breath. "I made love with Lazuli; that''s different from sex; also, I need to clean up this bathroom, so go use the one in my room¡­ You''ve got permission now." Said Alexander as he eyed Chloe before dismissively waving his hand, causing her to nod, only to leave after giving the puddle one last look. Grunting at the fact Chloe has made some solid points in her argument, I spent the next ten minutes cleaning the bathroom and washing my hands before I headed upstairs; glancing inside Chloe''s room, I saw her playing a game with Talis, prompting me to roll my eyes as I was still a little annoyed with her before I entered Michelle''s room. "Ah, there''s my lovely little Mistress. Looking sexy as usual." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he approached Michelle, who was sitting on her bed, knitting a sweater. "Am I really looking sexy-eek!" Asked Michelle with a playful smirk as she set her knitting on a nearby table, only to squeal when Alexander leaped onto the bed, taking her with him. "Hehe, calm down, Michelle; I''m merely playing around, though yes, you always look sexy. One of these days, I need to get you a dress; I can''t even begin to imagine the level of sexiness you''d exude." Replied Alexander with a faint chuckle as he rolled onto his back and placed Michelle on his lap, causing her to huff. "As much as I''d love to wear a dress for you, I don''t think I''d really fit into one; I''m on the heavier side." Said Michelle lightly with a wry smile as she glanced down at Alexander before grasping her fat, causing him to roll his eyes. "Don''t tell me, even after all these years, you''re still affected by what that bastard said about you? Sure, you''re a little chubby, but it looks fantastic on you! You''ve got just a little bit of fat in all the right places, especially these love handles; you know I absolutely love to grab these whenever we''re going at it." Asked Alexander in slight anger as he eyed Michelle, only to reach toward her stomach, grabbing the little bit of fat that surrounded her waist, causing her to blush while he licked his lips. "N-No, I''m not affected by his words; I''ve been called sexy by you far too much for me to care about the words of a dead man. But, a lot of the nobles'' wives are skinny and in shape, so I thought it would be better to lose some weight lest I embarrass you." Replied Michelle with a lovely smile as she glanced at Alexander, who firmly nodded, only for her to awkwardly avoid eye contact. "So that''s why you''ve been eating less food recently. You''ve been trying to lose weight." Muttered Alexander as he widened his eyes in realization while Michelle softly nodded. "Hmph, well, stop it; I love the way you are right now, and I''m sure you can tell, given that I''d been erect since you sat on my lap. Also, I don''t care if your chubbier appearance embarrasses me; so long as I get to come home and embrace this one of a kind of body of yours, I''ll deal with anything." Remarked Alexander sternly as he eyed Michelle, who nodded with a faint blush while glancing down at his crotch, only for her to smile softly afterward. "Anyway, I didn''t come here to your bullshit about being too sexy for no reason; I''d been thinking, but I''d like to visit your home Continent, the Asckbon Continent." Said Alexander solemnly as he sat upright, leaning against the back of the bed while his hands rested on Michelle''s large, meaty butt, only for her eyes to slightly widen. "Asckbon Continent!? W-Why?" Exclaimed Michelle in surprise as she widened her eyes at Alexander, who chuckled in amazement. "Well, remember how I told you my Master was a Dryad?" "Yes; you also told us she was your first lover as well." Said Alexander and Michelle, respectively, her words causing him to awkwardly rub his head while she chuckled, finding his behavior adorable. "Yeah, about that¡­ You see, my Master, Lavender, wasn''t just a normal Dryad. She was a Princess to the Kingdom of Dryads; I''ve been wanting to visit that place, mainly just to inform them of her death. Oh, also, to return their staff she had secretly stolen from the treasury." Remarked Alexander lightly, his words once again surprising Michelle as she widened her eyes. "W-Wait, s-so since you took L-Lavenders last name, w-wouldn''t that technically make you royalty?" Asked Michelle as she eyed Alexander, who hesitantly nodded. Chapter 220: No One Joins "Um, I''m not completely sure about that, but I think so." Replied Alexander lightly in uncertainty as he rubbed his cheek, causing Michelle to nod. "So, about visiting Asckbon?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Michelle, who tilted her head before snapping her fingers. "Oh, how about this: why don''t we treat a journey to Asckbon as a family vacation? Wouldn''t that be nice?" Remarked Michelle with a smile as she curiously looked at Alexander, who slightly widened his eyes. "Huh, I didn''t think about it like that; that''s not a bad idea; all of us visiting an entirely new continent could be really fun. Let''s ask during dinner." Stated Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he rubbed his chin before nodding, only to lean forward and kiss Michelle, causing her to smile. "Don''t you think your Mistress is deserving of a little reward for coming up with such an idea?" Asked Michelle playfully as she trailed her hand across Alexander''s face, causing him to smirk with a nod. "In my eyes, my precious little Mistress is always deserving of whatever reward she desires." Replied Alexander softly as he stared into Michelle''s beautiful eyes, only to flip their positions, placing her underneath him while he held her arms down. Treating Michelle like the Queen she deserved to be, I removed most of her clothes, leaving just her bra and underwear, while I planted kisses over seemingly every inch of her body, giving her numerous hickeys in the process. Once I finished giving her the royal treatment, I moved down toward her crotch and removed her undergarments, revealing her hairy vagina, which was just how I liked it; not too bushy where it conceals the beauty, and not clean-shaven either, making it to feel innocent, and Michelle''s womanhood definitely wasn''t innocent with all the love I pound into her. However, I had no intention of having sex with her, as all I did was lean forward and pleasure her with my mouth, causing her to moan softly; right now wasn''t about me; it was about pleasuring Michelle and ensuring she enjoyed every second of this. From the way she held her legs open, allowing me to dive deeper into her crotch, it was pretty apparent she was enjoying every moment of this. For the next hour to half an hour, I remained on my knees with my face fully embedded into Michelle''s womanhood, having made her orgasm numerous times; however, unfortunately, I needed to start preparing dinner, so after I made her orgasm once more, I reluctantly stood up. "I''d LOVE to continue this, but I''ve got to go prepare dinner, Michelle; also, you look a little exhausted, so a break is probably in order anyway. I''ll bring you some water." Remarked Alexander lightly as he grabbed a towel, wiping Michelle''s love juices off his face while he approached the head of the bed. "O-Okay, t-thanks, A-Alexander." Said Michelle wearily as she gave Alexander a weak smile, causing him to faintly chuckle. Exiting Michelle''s room with an inflated ego, I headed downstairs, entered the kitchen, and grabbed a large glass of water before bringing it upstairs back to her room; despite what I had just spent doing for the last ninety or so minutes, Michelle remained spoiled and had me lift her head while I poured the water into her mouth. It may seem a bit excessive, but to be honest, I loved doing small things like this for Yuki, Michelle, or hell, even Lazuli, granted she''s never asked. Giving her a deep kiss, I left her alone and closed the door, making sure to lock it since I was sure she wouldn''t want Chloe to see her current state, having been reduced to exhaustion from my phenomenal cunnilingus. Feeling very proud of my achievement, I headed downstairs, glancing at Yuki, who was sleeping on the couch, while Lazuli seemingly hadn''t moved from her spot and continued to read; I think Talis and Chloe were still in their room since I didn''t see them anywhere. Anyways, entering the kitchen, I put on my one and only apron and got to work; it didn''t take long for the smell to permeate throughout the entire house, prompting everyone to quickly sit at the table, including Lazuli; ever since I finally got her to try a bit of my food two years ago, she''s been hooked onto food, though only the food I make. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.___ ___ "Alright, here you go, Chloe, Lazuli, Talis, Michelle, and Yuki." Said Alexander lightly as he placed a plate of food down for everyone while giving the pan he used to cook with to Yuki. "Thank you!" Remarked Lazuli, Michelle, Chloe, Yuki, and Talis simultaneously as they glanced at Alexander before instantly digging into their food. "Oh, yeah, your lunch for tomorrow is already in the fridge, Chloe." Said Alexander lightly as he sat at the head of the table and gestured to the fridge behind him, causing Chloe to nod with a smile. "What did I say about spoiling her, Alexander? She''s 12; she can get her own lunch; if she can''t do at least that, she clearly wasn''t that hungry." Remarked Michelle with a frown as she eyed Chloe, who was relishing the taste of dinner, before glancing at Alexander, who wryly smiled. "I''m not spoiling her, Michelle, relax." Replied Alexander lightly as he ate his food while glancing at Michelle, who grumbled under her breath and stared at Chloe, though she nodded nonetheless. Michelle''s stance was still firm regarding me and Chloe; she obviously didn''t want Chloe to see me as her father, which I was fine with since I wasn''t her father, but I''ve lived with Chloe for over five years, and if anything, I see her more like a little sister, and it''s only given I''d care for my supposed little sister. "Oh yeah, I wanted to ask everyone something." Said Alexander while clapping his hands, gathering everyone''s attention as they momentarily stopped eating and looked at him, except for Yuki. "So, I''ve been thinking of going to the Asckbon Continent, and Michelle thought it would be a good idea for all of us to go; we''d treat it like a family vacation, and I was curious how everyone else felt about it." Stated Alexander with a slight smile as he glanced at everyone, who all raised an eyebrow at his words. "Asckbon Continent? Um, that sounds fun and all, but after my cross-continent journey, I don''t really want to go anywhere; besides, I also have school." Said Chloe softly with a shake of her head as she gave Alexander an apologetic look. "I''ve no interest in visiting another Continent, though if you desire, I will join you." Stated Lazuli calmly as she glanced at Alexander before continuing to eat her food. "Asckbon? Heh, of course! I must let everyone know the might I, Talis, wield!" Declared Talis solemnly as she spread her wings, displaying her dominance, though all everyone heard was adorable little chirps. "U-Um, I-I know I was the one who brought the topic up, b-but, I-I also d-don''t really w-want to go." Remarked Michelle softly with a deep blush as she lowered her head in shame, causing Alexander''s face to twitch. "Haa, well, I don''t want to force anyone. Yuki, are you interested?" Asked Alexander with a sigh as he turned and glanced at Yuki, who suddenly raised her head with food hanging from her face. "Huh? What did you say?" Asked Yuki curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who shook his head before cleaning her face with a handkerchief. "I''ll take that as a no." Muttered Alexander with a wry expression as he kissed Yuki on the cheek, prompting her to tilt her head in confusion, only for her to shrug her arms while she continued eating. Since only Talis wished to join me on our journey to Asckbon, I didn''t bother mentioning it again and just enjoyed dinner, which was pretty easy given the fact that Michelle was using her foot to rub my crotch, probably her way of apologizing to me. Once everyone finished dinner, Michelle cleaned the dishes while everyone else sat on the couch, Yuki specifically sitting on my lap; she likes to do that sometimes, and I''m not complaining, especially whenever she purposefully rubs her butt onto my crotch like she was doing right now. ''This massive vixen; sleep, eat, fuck, fight, that''s all she does, she''s like a freaking beast.'' Thought Alexander with a twitching expression as he stared at Yuki, who gave him a faint smirk, one that pushed him over the edge. "Hehehe; Yuki and I are heading to be early. Good night, everyone." Stated Alexander with a slight chuckle of anger as he stood up, carrying Yuki while he headed upstairs. "Just say you''re going to have sex; it''s pretty ob-Ouch!" Said Chloe lightly as she glanced at Alexander, only for her to grab her head in pain while Michelle sternly looked at her. ___ ___ Feeling the morning rays hitting my face, I glanced to my left and looked out the window as I stared at the rising sun. "Huh, it''s morning already? Damn, time really flies when you''re having fun." Muttered Alexander lightly as he shifted his focus to Yuki, who was servicing him with her mouth. I had thoroughly vented my annoyance onto Yuki the entire night, and she graciously accepted them with open legs. "Oh, that''s the spot, oh, I''m about to cum." Remarked Alexander as he grabbed Yuki''s head and forced his manhood into her mouth while spewing everything out, which she happily drank. Chapter 312: Causing Chaos "Answer my question, peasant!" Stated the guard aggressively as he stepped forward, unsheathing his katana and pointing it at Diddy, who yawned before gesturing to Trenza. "Trenza, you deal with them; I don''t feel like wasting my time on a bunch of weaklings." Said Diddy calmly as he began walking towards the guard, prompting Trenza to huff in annoyance while unholstering Sunaipu. "Haa, I can''t believe you, captain, to think you''re forcing your pregnant lover to fight on your behalf. What kind of man would do that?" Remarked Trenza playfully as she gave Diddy a pout while tenderly rubbing her bulging belly, which was filled with semen. "Either you deal with them, or I''m destroying the city." Replied Diddy blandly as he walked past the leading guard, further angering him. My actions of ignoring the guard to my right thoroughly pissed him off as he promptly attacked me with a slash of his sword, yet before his weapon could even touch my fur, he collapsed onto the ground with a bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead; following his death, the several other guards all unsheathed their swords, but they were to slow as multiple gunshots rang out, causing them to all drop dead while bleeding from their head. "Heh, at least I know I''ll still be a formidable force when pregnant." Muttered Trenza with a faint smirk as she twirled Sunaipu and holstered it before quickly chasing Diddy while the civilians stared at them in terror. While walking through the city, heading towards the mansion on the hill, I noticed a lot of the civilians seemed to be unreasonably frightened, which did cause me to raise an eyebrow, though I suppose that just goes to show whoever runs this palace in Kaido''s stead is quite ruthless. "Eh, whatever." Muttered Diddy blandly with a shrug of his shoulders while Trenza finished killing yet another group of guards, which became more frequent the closer they neared the mansion. Once Trenza and I arrived just outside the walls of the mansion after having left a trail of corpses, she shot the guards standing at their posts while I busted open the gate with a simple kick; though shortly after we did that, we heard several loud bells ringing throughout the estate. "Eh, well, it was only a matter of time until we got spotted." Said Trenza lightly as she reached down and grabbed her secondary pistol, awaiting the arrival of the numerous guards she sensed through her haki. "Doesn''t matter; they''re just a bunch of weaklings anyways." Remarked Diddy in slight annoyance as he coated his arm in lighting before punching the air, causing the large group of guards to be burnt to a crisp from the dangerously arcing lightning. "Yeah, I know; they''re just very annoying to deal with." Muttered Trenza lightly as she fired four shots at the approaching guards to her left, killing all twenty of them with immaculate precision. Most of these guards were very weak and were merely just tedious to deal with, though once we began to actually near the mansion, they did start to get noticeably stronger; in fact, even a few Beast Pirates were guarding the mansion, though, not like it made much of a difference since they were easily taken care of. "Is something wrong with them, Captain?" Asked Trenza curiously as she glanced at Diddy, who happened to be sniffing a weird-looking corpse of a former Beast Pirate. "These pirates; they all smell weird. They''ve got a scent similar to that of a devil fruit user, yet there is a rotten or tainted smell within it." Replied Diddy lightly as he held a weird-looking woman with antlers sticking out of her knees before dropping her to the ground. "Hmm, do you think it''s related to those smile fruits Father mentioned before? I remember him mentioning that they can grant one who eats them the power of a zoan devil fruit, only they come with many risks, like not knowing how the powers will manifest, and if they don''t, you''ll be cursed with forever smiling or something." Remarked Trenza softly with a thoughtful expression as she placed her hand on her hip and tapped her chin, unintentionally arousing Diddy with her womanly charm. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Tsk, well, whatever it is, I don''t like the smell." Said Diddy lightly as he continued heading towards the mansion, though not without giving into his lust and firmly grasping Trenza''s butt, startling her. "Heh, even after all of that, you''re still horny, Captain?" Asked Trenza with a faint smirk as she glanced at Diddy, who didn''t bother responding, causing her to chuckle, yet before she could tease him, she was forced to stop walking. Stopping alongside Trenza, we watched a large sword slash pass right where we were walking, prompting us to glance to our left as we eyed a man with blue hair wearing different shades of blue clothes; while it may have been my imagination, his expression seemed to convey an untold amount of wrath and anger. "He seems quite angry. Hmm, no, maybe that''s his normal expression." Muttered Trenza curiously as she looked at the man, who slowly approached them without breaking eye contact. "He''s decently strong." Said Diddy lightly as he gazed at the man, who was now standing before them, blocking their path to the mansion. "Breaking into the Shogun''s estate and killing his many guards, I must ask you two to surrender yourselves. Though I''d advise allowing me to kill you, it''ll be a much quicker and painless death." Said Denjiro calmly as he stared at Diddy and Trenza, who both tilted their heads in confusion. "Kill me?" "Kill, Captain?" Asked Diddy and Trenza simultaneously as they gazed at Denjiro before glancing at themselves. "Wano is far too isolated from the rest of the world." Said Trenza softly with a shake of her head, her words causing Denjiro to furrow his brows in confusion while Diddy pressed forward. "I see, so you''ve already chosen; I shall respect your decision and make this quick." Said Denjiro lightly as he flicked his blade before lunging towards Diddy, yet, to his surprise, a metallic noise resounded out. Glancing at the man to my right, I looked down at the blade that was pressed against my neck; he was barely able to cut through my skin, yet it still wasn''t enough to draw blood. "You''re the strongest one in this estate, though clearly not that strong." Remarkeed Diddy blandly as he gazed at Denjiro, who was looking at him in surprise. Clutching the blade, I tightly squeezed, causing it to crack before it eventually broke into several pieces, surprising the man, yet before he could do anything, I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground, causing him to cough blood profusely. "I suggest staying down unless you wish to die." Said Trenza lightly as she looked at Denjiro before following Diddy, continuing deeper into the mansion. ''W-Who the hell i-is that!?'' Thought Denjiro in shock as he glanced at Diddy while flashes of Kaido overlapped with him. After that little interaction with that dude, Trenza and I were dealing with the same annoying and useless guards that continued to swarm our location in droves, with seemingly no end to them; if they were actually strong, I would''ve loved this, but they weren''t. By the time we finally reached the foot of the mansion, the doors exploded open while several people who reminded me of Raizo lunged toward us; however, while they were decently fast on their feet, it meant nothing to someone who could see several seconds into the future. With one bullet for each of them, Trenza easily killed that pathetic group of ninjas, leaving only the man with long ears to remain alive, though before she could kill him, his figure vanished. "Tsk, what a coward." Muttered Trenza with a click of her tongue as she lowered Sunaipu and entered the mansion alongside Diddy. "So, we''ve got to find the Shogun? I think that''s what that dude from before called him." Asked Diddy lightly as he rubbed his chin and looked upwards, prompting Trenza to do the same. ''Cowardly, hiding, overweight, terrified, ugly; he looks just like an incompetent leader. That must be him.'' Mused Diddy lightly with an amused expression as he wrapped his arm around Trenza''s waist before leaping upwards, smashing through multiple floors. "Ahhhh!!" Yelled Orochi in pure fear as he fell onto his butt while crawling away. "W-What are you doing!? A-Attack! P-Protect your Shogun!" Order Orochi fearfully as he pointed at the terrified women, with one even being exceptionally beautiful. "I''ll only say this once: leave." Ordered Trenza sternly as she eyed the several women, who all glanced at each other and looked at Orochi before fleeing. "D-Don''t leave!! Cowards!" Yelled Orochi angrily as he tried attacking the fleeing women, yet his hand was promptly shot by Trenza, causing him to recoil while screaming in pain. Despite Trenza''s words, one of the women stayed, and funnily enough, she was safer near me since I didn''t have any intention to kill her, not until Freyja saw her. ''Heh, she''s definitely comparable to Hancock in terms of beauty; it would really be a shame to kill her.'' Mused Diddy with a faint smirk as he gazed at the woman, who fearlessly looked back, only for Trenza to pull his tail. "Hmph, if you''re going to look at other women, can you at least do it when I''m not beside you?" Asked Trenza with a frown as she eyed Diddy, who scoffed while shifting his focus to Orochi. Chapter 221: Library After our nightly and morning fun, Yuki and I promptly took a shower once it hit seven O''clock, and of course, it was impossible for us to keep our hands to ourselves inside the bathroom, delaying us until eight O''clock; however, that was fine since everyone, except Talis, sleep for quite a long time. ''Well, Lazuli doesn''t need to sleep, but I think she rests or something like that.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression while walking down the stairs behind Yuki. Once we reached downstairs, Yuki approached the couch, yet before sitting down, she pushed her butt towards me and wiggled, causing me to smirk as I smacked it. "Heh, you know me so well, don''t you." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he leaned over the couch and looked at Yuki, who flopped onto the couch. "We''ve been married for four years, Alex; if I didn''t know you loved my butt even after this long, I''d be disappointed in myself." Said Yuki lightly with a yawn as she covered herself with a blanket and rested her head on a pillow. Nodding in agreement with Yuki since her logic was fair, I reached down and gave her butt a nice squeeze, causing her to open one eye as she stared at me; chuckling in amusement, I blew her a kiss before heading toward the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Wearing my apron like usual, I kept breakfast simple and just made eggs, bacon, and pancakes, nothing outrageous except for the sheer amount I was required to make since I had to feed a certain eight-hundred-pound woman of pure muscle and beauty. ''Well, to be fair, she needs a lot of energy to sustain her muscles and sexiness, so I suppose it''s¡­ Somewhat understandable.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he counted his fifty-sixth pancake and ninety-eighth bacon slice. Hearing the sound of a chair gliding across the ground, I turned and glanced at the dining table, only to see Yuki with a pillow and blanket, sitting down and sleeping on the table, causing me to roll my eyes; however, it also wasn''t much longer until I heard the sounds of doors opening and footsteps, followed by two beautiful women and a cute girl. "Good Morning." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he blew kisses at Michelle and Lazuli while waving at Chloe, who wasn''t even fully awake. Lazuli was the only one who responded back since it seemed like Michelle and Chloe weren''t fully awake; the mother and daughter duo were mostly walking with their eyes closed; the allure of breakfast must''ve guided them. Once I finished cooking, I separated the food between five plates and just dumped everything onto a large tray for Yuki. "Enjoy my lovely woman.¡­ And Chloe." Said Alexander lightly as he placed their food at their respective seats before sitting down at the head of the table while Chloe blankly looked at him with closed eyes. "Thanks." "Thank you, Alexander." "Thank you, Alex." Said Chloe, Michelle, and Lazuli, respectively, as they dug into the food while Yuki had already been devouring it. A few minutes later, I heard the flapping of wings, and darting through the opened kitchen window was Talis as she swiftly came to a halt, though she brought with her a powerful gust of wind that nearly knocked over everyone''s food; if that happened, everyone would''ve been furious, except for Yuki, she would''ve still eaten it off the ground. "Slow down, will you? You nearly knocked everyone''s plate over." Said Alexander in slight annoyance as he eyed Talis, who faintly nodded while pecking her food, causing him to roll his eyes. The first one to finish was Chloe since she had school in about forty minutes at nine-thirty, followed by Yuki, who went to sleep on the couch, while Michelle, Talis, and Lazuli took their time to actually enjoy my food. "You can just put it in the sink; I''ll wash it." Said Michelle lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded, and did as told. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Removing my apron, I took this brief moment to stretch my body before approaching Michelle, and like we''ve rehearsed for this, which we''ve kind of done, we lightly kissed, though I may or may not have pinched her nipple through her nightgown. "Not so early in the morning, will you? I''ve got to take Chloe to school." Said Michelle lightly as she gave Alexander a slightly reproachful look, causing him to raise his hands. "So¡­ After you return home?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk, his words causing Michelle to roll her eyes while eating the last bites of food. "Haa, you know I''ll never refuse your advances, Alexander." Replied Michelle softly as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded with a smile. "Heh, I know; I just wanted to hear you say it." Said Alexander with a mischievous chuckle as he kissed Michelle on the cheek while she simply sighed. I also gave Lazuli a kiss, though since she was rather focused on my food, it was only on the cheek; heading upstairs, I went to wear more appropriate clothes, and since Yuki was sleeping on the couch, we probably wouldn''t be heading to the adventure guild for at least the next few hours, which meant, I had some free time. Wearing some nice clothes, I kept my hair, which was still the same shoulder length, in a loose bun, and exited the room at the same time as Chloe, who, I must admit, looked pretty freaking cute with that green sun dress of hers. "Heh, you''re probably going to get several more love letters wearing that." Remarked Alexander lightly as he reached forward and rubbed Chloe''s head, messing up her hair and causing her to huff in annoyance. "Hmph, you''re messing up my hair! Besides, that''s the plan; Sally, one of the most popular girls in my year, has been messing with me lately, so I plan to show her all the love letters I''ve gotten and then rub them in her face to get her to shut up!" Declared Chloe in enthusiasm as she clenched her fist with a wicked smirk, causing Alexander to wryly nod. I had no idea who she was talking about, but I still showed my support, which seemed to help her as she walked downstairs while mumbling something about Sally. "I don''t remember there being that much drama in the fifth year. Hmm, maybe it''s because I was a boy? Yeah, probably; women are known for creating unnecessary drama. I''m just lucky the only one who partakes in such things is Michelle." Muttered Alexander lightly while walking down the stairs before opening the door, prompting a brown blur to speedily fly out into the vast sky. Shaking my head, I ignored Talis and headed towards the local library; if I was planning to journey to the Asckbon continent, I''d like to know as much as I could about it, and the best place would be the library. ___ ___ Entering the library, I looked around, though everything seemed roughly the same as I remember; approaching the desk, I grabbed my space pouch and handed the librarian fifteen copper coins, which was how much everyone was required to pay since the Royal family of Roswald managed the library; even nobles weren''t exempt from this rule. "At least, I think; I don''t know for sure." Muttered Alexander quietly as he headed deeper into the building, walking between bookshelves, looking for books about the Asckbon continent. The library was one of the places that was always busy, and while I don''t visit the library often, I''ve never seen a time when it wasn''t packed with people. After spending several minutes searching, I finally found the section about the Asckbon continent. After grabbing some books, I approached a large table with a few people and quietly began reading, keeping to myself while not bothering anyone. For the next half an hour, I skimmed through a few books, learning more about that continent than I honestly expected, mainly about the religions, geological structure, its kingdoms, and a few other things. "Well, this isn''t great." Muttered Alexander quietly as he stood up and put the books back where he found them. I would stay longer, but Yuki was probably going to awaken soon, so I left the library and headed back home, though while doing so, I kept thinking about the main problem at hand. Because of the great war from really long ago, before Master was even born, the Elves and other species in the Asckbon continent hold quite a prejudice against Demons and Humans; it also makes sense since it would be the same for Demons and Humans, but I can ignore now that for now cause I''ve got no interest in the other two continents. ''This could be a major problem.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he rubbed his chin with a troubled expression. The walk back home felt longer than usual, though when I finally arrived home and entered the house, I left those things about Demons, Humans, and Elves for later; right now, it was time for work! "Though before that." Muttered Alexander as he glanced at the living room, only to see Michelle scrubbing the floor on her hands and knees. "How was the library, Al¨C R-Right now, A-Alexander? I-I''m cleaning?" Asked Michelle lightly as she glanced at Alexander, only to feel his hands reach into her dress and grasp her underwear before pulling them down to her ankles. "When you wiggle this delicious piece of meat in front of me, how do you expect me to refuse, Michelle?" Replied Alexander lightly as he lowered his pants, freeing his raging erection, only to lift Michelle''s dress, revealing her glistening womanhood, prompting him to stuff it full with his cock, causing her to moan loudly. Chapter 222: Cassandras Adventurer Guild "Alex! Are you going to get ready or not? We''ve still got work to do!" Asked Yuki in slight annoyance as she peeked her head down the stairs and glanced at Alexander, who was pounding Michelle''s backside. "Yeah, sorry; I''ll get ready; just give me a few more minutes to finish." Replied Alexander apologetically as he glanced at Yuki while holding both of Michelle''s hands behind her back, using them as handles to push himself even further inside. Yuki gave me an annoyed look before grunting and vanishing behind the ceiling as she returned to the second floor, causing me to shift my focus back to Michelle, who had long since lost the grace she previously had and was now nothing but a moaning mess. "Welp looks like we''ll have to end it here; sorry, I would''ve loved to use your arse more, but I''ve got work to do." Said Alexander with a slight sigh as he released Michelle''s arms, only to push her onto the ground while he lay atop her. Michelle didn''t respond; after all, she didn''t have the luxury to do so since her mind was currently preoccupied with my large cock deep within her arse, which I forcefully spread as I repeatedly rammed it into her, my hips constantly slamming against her thick, juicy butt that prevented a good chunk of my manhood from entering inside her. Since I was on a time limit, I upped the intensity, yet I made sure to keep it below the limit of what Michelle''s body could handle still though; from her expression alone, one would be able to tell she was hardly able to think straight; her eyes were rolled into the back of her head, her mouth was wide open, tongue dangling out, while drool escaped her mouth and spilled onto the floor. As a man, there was no greater reward than seeing the woman you love completely unresponsive from how good the sex was; that was the pinnacle of unspoken compliments. ''Ah, I''m about to cum.'' Thought Alexander as he slammed his hips, which seemingly carried all of his weight, deeply into Michelle, only for his cock to aggressively twitch while thick ropes of copious semen followed soon after. Michelle must''ve felt my seed enter her since she released a long, satisfied moan, one she almost always makes whenever I release inside of her; once I began to calm down, I removed myself from Michelle, having already used her butt to clean my cock. "We''ll finish this later, Michelle, I promise." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he kissed Michelle on the neck before quickly heading up stairs while holding his pants. ___ ___ "What are we doing today?" Asked Lazuli lightly as she glanced at Alexander while walking through Cassandra. "Hmm, probably the dungeon since we did a quest last time; you fine with that, Yuki, or do you want to do another quest?" Replied Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he rubbed his chin before raising his head and glancing at Yuki, wearing full-plate heavy armor. "No. The dungeon is fine with me." Said Yuki lightly with a nod as she deeply yawned, letting the world know of her tiredness. "You know, we probably shouldn''t have spent the entire night making love." Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki, who nodded in agreement. "Probably, but¡­ Do you regret it? ''Cause I don''t." Stated Yuki with a faint smirk as she looked at Alexander, who promptly shook his head "Heh, we sound like a pair of lovers who will never learn from their mistakes." Said Alexander in amusement while Yuki expressed a short burst of laughter. While walking through Cassandra, our armor clanking whenever we took a step, we headed towards the guild to do a little check, just to see if something''s happened within the dungeon before we headed to it; however, speaking of armor, we''re wearing decently fancy armor. Yuki''s wearing all-black, full-plate armor, similar to the one she used to wear, which is hanging up in the corner of the room, though the only difference is the chest area that protrudes slighter more, giving her enough space for her breasts; however, what makes her armor special is the material it was used out of, which is darksteel, the same material that''s used to craft both mine and Lazuli''s armor as well. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Darksteel isn''t naturally forming; it''s a combination of a few different elements. I don''t know which ones exactly cause I didn''t ask the seller for more information, but darksteel is very dense in mana relative to how easy it is to smelt; again, I don''t know how it works, this is something a blacksmith would probably know, but, I don''t think it matters so much. Because of its mana density, it''s very durable and also malleable, meaning it won''t just break, though it comes at the cost of being incredibly heavy; just a handful is already nearly one hundred pounds. Because of that, despite being very powerful, only physically strong people use it, though not even most would dare wear a full-plate armor like Yuki; currently, she weighs over ten thousand pounds with all that armor. As for me, I''m wearing a much lighter set of armor, though its weight still exceeds three hundred; unlike Yuki, it''s not full-plate and has noticeable gaps where my joints are, and it''s also not nearly as bulky as Yuki''s either. While her pieces of armor are about an inch thick, mine, on the other hand, is less than half that, giving me less protection, but I''m also not the one whose body is constantly being battered by powerful beasts, so it''s more than fine. Lazuli, on the other hand, wears armor that is even lighter than mine, though not by much, mainly because she doesn''t need it, and it''s mainly for decoration. Except for her head and half of her spine, she''s completely a cyborg, though not only that, her robotic body is something like nanobots as they''re capable of morphing into any shape she desires, excluding the only human parts of her. Even her chest cavity, which is where everything important about her body resides, can also be morphed into whatever she wants, though I digress. The reason she doesn''t need armor is because her body is now laced with darksteel; I don''t know how it works, but her very body itself is now her armor, and to top it all off, she doesn''t weigh any heavier. ''I''ve got no clue how it really works.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli, who looked back at him. After a little bit longer, we eventually arrived at the guild, and the moment we entered, several eyes were drawn to Yuki''s imposing figure, only for a cup to suddenly bounce off her head, causing me and Lazuli to nearly chuckle. "WHO WAS IT?" Asked Yuki in slight anger as she glared at the crowd of adventurers, yet all they did was laugh while ignoring her. "Hahaha, good job, whoever it was!" "So we''re angering Yuki today? Sounds fun!" "Hahaha, speak for yourself, I''m not brave enough to garner her Ire, but I damn sure will laugh at it." Remarked several men as they glanced at each other before looking at Yuki, who was eyeing them all with her piercing yellow eyes. "Tch, if you don''t say it, I will beat up everyone!" Stated Yuki sternly, her loud voice causing everyone to momentarily freeze while a small portion suddenly backed away, revealing a beautiful, dark-skinned Elf. "Nanya." Muttered Yuki through gritted teeth as she eyed Nanya, who downed her cup before tossing it, though she dodged. "Hmph, yeah, it was me, Yuki; what are you going to do about it?" Asked Nanya with a smirk as she narrowed her eyes at Yuki while grabbing her tree-branch-like staff. "I''ll beat you up; that''s what I''m going to do!" Replied Yuki as she tossed her helmet to Alexander and charged towards Nanya, who swiftly surged her mana, casting several spells upon herself, only for her to raise her hands, stopping the charging oni. "Nanya and Yuki are going at it again." Said Lazuli calmly as she, Alexander, and everyone else watched Yuki and Nanya fight it out while cheering the two on. "Yeah, well, that''s to be expected; they''re pretty good friends, so let''s just leave them alone." Said Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he glanced at Yuki and Nanya before looking away. Although it was always a crazy sight to see Nanya, a tall, thin Elf, match the mighty Oni known as Yuki in raw strength, the two were really good friends, and this was how they always behaved; Nanya, herself, was one of the few B-ranked adventurers we were friends with. Her specialty lies in strengthening others through her spells, so although typically, she''s about as strong as an average C-rank adventurer when she uses her spells on herself, she''s capable of even beating Yuki when it comes to raw strength and whatnot. "Speaking of annoying women, look who we''ve got here. I didn''t realize you were already back; I thought your group would still be gone for another three days." Remarked Alexander lightly as he folded his arms and glanced at the beautiful rabbit-demihuman, who skipped towards him. "Aw, don''t be like that, Alex. I missed you so much; I made sure to return as quickly as possible." Said the rabbit-demihuman seductively with a playful smile as she hugged Alexander''s arm, purposefully putting it between her breasts. "Yeah, yeah, Lulu, that''s not going to work on me." Said Alexander with a shake of his head as he glanced at Lulu while removing his arm from the heaven that was her cleavage, causing her to pout. Chapter 223: Caught In The Bathroom! "Heh, have you seen the women he surrounds himself with, Lulu? You''re too ugly for him." Remarked the rabbit-demihuman with a smirk while standing beside Lulu, who looked very similar to her. "Tch, will you shut up, Momo? No one cares what you have to say." Said Lulu in annoyance as she turned and eyed Momo, who chuckled in amusement. Glancing at Momo, Lulu''s younger brother, he and her looked very similar; they both had white rabbit ears, blue hair, though Lulu''s reached down to her butt. They both had rather muscular builds, of course, Lulu still had a very feminine look, and her muscles weren''t apparent like Momo''s, but it was easy to tell she wasn''t physically weak; they had a paler skin tone, bright blue eyes, similar to Lazuli, though when it comes to height, they were on the short side with Momo only being a few inches taller than Lulu. They were part of a group called The Beasts, alongside three other people, Cann, Falish, and Ogi; however, I didn''t see them anywhere in the guild, so I figured they weren''t present. They''re a C-rank party, the same as us, they''re also a relatively new group, having formed just four years ago, so they''re also rather young, similar in age to Lazuli and I, at least the siblings are. "So, are you guys going to argue with each other or what?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Momo and Lulu while folding his arms, causing them to grunt before backing away. "I''m going to turn in our job; otherwise, I might end up hitting someone." Said Momo with a grunt of annoyance as he glanced at Alexander before staring at Lulu, who merely grunted, ignoring his antics. Watching Momo walk off toward the reception desks, I glanced at Lulu, who cleared her throat before suddenly grabbing my hand, leading to who knows where. "I-I''m borrowing Alex right now, Lazuli; I''ll return him soon." Said Lulu with a faint smile as she waved at Lazuli, who silently watched them vanish down a hallway before shifting her focus to Yuki and Nanya. Once we reached the end of the hallway, Lulu approached the women''s bathroom and entered it while leading me inside, pushing me against the wall; she closed the door and looked at me, causing me to raise my head at this suspicious turn of events. "You''re not going to rape me right now, are you?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Lulu with a faint smirk, causing her to shake her head while approaching him. "No. Besides, I wouldn''t want to receive Yuki''s wrath." Replied Lulu with a wry smile, her words causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow before nodding. "Neither would I. So, why did you lead me into the bathroom?" Asked Alexander curiously as he gazed at Lulu, who now stood only a few feet before him. Lulu didn''t immediately respond and instead lowered her head while fidgeting with her hands; part of me wanted to rub her fluffy ears as they were always soft, but now didn''t really seem like the time. "S-So you know how the month of C-Chloe is nearby?" Asked Lulu awkwardly as she briefly glanced at Alexander, who nodded before lowering her head once more. "I-I was wondering, i-if you''d l-like to, maybe, um, h-hang out. Y-You know, j-just the two of us." Added Lulu softly, her voice barely audible while her cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment. Took some control to chuckle right now, but I couldn''t help but smirk at her words since it seemed like she was practically asking me out on a date. "Heh, it''s about damn time, Lulu; you''ve sure been taking your sweet time." Remarked Alexander with a smirk as he glanced at Lulu, who raised her head, gazing at him with widened eyes. "Eh, y-you knew?" Asked Lulu in surprise as she stared at Alexander, who casually nodded. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Yes, I knew; I''ve known about your feelings for the past three years. Not many things can hide from my eyes, Lulu." Replied Alexander with a smirk as he folded his arms and gazed at Lulu, whose blush only deepened at his words. "S-So a-about my question." Said Lulu awkwardly as her whole body twitched in nervousness, only for Alexander to nod. "If the women I''m already in a relationship with don''t mind, then yes." Stated Alexander with a nod, his words causing Lulu to clench her fist, nearly yelling in joy. "Now, can I exit the bathroom? It''s slightly uncomfortable for me." Asked Alexander as he approached the exit and opened it, only to freeze when he spotted three women staring at him. I wasn''t even allowed to explain myself before the women smirked as they glanced at Lulu standing behind me before running back towards the lounge where everyone was. "Alexander and Lulu were getting it on in the women''s bathroom!" Yelled the women with grins, their words causing the lounge to turn silent, only for it to erupt loudly into cheers. "Haa, this is why I took us somewhere private." Muttered Lulu in annoyance as she peeked from behind the door and stared down the hallway, only to sigh in defeat. "Maybe the bathroom wasn''t the best spot." Said Alexander with a wry smile while Lulu nodded in agreement. Since there was no getting around this, and knowing how adventurers love to blow things out of proportion, Lulu and I exited the bathroom and arrived back at the lounge, prompting several to cheer our way while a few even asked for us to swap places with them. Sighing in annoyance as I knew this would stick with us for at least a few months, I sat at the table with Lazuli and waved at Lulu, who quickly left with Momo; not that I blamed her, I also wanted to leave now. "Were you?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she looked at Alexander, who groaned before shaking his head. "No, I didn''t; we were just talking. Speaking of that¡­ Hurry the hell up, Yuki!" Replied Alexander with a shake of his as he glanced at Lazuli before looking at Yuki, who was trading blows with Nanya, the two not moving an inch. "Tsk, fine, I''m coming! This isn''t over, Nanya!" Stated Yuki with a grunt as she lowered her arms and glared at Nanya, who responded in kind. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, you lump of fat." Said Nanya as she dismissively waved her hand at Yuki before sitting down. When Yuki arrived, she sat down in annoyance and folded her arms, though, after a while, she eventually looked at me in confusion. "Why is everyone cheering and looking at you? Did you do something?" Asked Yuki curiously as she looked at Alexander, who rubbed his face while sighing. "Because Lulu asked me out on a date." Replied Alexander lightly, his words causing Yuki to raise an eyebrow before nodding. "Oh really? Cool. So, are we going to the dungeon or not?" Said Yuki as she quickly shifted the topic of conversation, seemingly unconcerned about Lulu and Alexander''s relationship. Sighing at how unbothered Yuki was, I nodded and stood up while approaching the guild exit, prompting Yuki and Lazuli to follow me; after we finally left the guild, I couldn''t help but sigh in relief as the constant cheers faded into the background. ''Haa, much better.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at the sky and headed to the dungeon at the center of the city. ___ ___ Slicing the wolf that had just lunged at me from behind in half, I lifted Trina above my head, blocking an eagle as it dived-bomb at me with incredible speeds, breaking the sound barrier, but it turned into a much of flesh when it smashed into Trina. Flicking it off, I kicked away a rabbit and slashed down towards it with Zartha, launching a destructive wave of flames, engulfing it and the several other monstrous rodents hidden in the bushes within my flames as they were set ablaze and quickly killed. However, even so, the monsters kept coming non-stop, which was slightly annoying, but we''ve gotten so used to this that it was expected. "Catch!" Yelled Yuki loudly with a grunt as she fended off one monstrous bear while tossing the other one towards Alexander. Slamming my two greatswords onto the ground, I propelled myself into the air and slashed the monstrous bear in half; using [Air Kick], I lunged towards Lazuli''s enemies, as she was getting assaulted from nearly all directions. "Watch out!" Said Alexander as he raised Zartha in the air while a fireball encased within a rotating sphere of wind rapidly grew. At my words, Lazuli morphed her arms into a dome that covered her entire body, prompting me to launch the fireball toward her; the moment the fireball touched her dome, it erupted into an explosion that set everything, monsters and trees alike, ablaze. Within only a few seconds, tens of monsters were killed, while the larger ones, like wolves, bears, and gorillas, survived, though they were also greatly injured and were easy to clean up. Stabbing Trina through the heart of the final bear, I burned the blood off my two swords and approached Yuki and Lazuli while keeping my eyes open for any possible attacks. "You guys good?" Asked Alexander curiously as he looked at Yuki and Lazuli, who both nodded, causing him to smile while he stabbed his two swords into the ground. "So, how deep are we going today?" Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he nudged Yuki while winking at her, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. Chapter 224: Alexander Hates Swamps "Why are you looking at me like that?" Asked Yuki in confusion as she glanced at Alexander, her muffled voice sounding deep and masculine. "It''s supposed to be a joke, but it seems someone is a little too stupid to understand it." Replied Alexander lightly, shaking his head while folding his arms, causing Yuki to grunt in annoyance. "By saying ''How deep are we going today'' while playfully nudging you, he is secretly referring to when you make love and how he deeply penetrates your body with his cock." Remarked Lazuli lightly as she wiped the blood off her armor while glancing at Yuki, whose eyes slightly widened. "Now, you definitely can''t argue that you''re not stupid; even Lazuli got it before you. However, it''s okay; while you may be dumb, I''ll still love you all the same, Yuki." Said Alexander with a shake of his head while gazing at Yuki, only to affectionately rub her armored arm, prompting her to aggressively push him away. Yuki tended to lose control of her strength when she got annoyed or angry, so that little push of hers slammed me into a nearby tree, knocking it over while I landed on my feet; rubbing the back of my head, I approached Yuki and Lazuli, though this time, I kept my distance from the armored Oni. "Though seriously, how deep are we going?" Asked Alexander curiously with furrowed brows as she shifted his focus between Lazuli and Yuki, the two taking a moment to think. "What floor are we on?" "The third floor." Said Yuki and Lazuli, respectively, as they glanced at each other while Alexander calmly waited. "Hmm, fuck it; let''s go as deep as we can." Stated Yuki with a faint smirk as she raised her two mountain-like shields into the air. "Nope, no can do. We can''t just do that without any preparation, and you know that, Yuki; besides, it''ll take a long time, maybe even two days if not more." Remarked Alexander blandly as he glanced at Yuki, quickly shutting her down and causing her to huff in annoyance. "Let''s go to floor ten." Said Lazuli, her words causing Alexander to nod. "Now I can agree to that; it''ll also give us a bit of a challenge as well." Said Alexander with a nod as he rubbed his chin before outstretching his arm, causing Trina and Zartha to come flying to him, comfortably resting their hilts within his hands. "Then let''s get going!" Stated Yuki enthusiastically as she clanged her shields together before taking the lead, heading deeper into the forest while Lazuli and Alexander followed. With Yuki taking the lead, serving as the first line of defense against the monsters, it was only a few minutes after we left our previous spot before monsters once again started to attack as they came from the front and attacked Yuki, which was perfect for her. With a deep and muffled roar, Yuki slammed her shields onto the ground, creating a wall while she used her mana to coat them in a layer of earth with deadly spikes; after that, she promptly pushed against the ground and charged into the seemingly endless horde of monsters, skewering many of them onto her spiked shields. "If only Yuki had more mana." Muttered Alexander softly as he glanced at Yuki while slashing forward, using [Void Slash] to kill the remaining monsters that she missed with her charge. Yuki''s gotten much better at using her mana over the past years, though she''s not really talented when it comes to mana, so her progress has always been slow, yet the main problem is her lack of mana; she focuses all of her status points onto her physical attributes and ignores her mana, so she can hardly use it when in battle since she''ll burn right through it in a matter of minutes. However, regarding Mana, Lazuli is the complete opposite; she has an excessive amount of mana like no other because, apparently, Soom used to feed her mana crystals when he created her, which she somehow absorbed. Again, I don''t know how she does that, but she''s doing it; even now, if I were to acquire some mana crystals and give them to her, she''d absorb all the mana and turn it into her own. To top it all off, I''m pretty confident she can use every element; granted, I''ve only seen her use the basic elements and space mana, but considering how easily she made it seem, it just gives me the feeling she can use every element. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Anyway, focusing back on the battle ahead, Lazuli and I killed every remaining monster until we finally caught up to Yuki, who was surrounded by a sea of monsters. Working in tandem with each other, we combined our mana to create a massive fireball while further strengthening it with wind mana, and once it reached the desired size, we threw it at Yuki. Before it could reach her, I infused an abundant amount of mana into my eyes alongside using [Heroes Gaze], and just before the massive fireball connected with Yuki, she vanished from her spot and appeared standing directly in front of me, only for a massive explosion of fire to engulf the sea of monsters, killing them all. What I had just down was combine [Teleport] and [Heroes Gaze], making it so I wasn''t required to touch her to teleport her, and while it was an incredibly powerful ability I managed to figure out about a year ago, though the mana cost isn''t anything to scoff at; nearly an eighth of my mana had been used up right then and there, which may not seem like much, but I''ve got just over thirty-thousand mana so that one use cost me a little less than four-thousand mana. "Are all the monster''s dead?" Asked Yuki as she turned around and gazed at the pile of raging flames amongst the pile of corpses. "Yep, every monster is dead. Now let''s continue; we''ll only get attacked 12,000 more times." Replied Alexander with a nod before clicking his tongue in annoyance with a sarcastic tone while he walked forward, Yuki quickly taking the lead. ___ ___ Unlike the previous dungeons we''ve visited, the first five floors were all one massive floor, though they were divided by a line of trees; not like they did anything, though coming across a monster horde was pretty common in this dungeon. After killing what felt like the hundredth attack on us, which it very well could''ve been, we finally arrived at the fourth line of trees, meaning the guardian ''floor'' was beyond it; however, before immediately going in, we stayed just outside and used this chance to regain our stamina and whatnot. "Alright, everyone ready?" Asked Alexander as he did a little bit of stretching while glancing between Yuki and Lazuli, who were already standing in front of the trees. "Yep." "Yes." Said Yuki and Lazuli, respectively, as they nodded, prompting Alexander to do the same while his greatswords grew in size, reaching over two and a half times their original size. "We''ve done this fight plenty of times, so just do your thing, Yuki; we know what to do." Said Alexander lightly as he playfully kicked Yuki''s butt, causing her to faintly smirk as she charged into the line of trees, pushing them out of the way. Following the path Yuki forcibly made, Lazuli and I entered the guardian''s floor, though when we did, we stopped beside Yuki and blankly looked before us. "Well¡­ That was anit-climactic." Muttered Alexander softly, his greatswords returning to normal while Yuki and Lazuli nodded in agreement. The floor was empty, with no giant horned rabbit guardian for us to fight, and since that was the case, we just shrugged our shoulders and headed toward the passageway in the distance, which would lead us to the actual second floor of this dungeon. It wasn''t unusual for this to happen; it usually just meant another group or party had come through here recently, and there wasn''t much we could do about it other than wait for the monster to be reborn again, though none of us felt like doing that. While walking down the passageway, Lazuli created a small flame that illuminated our way and served as our light; once we reached the bottom and exited the passageway, we entered into a humid, wet forest, or in other words, a swamp. "Ugh, I fucking hate this place." Muttered Alexander in pure disgust while his body involuntarily shivered. "It''s not that bad." Said Yuki lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who spat on the ground in slight anger. "Hmph, say that after you''ve had a massive leech suck the blood out of your very face!" Yelled Alexander in anger as he grabbed Yuki by the waist and violently shook her, causing her to raise her arms while nodding. "Tch, c''mon, let''s get this fucking place over with." Said Alexander in annoyance as he took the lead while Yuki and Lazuli followed. It didn''t take long for a group of monsters to emerge from the shallow waters and dense vegetation as they charged towards us with the intent to rip us to shreds, and just as anyone would expect, only animals that you''d find in a swamp existed here; snakes, crocodiles, alligators, frogs, toads, LEECHES, mosquitoes, etc. However, every time we visited the swamp, I made sure the monsters here experienced nothing but a nightmare as my swords grew in size while I spun them around in the air, creating a [Firestorm] that rapidly grew, although the water did slightly dampen the power of my spell, it wasn''t enough to make a difference as numerous monsters were thrown into the air, prompting me to continuously use [Air Steps] as I darted through the flaming tornado, killing every monster I came across. "Die, you fuckers!" Stated Alexander loudly as he sliced through two massive alligators before leaping towards a leech, only to set it ablaze, burning it to a pile of ashes. "Alex really hates this place." Muttered Yuki softly as she and Lazuli calmly watched Alexander kill every monster by himself. Chapter 225: Monster Snake Thanks to my little rampage across the swamp, it was only a matter of time until I ran out of mana, though when that happened, I had Yuki and Lazuli there to assist me as we pushed deeper into the swamp, coming across even stronger monsters than before; only once we reached the line trees, did the monsters slowly stopped attacking us. "We''ve made it to the ninth floor. Are you feeling better now, Alex?" Asked Yuki lightly as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who was leaning against one of the many trees while staring hatefully at the swamp they''d just trekked through. "Tsk, a little; my mana is still pretty low, but we can continue through the ninth floor if you guys want; I''ve got enough to get us through there." Replied Alexander with a click of his tongue as he looked at Yuki before glancing at Lazuli, who was to his left. "No, it is fine. Rest and recuperate." Stated Lazuli calmly as she glanced at Alexander before shaking her head, causing him to nod. Stabbing Trina and Zartha into the ground beside me, I sat down and meditated, which significantly increased the rate at which I re-filled my mana pool, though it would still take about fifteen to twenty minutes. While I did this, Lazuli and Yuki ensured no one attacked us, though, after about ten minutes, I stood back up, slightly surprising them. "Eh, finished already? That was really quick." Asked Yuki in slight surprise as she glanced at Alexander, who shook his head while grabbing his two greatswords. "Nah, I''m only about 60% full, but that should be plenty to get through the ninth floor; besides, we always rest just before the guardian''s floor anyways, so I can just finish there." Replied Alexander lightly as he pulled his swords out of the ground while glancing between Yuki and Lazuli. Stretching a little, I followed after Yuki and Lazuli as we walked through the line of trees that separated each floor, only to exit from the other side after a few seconds; looking around at the disgusting swamp, I clicked my tongue in disgust but held off from going on a rampage despite how much I wished to. With Yuki in the lead, she took charge and took the brunt of the monster''s attack while I dashed around the sides, thinning out the horde, leaving Lazuli in the back to drop powerful spells of destructive nature onto the monsters, killing numerous of them in one fell swoop. This is how we''re supposed to fight as a group, though since monsters aren''t that powerful yet, we usually just fight however we want to, though; from floor eleven onwards, we''ll use that formation to fight as that''s when the monsters get really strong. "Tsk, get away from her, you vile creature." Muttered Alexander in anger as he punted a massive leech that was bigger than his foot, causing it to arc through the air before smashing into a tree. Coating my blades in reddish flames, I violently slashed at the numerous monsters that lunged towards Yuki, allowing me to effortlessly kill them as their focus was entirely on her; however, once her skill''s effectiveness ran out, some started to also attack me, making it a harder for me, but overall, it was still manageable, I mainly just had to be carefully were I stepped, with the swamp you never know what''s actually ground or not. With the first horde or wave of monsters having been taken care of, we continued onwards through the dungeon, killing any group of monsters that dared to attack us with our overwhelming destructive capabilities, though I kept mine to a minimum, unlike Yuki and Lazuli. ___ ___ "Haa, man, we''ve really got to start heading deeper whenever we use the dungeon; these monsters are strong, but their levels are too low. I''ve only leveled up once through all of this; even then, I had more than 50% before we even entered the dungeon." Remarked Alexander with a frown as he leaned against the tree while gazing at his status panel, only to sigh and shake his head. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Hmph, that''s what I wanted to do, but someone said no." Said Yuki with a scoff as she narrowly eyed Alexander, who awkwardly coughed before looking away. "We need to speak about these topics beforehand." Stated Lazuli lightly as she sat beside Alexander while recovering her mana. "Thank you, Lazuli. Next time, let''s have a discussion before entering the dungeon so everyone is on the same page, we also need to prepare as well. How many potions do you two have?" Asked Alexander as he glanced between Lazuli and Yuki, prompting them to check their space pouches. "Um, I''ve got a few healing ones, one antidote, all Uncommon rank, and then I''ve got one with your blood." "I''m the same, except no antidote potion." Stated Yuki and Lazuli, respectively, as the former dumped everything onto the ground, causing Alexander to roll his eyes. "See, that''s not enough. The Uncommon healing potions aren''t needed; you two should both have several potions of my diluted blood and then one, maybe two potions of my Ichor." Said Alexander with a shake of his head, his words causing Lazuli to nod while Yuki furrowed her brows. "Hmm, well, I guess you''re not wrong; the monsters passed this guardian get really strong." Muttered Yuki with a thoughtful expression as she rubbed her horn, prompting Alexander to nod. "Of course, I''m not wrong, not when it involves your guy''s safety. Now, don''t you think I''m deserving of a little kiss?" Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Yuki while tapping his cheek, causing her to lick her lips before leaning towards him. "You deserve far more than a mere kiss." Said Yuki softly as she grasped Alexander''s crotch while whispering into his ear, causing him to inhale a sharp breath. "Woah, calm down there, Yuki; you know I can''t resist you when you try to seduce me." Said Alexander lightly with a lustful gaze as he glanced at Yuki, who faintly smirked and gave his crotch one final squeeze before backing away. Releasing a deep sigh, I turned and silently stared at Yuki, yet her seductive behavior was nowhere to be seen, which was both good and disappointing; there were many things about Yuki that would get me very aroused, but whenever she tried to seduce me, I can never last, even now, I had a raging erection. ''I-I don''t know if this thing will ever calm down.'' Mused Alexander with a wry expression as he gazed at his obvious erection, which Lazuli had trouble taking her eyes off. ___ ___ "Alright, is everyone ready?" Asked Alexander solemnly as he tightly gripped his two greatswords while glancing between Yuki and Lazuli, both nodding. After taking roughly half an hour to rest, we were now about to enter the tenth floor, which would be my most hated guardian boss to ever fight; also, regarding my cock, it was still very erect; unfortunately, all I could do was position it so it''s out of the way. With Yuki taking the lead, Lazuli and I followed right behind her as we trekked through the line of trees before arriving on the tenth floor; despite encountering a few other groups, the guardian was present as my eyes locked onto an absolutely massive snake. The moment we arrived, the monstrous snake raised its head and looked at us, only to hiss loudly before slithering right toward us with its jaw open; however, something we had to watch out for was its tail, since instead of it having a rattle, there was a long, sharp blade, which has taken a few of my fingers in the past. "Right here, bastard!" Yelled Yuki loudly as she used [Roar Of The Aggressor] and [Shield Charge], changing the guardian''s focus to her while she dashed right for the monster. "Lazuli, you help Yuki, I''ll get rid of it''s tail." Said Alexander solemnly as he filled his body with mana and dashed around the edge of the room, ensuring the monster didn''t switch his focus to him. With both Lazuli and Yuki keeping the monster''s focus on them, it was really easy to arrive near the snake tail, though I just had to be careful since it was furiously wagging, and even though [Rebirth] wasn''t on cool down, it didn''t feel good to be bisected. Leaping into the air, I used [Air Step] to help me land on its leg, which caused it to instantly focus on me, though it was too late as I enlarged Zartha and sliced down, cutting the tail off its body. "Heh, that was much easier than last time." Muttered Alexander with a smirk as he quickly leaped off the tail, dodging the snake''s lunge. While in the air, I dashed back toward Yuki, who was fearlessly charging toward the snake like the reckless Oni she was; landing beside her, I aided her in charge just as the snake slammed its head into her shields, bringing her to a halt, yet I used that chance to leave a deep gash in the side of its body, causing it to slam into my body, launching me through the air. ''Ouch.'' Thought Alexander as he patted his chest while pushing off the ground and dashing toward the monster, which was being bombarded with powerful spells by Lazuli from a distance. We''ve fought against this monster plenty of times, so it was only a matter of time until this massive snake was killed; with our constant attacks, it wouldn''t be long, either. Chapter 226: Done For The Day "And the winner goes too¡­ Yuki and The Apostles!" Stated Alexander with a smile as he holstered his greatswords on his back and loudly clapped while approaching Yuki, who had dealt the finishing blow. Yuki just rolled her eyes with a smile at my words, prompting me to chuckle as I lifted her off the ground and held her in a princess carry, which was incredibly awkward for me, given her thick armor. "We''re doing a victory lap!" Said Alexander as he jogged around the entire floor, which was just a circle surrounded by trees. While running around the floor, Yuki kissed me on the cheek, causing a certain body part that has constantly been erect to twitch in response, which only made me want to return home, approaching Lazuli, who was reaching into the monster''s mouth, I set Yuki down and assisted her. "Huh, never thought I''d see the day when a sexy woman willingly enters the mouth of a corpse; what a freaky life I''m living." Said Alexander with a wry expression as he held open the snake''s mouth and glanced at Lazuli, who blankly glanced at him. "Will you watch while making jokes, or will you help?" Asked Lazuli blandly while eyeing Alexander, who handed her Trina off his back. "Oh, please, Lazuli; go on head. I''ve got a wonderful view right now, and I don''t want to miss it." Replied Alexander with a faint smile while looking at Lazuli, who rolled her eyes before turning around and using Trina to cut the large fangs. ''Mhm, I know it''s not flesh, but she''s got an incredibly soft and amazing butt.'' Thought Alexander with a lustful gaze as he licked his lips and gulped while eyeing Lazuli''s butt. While I bluntly ogled at Lazuli''s sexy body, which only further fueled me with lust, Yuki grabbed Zartha off my back and used it to cut off the hard scales that laced the snake''s body. "Finished, with no thanks to you." Said Lazuli as she tossed Trina back to Alexander while carrying four fangs in her hands, along with multiple fleshly looking sacks. "Hey, I held the snake''s mouth open; that should at least count as something." Remarked Alexander defensively as he furrowed his brows at Lazuli while gazing at her in disbelief, though she promptly ignored him. Grumbling under my breath, I approached Lazuli from behind and wrapped my arm around her lithe while I sneaked my hand into her pants, causing her body to go rigid with slightly blushed cheeks. "A-Alex, t-this isn''t the place." Said Lazuli softly with a faint blush as she glanced at Alexnder, who was grabbing her petite butt to his liking. "Ho, are you sure? With the way you were shaking your ass earlier, it felt like you were enticing me." Asked Alexander softly as he whispered into Lazuli''s ear while sticking his fingers into her arse, causing her to inhale a sharp breath. "Heh, so your vagina isn''t the only thing that''s super tight, good to know." Added Alexander with a smirk as he played around with Lazuli''s arse, causing her blush to deepen. As much as I wanted to push her onto the ground and make some love, I, unfortunately, had common sense, so reluctantly, I removed my hand from Lazuli''s arse and released her, prompting her to glance at me just as I sucked on my three fingers while staring directly at her. "Mhm, tasty." Muttered Alexander with a playful smirk, causing Lazuli''s blush to deepen further while she turned around and calmly walked away, causing him to chuckle. ''Haa, Master, why are you so gross?'' Asked Trina with a sigh as she lay on the clear ocean within her personal dimension while staring at the sky. ''Oh shut it, Trina, I''d do the same to Zartha without hesitation if I could.'' Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he approached Yuki, who was still flaying the snake using Zartha. Grabbing my space pouch, I tossed all the scales Yuki had already removed the snake into my pouch before glancing up at her. "How many do you plan to cut off?" Asked Alexander curiously as he yawned, his actions causing Yuki to do the same a few seconds later. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Um, I don''t know. Until I feel like it''s enough. Also, are we continuing further down the dungeon?" Replied Yuki with a shrug of her shoulders, only to momentarily stop her actions while glancing at Alexander. "Hmm, the Savanna is next¡­ I wouldn''t be against it; I wouldn''t mind leveling up at least once more today, but we''ve already spent several hours in the dungeon, and we started late today, though my biggest problem is the fact we didn''t inform Michelle. I don''t want her to be worried sick about us simply because we wanted to head deeper." Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as he rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression, his words causing Yuki to nod in agreement. "Well, to be honest, I think I''d also rather return home¡­ I want your cock." Said Yuki without an ounce of shame as she eyed Alexander with a hungry look, causing him to wryly chuckle. "Oh, don''t even get me started on that, you seductive Oni; as you can see, I''m still very erect thanks to you." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Yuki before pulling down his pants, showing off his large erection, causing her to gulp while he hid it. "I think this is enough scales; we should return home now." Said Yuki sternly as she tossed the remaining scales to Alexander, causing his face to twitch while he picked them off the ground and stored them in his pouch. Watching Yuki talk with Lazuli before the two exited the guardian''s floor, I couldn''t help but chuckle as I quickly followed behind them. ''Yuki is one horny woman; though, I suppose it''s good since I''m also very horny.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he caught up to Yuki and Lazuli, only for them to be attacked by numerous monsters. "Tsk, oh yeah, forgot about this." Muttered Alexander in slight anger as he stared at the incoming monsters, prompting him to lunge forward while indiscriminately killing any monster. ___ ___ "Haa, finally, we''re out of the dungeon!" Stated Alexander with a smile as he raised his hands while gazing at the dim sky. "Huh, it''s already dusk; I guess it''s good we left immediately." Muttered Yuki lightly as she glanced at the sky only to continue walking, her large frame causing several to step out of her way, though not all did. "Should we go to the Guild, or¨C" Asked Alexander, though he was promptly cut off by Yuki, who was quickly walking through the crowd. "Home!" Said Yuki firmly, her words causing Alexander to nod lightly while he and Lazuli followed behind her. After several minutes of walking through the streets of Cassandra, taking a shortcut that required us to go through the red light district, which ended up with me getting cat-called by several prostitutes, though one glare from Yuki quickly shut them up. ''This is why I avoid the shortcut.'' Mused Alexander lightly with a shake of his head. However, we quickly arrived home, and with a few knocks, my super sexy Mistress opened the door for us as we all came funneling inside. "So, how was today?" Asked Michelle with a smile as she closed the door and kissed Alexander''s cheek, causing him to smile. "Good, though kind of boring since we didn''t go that far down, only to the tenth floor, which isn''t hard for us." Replied Alexander lightly as he took off his boots and stretched, only for Yuki to grab his shoulder. "Wait! Wait! I-I''ve got to at least cook dinner first! A-Also, we should also shower beforehand." Remarked Alexander as he violently shook out of Yuki''s grasp, causing her to huff in annoyance before nodding. "Fine, I''m going first." Said Yuki in annoyance as she walked upstairs before entering her room. Shaking my head at Yuki, I watched her leave our room and enter the bathroom with nothing but a towel, causing me to sigh, though I ignored it and headed upstairs, intending to change my clothes. "I''ll be right back." Said Alexander as he quickly entered his room, closing the door behind him. Changing my clothes into something I almost never wear since I was going to shower after this anyway, exiting my room, I headed back downstairs, and after wearing my apron, I quickly got to work with dinner, making something easy since I didn''t want to keep Yuki waiting. "Eh, Michelle, isn''t Chloe home?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Michelle on her knees with her face before his crotch. "She''s doing work for her school in her room, so we''re fine; besides, I probably won''t get to have you tonight, so I''d at least like a taste." Replied Michelle softly as she pulled down Alexander''s pants, only for his raging erection to slap her in the face. "Ah, this manly musk." Muttered Michelle lustfully as she stuffed her face into Alexander''s crotch while slowly stroking his cock. While Michelle tended to my manhood, I continued cooking, and since this wasn''t the first time she''d done this, it was pretty easy to do; once I finished cooking, I had cummed three times inside her pretty little mouth and given how much semen I always produce, she might not even be hungry anymore. "So delicious." Muttered Michelle with a faint grin as she wiped her lips clean with her tongue while pulling up Alexander''s pants before standing up. "D-Dinner is done!" Yelled Alexander as he put several plates on the table, only for multiple footsteps to be heard. "Smells like fish." Said Chloe lightly as she entered the kitchen while curiously gazing at the plate, only for Michelle to faintly blush. Before I could say anything to Chloe, I felt a large hand grab my shoulder, and the next thing I knew, I was being whisked away like a piece of paper as Yuki dragged me upstairs. "You''re not going to at least eat!?" Exclaimed Alexander as he gazed at Yuki, who shook her head. "No, and you''re not showering either." Replied Yuki firmly as she entered her room while tossing Alexander on the bed. Watching Yuki strip, I gulped before doing the same, and I don''t think the rest need to be said, as it was pretty obvious we engaged in intense and passionate lovemaking the entire night. Chapter 227: Loves In The Air Feeling the warmth of the sun hit my body, I glanced up at the window while I was thrusting inside Yuki''s mouth; after a few more minutes, I felt her grab me with her hands as she forcefully increased the intensity, only for me to slam my hips into her face as I released everything inside her, spewing thick ropes of semen. ''Ugh, my goodness; why does her mouth feel just as good as her vagina?'' Thought Alexander lightly with an expression of pleasure as he felt his testicles constantly constrict while they pumped semen down his long shaft and into Yuki''s mouth. Just as I started to calm down, Yuki activated her special technique, one that I think even a Succubus would be impressed by, as she started to powerfully suck upon my cock, doing so with such force that she literally began to pull the semen straight from my testicles; the sensation felt great, and I could do nothing as she turned me into drink. This continued for nearly three minutes before she finally stopped and released my cock with a pop noise, which would normally arouse me, but after what she''d just done, my knees felt a little weak, and I needed a break. "Y-Yuki, y-your l-love is going t-to kill m-me!" Said Alexander softly as he lay atop Yuki''s body while glancing at her, who licked her lips before smiling. "Heh, thanks for your semen, Alex, delicious as always. Huh, now that I think about it, why is your semen so tasty?" Replied Yuki with a lovely smile as she glanced at Alexander, who softly sighed, only for her to adorn a thoughtful expression. "I don''t know; ask Michelle. Anyways, it''s morning, so I''m going to take a shower." Said Alexander lightly as he stood up and stretched, prompting Yuki to slap his butt, but since she wasn''t the best at controlling her strength, she forced him to the ground. "Haa, I''m honestly surprised you haven''t broken any parts of my body when making love, especially whenever you ride me; I''ve never thought someone could rock their hips so aggressively." Remarked Alexander blandly as he rubbed his butt while glancing at Yuki, who sat upright with a proud smile, causing him to roll his eyes. "Anyway, you stay here, you lustful behemoth." Added Alexander lightly as he dismissively waved his hand and approached the door to their room while constantly erect. Just as I opened the door, I stopped myself as I glanced down at my crotch, and almost on cue, I heard heavy footsteps approaching me while a large bluish hand grasped my cock. "Hehe, do you want me to join you?" Asked Yuki seductively as she whispered into Alexander''s ear, causing him to sigh while he and his cock nodded. With Yuki and I both entering the bathroom, it was pretty obvious we spent our sweet time making love while showering, and I had to say, the bathroom was one of the best places to make love. ___ ___ Sitting on the couch with Lazuli snuggled in my embrace, I silently read a book about swords and how to use them, since although I hate to admit it, my sword skills were a little lackluster; I know I can do better; I just needed more information about swords and whatnot. ''Master, not everyone is talented when it comes to swords; some people are better suited for other weapons.'' Said Trina lightly as she skipped around the clear ocean while occasionally gazing at the sunny sky. ''Yeah, I know, but I feel like I can do at least a little bit better.'' Muttered Alexander softly with furrowed brows as he flipped the page with one hand while his other was gently groping Lazuli''s butt. Just as I was about to add something, I heard the door open, prompting me to look up as I saw Michelle enter the house from dropping Chloe off at school, causing me to wryly smile. "So, is she still mad?" Asked Alexander as he closed the book and tossed it on the couch while glancing at Michelle, who took off her shoes before plopping onto the couch beside him. "What do you think, Alexander? You made her go to school without showering because, apparently, the whole night wasn''t enough for you and Yuki." Replied Michelle lightly as she silently eyed Alexander, who awkwardly coughed before looking away, avoiding eye contact. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Well, considering she''s a girl in the midst of puberty¡­ I''d say she''s still quite mad." Said Alexander lightly with a wry expression, his words causing Michelle to nod while she stared at him. Rubbing my head, I wrapped my other arm around Michelle and brought her closer into my embrace while my hand rested atop her plump, meaty butt that I couldn''t resist squeezing, causing her to playfully hit my chest. "So, when were you leaving for Asckbon Continent?" Asked Michelle curiously as she snuggled deeply into Alexander''s embrace while gently rubbing circles onto his chest with a faint smile. "Hmm, probably within a month; I want to ensure everything is calm. I don''t want to leave only for a war between Kingdoms to suddenly break out or if the Royal family decides to do something crazy in this city." Replied Alexander lightly with a slight frown as he glanced at Michelle who softly nodded. "Besides, more importantly, since I''ll probably be gone for multiple weeks, I need to make sure you, Lazuli, and Yuki are sexually satisfied enough that it''ll last you for at least a month." Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he leaned down and kissed Michelle while his hand sneaked into her pants, only for his fingers to enter her arse. "Ho, you naughty boy, teasing me in the living room; I think someone is deserving of some punishment." Said Michelle with a faint smirk as she grasped Alexaner''s crotch while sinking to the floor until she was on her knees between his spread legs. Michelle didn''t waste a moment and promptly pulled my pants down, revealing my erection, which she took her time admiring while gently stuffing her face into it. "Sometimes, it baffles me that I can even take this thing inside of me, let alone Lazuli, who can take the whole thing." Muttered Michelle softly as she gazed at Alexander''s impressive manhood that was nearly as thick as her forearm and longer than her head, only for her to glance at Lazuli, who was fixedly staring at his shaft. Believe it or not, Michelle and Lazuli were on great terms with each other; of course, that wasn''t how it initially was, but like any woman, Michelle enjoys gossiping, which can sometimes get a little annoying if I''m being honest, not that I''d ever tell her. However, unlike Yuki and I, who half-assedly listen, Lazuli will actively seek out Michelle to listen to whatever she''s got to say; it was mainly to learn more about life and everything since she''s got next to no memories before her accident, but since they spend so much time together, they quickly became best friends. "Hehe, well, to be fair, my cock wasn''t initially this big¡­ Lily, a Succubus friend of my Master, made it bigger than normal." Said Alexander calmly as he glanced at Michelle, who raised an eyebrow while taking his manhood into her mouth, though even after five years, she could only take half of it. "I should thank her then; even if it''s too big for your liking, this splendid cock of mine has allowed me to experience levels of pleasure I never even knew existed." Said Michelle with a faint smile as she licked the tip while using both hands to stroke Alexander''s shaft. "You''re cock?" "Yes, my cock. You''re my man, so you belong to me, just like I belong to you." Said Alexander and Michelle, respectively, as they glanced at each other, only for the latter to passionately pleasure him with her mouth and hands. Chuckling at Michelle''s words, I gently patted her head while she serviced me before glancing at Lazuli to my left, only to smirk as I lifted her onto my lap, placing her directly in front of my shaft while she and I passionately kissed. I would''ve liked it if Yuki was here, but I don''t think she''d be willing to engage in a foursome with Lazuli. "Alex." "Yes?" Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as their lips broke apart while they gazed into each other''s eyes. "After some thinking, I''ve changed my mind; I''d like to join you and Talis to the Asckbon continent." Replied Lazuli firmly as she looked at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow in surprise while a loud slurping noise echoed throughout the room. "Eh, really? That''s great; I''d love it if you could come. Though, why did you change your mind?" Asked Alexander with an excited smile as he tightly hugged Lazuli, only to curiously glance at her. "I realized that if I went with you, it would be just you and me." Remarked Lazuli softly, her words causing Alexander to furrow his brows before leaning forward and kissing her. "If you wanted that, you should''ve just asked; I wouldn''t have hesitated to take you on a private date between just the two of us." Said Alexander softly with a faint smile as he brushed aside Lazuli''s bluish hair, causing her to nod with a faint blush. I would''ve commented on Lazuli''s stunning beauty, but I was forced to grip her butt and smash my lips together with hers as I violently orgasmed into Michelle''s mouth, releasing copious amounts of semen directly into her throat; she wasn''t able to drink it all, and it began to spill out her mouth, creating a puddle on the ground. Once I finished, Lazuli stood up and removed her pants, revealing her beautiful, hairless vagina as she grabbed the base of my cock before slowly lowering herself down until I was completely inside her. "S-So tight." Muttered Alexander with a hiss as he grabbed Lazuli''s butt while she passionately kissed him. Following the kiss, Lazuli began to rock her hips up and down, not nearly as aggressively as Yuki, but to be fair; she only weighed one hundred and twenty pounds; while we constantly grunted and moaned inside each other''s mouth, I felt the pleasure increase once again as I felt Michelle fondle my testicles while licking the base of my cock. ''F-Fuck, this is too much.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he got teamed attacked by Lazuli and Yuki for the next several hours. Chapter 228: Loving Michelle As Lazuli, Michelle, and I made love for multiple hours straight, we didn''t leave the living room, which had gotten covered in sweat, semen, pee, and love juices; let''s not even mention the intense musk our bodies exuded while making love. Yuki had returned home in the middle of our fun, and although I could tell she wished to join given how intensely she was staring at my cock, she never approached us and kept her distance, which did make me a little sad, but I didn''t try to persuade her or anything; I wasn''t going to force her; besides, we''ve still got tonight to make love, so I wasn''t all that bothered. Aggressively pumping my hips, thrusting my cock into Michelle''s tight, hairy vagina that was constantly leaking juices, I passionately kissed her while I increased the intensity as I felt her insides coil around me, signifying she was close to orgasming. "~Ahhh~ harder! Harder, ~Ahhh~ Alexander! I-I''m going to, ~Ahhh~ cum! I-I''m c-cumming ~AHHHHHHHHH~" Said Michelle, deeply staring into Alexander''s eyes while her hot breath hit his face as her loud moans sounded the most pleasant of music to his ears. Feeling Michelle''s insides further tighten around my cock, I thrust a few more times, and although I so dearly wished to pump her womb full of my semen, I removed my shaft at the last second and rested it atop her crotch as I began to spew copious, thick ropes of semen that painted her entire torso white. "Ugh, that was freaking amazing." Muttered Alexander as he gently ground his manhood against Michelle''s crotch while staring at her beautiful, blushed face. Just as I was about to plunge myself back into Michelle, Lazuli grabbed my shaft and began deepthroating it to the very base while she wildly coiled her tongue around it, licking me clean with incredible skill that I wouldn''t last long from if she continued. Once she released my cock, I grabbed her by the chin and leaned downward before aggressively kissing her, uncaring for what she had just done; if my woman were willing to kiss me after I had just finished servicing their vagina, then I could do the same. Removing my lips from Lazuli, I turned and glanced at Michelle, only to see she was on her hands and knees with her butt as wiggling as it faced me, causing me to subconsciously gulp at how sexy such a sight was; I wanted to take a bite out of her butt. "~More, Alexander~ I want ~more~" Said Michelle seductively as she spread her plump butt, revealing her quivering, pink little arse, something Alexander could never resist. "You knew my fetishes all too well, Michelle." Muttered Alexander with a smirk as he leaned forward and gave her quivering arse a nice kiss before sticking his tongue inside, using his saliva as lube. Once Michelle was ready, I grabbed Lazuli and lifted her atop Michelle, with her butt facing toward me, before wrapping my arms around her thighs as I slightly lifted her to mouth level, positioning my cock until the tip had entered Michelle''s tight arse, I plunged my shaft as deep as possibly in go, causing her to loudly shriek as she squirted onto the couch while I submerged myself into Lazuli''s crotch, nibbling on both her beautiful vagina and sexy arse. Listening to both Lazuli and Michelle''s moans was music to my ears, and knowing they were feeling such pleasure only stirred me on as I increased my intensity; I had tried to keep it somewhat manageable as I tended to leave Michelle''s back hurting, but, that was simply an impossible task. The sound of me slurping Lazuli''s crotch and my pelvis constantly slapping against Michelle''s thick buttcheeks echoed throughout the room for numerous minutes; even when we orgasmed, I didn''t stop; not even Michelle''s pleas were enough to stop me as I completely ravaged her arse and filled it to the brim with my semen. After nearly a full hour with our position not changing, I finally stopped, giving Michelle and Lazuli''s voices a break as their moans died down; yet, as I had told Michelle, I was going to need to satisfy them with roughly a month''s worth of sexual satisfaction, so this wasn''t the end. "Ahh, A-Alexander, p-please, s-stop, m-my mind; i-it can''t take this longer. I-I''ll go stupid! P-Please!" Said Michelle pleadingly as she gazed at Alexander, who flipped her onto her back and ground his cock against her sopping wet vagina, causing him to smirk. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Heh, don''t worry, Michelle, even if you go stupid, I''ll still love you." Said Alexander with a faint smile while glancing at Michelle, whose eyes suddenly widened as she silently stared at him, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. "Y-You''ve never told me, y-you''ve loved me. F-For the first time in the s-six years, w-we''ve known each other¡­ T-This is the first t-time." Muttered Michelle softly with a teary-eyed expression as she stared at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before awkwardly chuckling. "Well, I don''t think this is actually the first time I''ve ever said those words to you, but I get what you''re saying, Michelle. Let''s just say many changes can happen in five years, wouldn''t you agree?" Remarked Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he tapped his chin, only to smile while glancing at Michelle, who suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her sweaty, semen-covered embrace. "Mhm, I love you. I love you. I LOVE YOU!!" Yelled Michelle loudly with tears of joy as she passionately kissed Alexander like no other, causing him to reciprocate the gesture with the same intensity. Michelle''s previous pleading had now turned into begging as she further opened her legs, graciously accepting my cock. "Give me y-your cock! I-I want your cock! T-Turn me into your s-stupid little wife!" Stated Michelle firmly as she refused to release Alexander''s lips, prompting him to nod as he plunged his cock into her, hitting the entrance of her womb and causing her to moan loudly in pleasure. Listening to my lover''s words, I wrapped my arms around Michelle and sat upright while plowing her insides, causing her to moan loudly in my mouth, yet it was music to my ears as I simply increased the intensity. It was previously a threesome, yet right now, Michelle and I were in our own little world as we made such intense, passionate love that her voice could probably be heard even from outside. "I''ll excuse myself." Said Lazuli lightly as she gazed at Michelle and Alexander before walking away, though neither even registered her presence. "M-Michelle, I-I''m going to cum; y-you''ve got to release me." Said Alexander lightly as he switched positions and placed Michelle on her back, yet her legs tightly wrapped around his waist, refusing to let go. "N-No! P-Pump my womb f-full of your semen, g-give me a-another child!" Said Michelle sternly as she gazed at Alexander with slightly crazed eyes while further tightening her hold around him. I don''t know what it was she said, but the thought of impregnating Michelle, a woman I loved, filled me with a sort of ecstasy I hadn''t felt before, and against my better judgment, I succumbed to her words as I pushed my cock as deep as Elvenly possible before spewing out thick ropes of semen; I orgasmed so hard, I felt my testicles briefly hurt. Once I finished after nearly a minute of nonstop cumming, I removed my cock, allowing blobs of semen to escape Michelle''s vagina, and now that the post-not clarity had hit, I couldn''t help but sigh. I wanted to one day pump these women full of children until their bodies practically broke down, but not right now, not when I was only twenty-two, nearly twenty-three. ''Haa, well, it''s already happened; I can only hope we get lucky and that my High-Human semen doesn''t override an Elf''s naturally low fertility.'' Thought Alexander with a wry smile as he rubbed his head while gazing at Michelle, who was sporting an ahegao expression like no other. Shaking my head at Michelle''s expression, I looked at the clock, only to widen my eyes as I quickly sat up from the couch, falling in the process, but I quickly got back up. "Shit, Chloe''s school has already ended! Dammit, how did so much time pass? Michelle, clean up the house! I''ll get Chloe!" Yelled Alexander as he ran upstairs, entering the bathroom to quickly clean himself since he couldn''t approach a school full of children while reeking of sex. ___ ___ After getting Chloe, who was thoroughly upset with me, I took her around the city to make up for it, though it was mainly to give more time to Michelle to clean, which was needed since when we returned, both Chloe and I were hit with an all to familiar potent musk, one that caused Chloe to glare at both me and Michelle in slight anger. Neither of us could say anything since her anger was justified, so other than awkwardly avoiding eye contact, I ensured I didn''t further upset her. Once the day was over, Yuki and I spent the entire night making love like usual, and as for the next day, she, Lazuli, and I went to take a quest, Talis joining us mid-way through as we exited Cassandra. For the next month or so, our lives continued pretty much the same; the only difference was, during my free time, I constantly made love with Michelle, and no, it wasn''t me asking; it was her. Ever since I told her I genuinely loved her, she was constantly seeking me out, not that I''d ever refuse her, but she did get upset when I told her no children, at least for now. Whenever I wasn''t home, I was using the opportunity to learn about the Kingdoms current state along with its history, and thankfully, everything seemed good; the Roswald Kingdom didn''t seem to have any long-lasting hatred with any certain kingdoms, and everything was simply small scale battles and skirmishes. With that settled, during the final week before my departure, I did no work and stayed home with everyone; during the day, Michelle, Yuki, and I would make love, and the same during the night. During the rare free time, I''d spend it with Chloe; as for Lazuli, she was joining me on the trip, so we''d have plenty of time to ourselves. Before I knew it, the fateful day had come¡­ Chapter 229: Farewells & Parting! Opening my eyes, I instinctively let out a yawn before looking at my sides, glancing at Yuki and Michelle; just a quick peek had gotten me aroused, but I had things to do; besides, if I''m being honest, all the lovemaking we''ve been doing this past week has worn me out a little. ''This is why we have moderation, though I''ll still have to do it with Lazuli.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gently removed his arms from Michelle and Yuki before quietly exiting the bed. Standing up, I stretched a little bit before grabbing a towel and exiting my room, making sure Chloe wasn''t awake before I walked down the hall with all my junk on full display; entering the bathroom, I locked the door behind me and hopped in the shower as I began to clean myself, the various liquids that covered my body had enveloped me in a potent musk. "Ugh, I even got some in my hair." Muttered Alexander with a slight frown as he aggressively scrubbed his scalp and thoroughly cleaned his hair. After cleaning myself three times, I finally exited the bathroom and used my towel to dry along with a soft gust of wind, which helped; once dry, I wrapped the towel around my waist and exited the bathroom, only to see Chloe exit her room while still half-asleep. "Good morning, Chloe." Said Alexander with a small smile as he waved at Chloe, who didn''t register his presence and simply entered the bathroom, causing him to chuckle. Leaving Chloe be, I returned to my room, spotting both Michelle and Yuki had awoken, prompting me to walk to either side of the bed while kissing their cheeks. "Good morning, you two. I hope you had a nice sleep." Stated Alexander with a playful smirk as he tossed his towel to the corner of the room while glancing between Michelle and Yuki, causing the former to roll her eyes. "I-I think I''ve only gotten a few hours of sleep every day this past week." Muttered Michelle softly as she sat upright while rubbing her eyes, causing Alexander to chuckle in amusement, though he didn''t refute her. "Well, that''s better than me; I hardly even slept for six combined hours this entire week. I''ve got two lovely women to satisfy after all." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Michelle and Yuki while the latter attempted to fall back asleep, though she was unsuccessful. Turning around, I entered my walk-in closet, searching for what I should wear, though I didn''t dwell on it for long and just settled on my armor; grabbing my armor off my armor stand, I brought it outside and tossed it onto the ground. Leaning down, I opened my dresser and grabbed a pair of socks, though while hunched over, I felt something warm, soft, and wet caress a forbidden spot, causing me to [Blink] to another spot. "T-The hell was that for!?" Asked Alexander in slight anger and embarrassment as he grabbed his butt while eyeing Michelle, who sported an awkward expression. "Um, last night when I watched you pound Yuki''s hole while in a matting press, I happened to notice your quivering arse, and ever since then, I''ve wanted to taste it like you do with mine¡­ Did you not like it?" Replied Michelle in slight embarrassment as she looked at Alexander while keeping her head down, causing his anger to gradually subside. "Haa, well, I was caught unprepared, though I''d prefer if that place remains untouched." Said Alexander lightly with a sigh as he approached Michelle while sitting on the bed and wearing his socks, prompting her to lightly nod. "So¡­ That means there is a slim chance?" Asked Michelle in slight hope as she grabbed Alexander''s arm while sitting beside him, causing him to stop and blankly stare at her hopeful expression. I didn''t respond to Michelle and just returned to wearing my socks, though now whenever I''m near her, I''ll always subconsciously clench my butt. ___ ___ "Talis! C''mon, you fat bird!" Yelled Alexander in slight annoyance as he carried a sack over his shoulder while standing beside the stairs, gazing upwards. "I''m not fat! It''s just my feathers!" Stated Talis aggressively as loud chirps were heard from within a room, only for the door to open, prompting a brown bird to be seen walking. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Heh, this doesn''t help your statement." Said Alexander with a smirk as he glanced at Talis, who chirped before flapping her wings and lunging towards Alexander''s face. Feeling my face covered by numerous fluffy feathers, I grabbed Talis''s body and tried to pry her off my face, only for her beak to repeatedly stab my head; it didn''t hurt, but it was very annoying. "Tsk, why are you so annoying?" Asked Alexander blandly as he finally pried Talis off his face, prompting him to stare at her. Talis didn''t respond and simply raised her beak to the ceiling while spreading her wings, causing my face to twitch as I tossed her into the distance. Lazuli and I have been ready for the past ten minutes, we were just waiting on Talis, and now that she''s here, we can finally leave. "Alright, we''re about to leave!" Said Alexander loudly; his voice echoed throughout the house as he approached the front door, where Lazuli had been patiently waiting. Just as I opened the door, I saw Chloe running toward me; thinking she wanted to give me a hug, I bent down a little bit with my arms open, ready to embrace her, yet, to my astonishment, she did a flying kick and hit my stomach, knocking me off balance and making me fall on the ground outside. "Hmph, good, I can finally sleep in peace with you gone!" Stated Chloe in annoyance as she picked herself up while eyeing Alexander, who was motionlessly lying on the ground. ''Well, that isn''t what I was expecting; also, blame your mother for that; she''s the one who''s always moaning like an animal.'' Thought Alexander in slight annoyance as he grumbled inwardly while slowly standing back up, only for Chloe to hug him suddenly. "Try to return quickly." Said Chloe softly as she gazed upwards at Alexander with beady green eyes, prompting him to nod with a faint smile while he reciprocated the hug. "I will, though can I get a kiss for good luck?" Asked Alexander with a nod before faintly smirking as he tapped his cheek, causing Chloe to smirk as well before kissing him. "There, now you''ll be safe." Replied Chloe with a nod as she parted her lips from Alexander''s cheek, causing him to chuckle in amusement while ruffling her head. "Yep, I can already feel your blessing protecting me." Said Alexander with a smirk as he looked at Chloe, who turned around before skipping into the house. "Hehe, would I be considered a special woman now?" Muttered Chloe softly with a faint blush as she skipped past Michelle. Seeing Michelle, I walked forward and embraced her in a powerful hug, though I couldn''t open my mouth since they were sealed shut by her sexy, plump lips that I found hard to resist. Only after a full minute of us passionately kissing as if it were the last we would ever see each other did she finally release my lips, though I could tell we were both reluctant about that. "When I return, I''ll marry you." Stated Alexander solemnly as he brushed aside Michelle''s brown hair, causing her to take a deep breath before passionately sealing his lips shut once more. "I''ll be waiting." Said Michelle softly as she parted her lips from Alexander, staring into his eyes while backing away, causing him to gulp, though Chloe''s constant grunting snapped him to reality. "You might want to address something." Said Chloe blandly as she folded her arms while glancing at Alexander''s crotch, which was pitching a massive tent. Quickly turning around, I inwardly cursed how my armor didn''t conceal my raging erection before fixing it, though the damage had already been done. However, I wasn''t able to turn around as four muscular arms lifted me off the ground before embracing me in a mighty hug while my face was stuffed between two massive heavens. "Haa, I''m going to miss these breasts." Muttered Alexander softly, his voice incredibly muffled given the two pumpkins his head was stuffed between. "Hmm, did you say something?" Asked Yuki as she glanced at Alexader, though she simply shrugged her shoulders from the lack of response. After being stuck between two heavens for what felt like an eternity, Yuki lifted me slightly higher until I was at eye level, prompting me to passionately kiss her, though, like always, her tongue wildly danced around within my mouth, easily dominating my mouth. One thing I will say about Yuki is that despite never trying to actively be dominant, she''s easily capable of doing so, just like right now; it seems so natural to her. ''Well, that''s sexy in its own right.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he and Yuki continued the kiss for a few more minutes before finally separating. "Be careful, Alex." Said Yuki softly as she finally set Alexander down, prompting him to nod while he fixed his hair. "I plan to." Said Alexander lightly as he suddenly appeared behind Yuki using [Blink] only to slap her butt before reappearing in his previous spot while winking at her. Once Lazuli, Chloe, and Michelle finished their goodbyes, she then approached Yuki, and after staring at each other for a few moments, they both outstretched their hands. "Don''t die." Said Yuki calmly as she shook hands with Lazuli, who faintly smiled before nodding. Tilting my head to the side a little, allowing Talis to perch herself onto my shoulder, only to get a face full of feathers, I brushed them aside and wrapped my arms around Lazuli''s shoulder as we started walking away. "Bye, everyone!" "Bye!" "The Queen Of The Sky says her farewells!" Stated Alexander, Lazuli, and Talis, respectively, as they walked down the street, their presence eventually disappearing behind a house. Chapter 230: Unfortunate Circumstance "So, how will we make it to the Asckbon continent? I can fly, but what about you two?" Asked Talis curiously as she glanced at Alexander and Lazuli, prompting him to scratch underneath his beak. "We''ll be using the Mage Guild''s network of teleporting devices that they have across the world; however, we''ll only use it to get us close to the shore; unfortunately, we can''t just enter Asckbon that way." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced between Talis and Lazuli, prompting them to both nod. "Will we be taking a ship to Asckbon?" Asked Lazuli as she lifted her head to look at Alexander, who faintly nodded before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Yeah, we''re on two different continents, after all. We''re using the Mage Guild because we''re also pretty far away from Asckbon; we''re far up North, but we should be on the eastern side of the Mezcla continent if we wish to take any ships to Asckbon." Remarked Alexander with a nod while walking through the streets of Cassandra while Talis perched herself onto his shoulder. "Do you know how long the trip shall be?" Asked Lazuli curiously, causing Alexander to rub his chin with a thoughtful expression. "No, not really; even though I''ve done some research, there is very little information about the ports and ships on the eastern side of Mezcla, considering we''re far up North. We should stay in a port city for some days just so we learn about the ships and the paths they take through the sea to get between their destinations; the Captain who commands the vessel will also be very important." Stated Alexander wryly with a shake of his head before furrowing his brows and clicking his tongue. Almost everything about the ocean was unknown to me, and the unknown was always associated with dangers, even if that wasn''t the case; in my past life, the weather was the most dangerous thing about the ocean. However, here, in this life, where magic floated about in the atmosphere and fantasy-like creatures lived, who knows what kind of monstrous beasts live in the ocean? So, I wanted to be extra careful when picking our ship and Captain, though I will say, essentially putting your life in another''s hand, one you don''t even personally know, doesn''t exactly sit well with me. ''Well, first things first, I should try to learn to speak fish tongue or whatever; maybe I''ll be able to reason with some massive creature and stop it from killing us.'' Thought Alexander lightly, though even he didn''t believe in such wishful thinking. Shaking my head, we quietly walked through the streets while making our way towards the Mage Guild in the distance, though when I passed the Adventure Guild, I couldn''t help but stop as I slapped myself in the face. "Hmm, is something wrong?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander before looking at the Adventurer Guild. "Eh, n-nothing is wrong; I just forgot I had a date. Can you wait here, you two? I''ll be right back." Replied Alexander lightly, only for him to sigh as he lifted Talis off his shoulder and handed her to Lazuli while approaching the building. Entering the building only to get hit with a potent stench like always, I scanned the lounge where most of the Adventurers hung out, yet I didn''t see Lulu anywhere. Scratching my head on what to do, I used [Heroes Gaze] to see through the many walls, hoping to spot her, and thankfully, after being tortured by the view of the numerous naked men, I spotted Lulu in the bathroom getting it on with her fingers. ''The month of Chloe is still a little more than a month away; is it already starting to affect her?'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as his eyes returned to normal while he walked down the hallway leading to the bathroom. Not knowing how long it would take Lulu to finish, I knocked on the door. "S-Someones u-using the ~Ahh~ b-bathroom." Said Lulu faintly, her voice highly muffled from beyond the door. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Um, it''s me, Lulu. I know this is a bad time, but can we speak really quickly? It is long, so you can continue doing your¡­ Whatever you''re doing." Stated Alexander lightly with an awkward expression as he leaned against the wall, only to hear the sound of scrambling coming from beyond the door. After a few seconds, the door to the bathroom was promptly opened as a blushed Lulu was seen peeking her head from behind the wall; I could even see that her hand was still wet, covered in her juices. "S-Sorry, but it''ll only take a minute at most." Said Alexander with a cough as he avoided making eye contact with Lulu, who nodded in embarrassment before grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in. "W-What is you need, Alex?" Asked Lulu curiously while blushing as she glanced at Alexander with her hands behind her back and her clothes ruffled. "I just wanted to say that I was leaving for some time; I was visiting Asckbon, and since we had a planned date, I figured I should inform you beforehand." Replied Alexander softly as he gazed at Lulu, whose eyes lightly widened at his words. "A-Asckbon? Y-You mean the Asckbon continent? F-For how long?" Asked Lulu with widened eyes while staring at Alexander, who awkwardly nodded before looking away. "Um, I don''t know exactly how long, but I''d estimate a month¡­ Maybe Longer. I should''ve told you earlier, but I had a lot going on. I''m sorry." Stated Alexader softly as he glanced at Lulu, who bit her lip while gazing at him with a look of slight betrayal. Seeing that look in her eyes felt far worse for me since I was rather acute to people''s emotions thanks to me knowing the language of trees; even without touching them, I could still feel them; it just wasn''t as potent. "I-I know we hadn''t planned this, b-but, the month of Chloe is right around the corner. I-I was barely able to endure that hell last year¡­ T-Thats sort of cruel, Alex." Said Lulu softly as she gazed at Alexander with slight tears in her eyes, causing him to inwardly wince before sighing. I didn''t really have anything to say to Lulu about that; while it''s true I held no romantic obligation towards her, she was still a friend; besides, she was right; the fact I hadn''t told her earlier was an ass move. "Lulu, I¨C" "I-I''ve got things to do, Alex. S-So I''ll get going, excuse me." Said Alexander and Lulu, respectively, as he was cut off by her while she wiped her face and promptly exited the bathroom, leaving him all alone. Watching her leave, I rubbed my face and sighed; I wasn''t feeling all that great anymore, a little shitty if I''m being honest. ''You can''t please everyone, Master.'' Said Zartha lightly as she did stretches with her eyes closed while glancing upwards towards the sky, prompting Alexander to sigh once more. ''Yeah¡­ I know.'' Said Alexander in slight reluctance as he left the bathroom while walking towards the building''s exit. Exiting the Adventurer Guild, I spotted Lazuli feeding Talis, which helped improve my mood as I approached them. "Hmm, is everything all right?" Asked Lazuli softly as she gazed at Alexander, who didn''t respond and only wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his embrace. With Talis perching herself back onto my shoulder, we continued walking toward the Mage Guild in silence, though this silence was fundamentally different from the one before. After a few minutes, we arrived at the Mage Guild, and since I''d gone here several times before, I didn''t even need to show my, or I should say, Master''s, Guild license; of course, I still kept it on me. Stepping onto the crystal-like pad, I brought out another license, which signified I was Kurama''s disciple, even though I wasn''t but it was mainly so I could teleport to her office. "Try not to move around too much." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Talis and Lazuli while the pad they were standing on released a bright glow, enveloping them. Once the glow died down, we were standing in a slightly different room; walking forward, I opened the door only to see Kana looking down the hallways, checking to see who it was. "Oh, it''s just you, Alex. Did you finally agree to be my muse?" Asked Kana with a faint smile as he pushed her glasses up, causing Alexander to stare blankly at her. "No, I will not be your muse, I''ve already told you. Also, mind not wearing those glasses?" Said Alexander firmly as he narrowed his eyes at Kana, who faintly chuckled while dismissively waving her hand. "These are just normal glasses; I can''t really see without them; you know that, Alex." Said Kana lightly as she gazed at Alexander, though her gaze had never met his eyes since she was too busy staring at his lower body. "Kana? Is she the pervert you always mention, Alex?" Asked Lazuli lightly as she entered the hallway, standing in front of Alex before looking at Kana, whose expression soured. "Tsk, can you please move? I can''t see Alex." Asked Kana softly as she looked at Lazuli, only for the glasses she was wearing to suddenly explode. "Alex doesn''t like it." Stated Lazuli emotionlessly as she lowered her finger while it returned to normal, causing Alex to faintly smirk. "N-NO! M-My glasses!" Yelled Kana with a teary-eyed expression as she collapsed to her knees while scavenging the pieces of her glasses. Chapter 231: From Cassandra to Fullock While Kana was having a mental breakdown at the destruction of her glasses, I secretly gave Lazuli a thumbs-up before continuing toward Kurama''s office while Talis and Lazuli gave Kana weird looks. "Eh, why is she so pathetic?" Asked Talis curiously as she gazed at Kana while adorable chirps left her beak, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulder. "Kurama, are you there? It''s Alex, the coolest person you know." Said Alexander lightly as he knocked on the door leading to Kurama''s office, yet even after two minutes, nothing happened. Sighing to myself, I didn''t bother continuing with knocking on the door; I''ve known Kurama for over five years, and one thing I''ve learned about her is that if she doesn''t respond within the first few minutes, she''s in the middle of her alchemy, which means, even if Kana were dying she probably wouldn''t open the door, let alone leave her office. ''Welp, there goes my chances of getting Kurama''s help.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he shook his head before shifting his focus to Kana, who was sniffling while gazing at the pile of her broken glasses. Squatting down, I placed my hand on Kana''s shoulder and gently patted her while transferring some of my emotions, calming her down from losing her perverted glasses. "So, Kana, feeling better?" Asked Alexander with a wry smile as he looked at Kana, who slowly raised her head, tear streaks still evident on her cheeks. "Y-Yes." Replied Kana softly with a nod as she wiped her face while sitting against the wall, only to furiously gaze at Lazuli, causing Alexander to awkwardly rub his head. "Well, I''m sorry for your loss? But I was wondering if you could help me real quick?" Asked Alexander softly as he gave Kana a weird look while pulling out a map from his space pouch, causing her to firmly shake her head. "No. No can do. Without those glasses, I can''t see; besides, after what your friend has just done, I''m not really in the mood to help." Stated Kana solemnly as she glanced at Alexander while gesturing to Lazuli before folding her arms and looking away, causing him to sigh inwardly. "I''m not Alex''s friend; I''m his lover. Do not mistake our relationship again." Said Lazuli blandly as she narrowed her eyes at Kana, who promptly ignored her while Alexander blankly looked at her. "Now really isn''t the time for that, Lazuli." Muttered Alexander quietly as he looked at Lazuli, who tilted her head in confusion. "C''mon, Kana, are you sure you can''t help me? You know I''m good for it? Please?" Asked Alexander pleadingly with a smile as he gently shook Kana, who didn''t so much as budge at his words, causing him to finally concede. "Haa, fine, I-I''ll be your muse, so can''t you just help me real quick?" Added Alexander with a sigh, his words causing Kana to glance at him with an interested expression. "Hmm, I don''t know if that''ll be enough, Alex. I may need more convincing." Said Kana lightly as she reached forward and grasped Alexander''s crotch, causing Lazuli''s arm to morph into a cannon. Stopping Lazuli before she disintegrated Kana into nothing but a pile of ash, I grabbed her wrist and removed her hand from my crotch. "No touching, Kana; let''s keep our hands to ourselves." Said Alexander firmly as he stared at Kana, who scoffed before nodding while retracting. "Hmph, fine, I''ll help. What do you want? Let''s make it quick; the longer she stays here, the more annoyed I get." Stated Kana in annoyance as she turned around and stood up, using that chance to lick her hand with a perverted expression before looking at Alexander, who pretended he didn''t see anything. "I just want to know where the closest Mage Guild is to this forest." Said Alexander lightly as he handed Kana a map of the Mezcla continent while pointing towards an oddly familiar forest, causing her to furrow her brows.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "This it is? This is easy; it''s this one." Asked Kana in surprise as she glanced at Alexander, who lightly nodded while folding his arms, prompting her to point to the map. Glancing at the Town Kana was pointing to, I took the map out of her hands and stuffed it back into my space pouch. "Thanks, Kana. Tell Kurama I said hi." Said Alexander with a small smile as he waved at Kana while walking away, though Lazuli''s eyes never left her figure. "Hmph, sure." Muttered Kana with a grunt as she gazed back down at her destroyed glasses, causing a single tear to escape her eyes. Returning to the home with the teleportation pad, the three of us stood on it while using the built-in map off to the side of the pad; I haven''t really used the built-in map since it''s only applicable when you''re teleporting between Mage Guilds, which I''ve rarely ever done. ''Alright, that should be correct.'' Mused Alexander as he activated the teleportation pad after pressing the same city Kana had pointed to. With the teleportation pad glowing, the entire room was enveloped in a bright light, blinding us for a few seconds before it began to die down, only for us to reappear within a similar room. ''Hmm, it''s not as nice.'' Thought Alexander as he gazed around the room before exiting the room, followed by Lazuli. It wasn''t just the room; the rest of the building wasn''t as nice as well; hell, I didn''t even see a person at the front of the desk to welcome anyone. "Huh, weird." Muttered Alexander as he opened the door for Lazuli while exiting right after her. The city or town we are in was called Fullock. It wasn''t too far away from Hyphen, but luckily, it seemed none of the monsters had strayed far enough away for them to attack this place. Speaking of Hyphen, the entire area surrounding it has been labeled as a dead zone since it''s infested with powerful monsters from a Legendary Dungeon, and from my understanding, since Hyphen wasn''t affiliated with any kingdom, it doesn''t seem like it''ll be reclaimed for some time; I haven''t even heard a single rumor about that land being reclaimed¡­ And it''s been over five years since then. Shaking my head, I got rid of such thoughts and saved them for later as Lazuli, and I walked through the city while Talis leaped off my shoulder, flying through the air above us. Fullock wasn''t a terrible place, but I could tell it lacked money, seeing how the road was merely a dirt path. After a few minutes of walking, we eventually left the city without any problems, prompting me to gaze at the map; I didn''t want us running in the wrong direction. "Let''s see¡­ We''ve got to head southeast. Easy enough." Said Alexander lightly as he stuffed the map into his space pouch and glanced at Lazuli, who was staring into the sky. "After you, my dearest Lazuli." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he gestured southeast, prompting her to glance at him before nodding and running forth. With a faint smile, I quickly caught up with Lazuli and ran beside her; we weren''t too far from our destination, so it shouldn''t have taken very long, probably around a week. Since I can teleport us back to Fullock, it will only be a one-way trip; I would do the same with our destination, but it''s been years since then, so I wasn''t risking it. A failed teleportation can be very dangerous; Master had forced that into my skull numerous times. "Just tell me when you need a break, Lazuli." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli while the two ran beside each other with Talis flying overhead, prompting her to nod. The rest of the day was pretty dull; all we did was run; we had only taken a single break, and that was so Talis could eat; neither Lazuli nor I needed to do such. Lazuli was mostly a cyborg, and thanks to my Ichor, I always remained in perfect health. ___ ___ "We made a ton of progress today." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced between Lazuli and Talis while in a tent, intending to sleep through the night. Lazuli didn''t say anything and merely nodded; as for Talis, she was already asleep, causing me to chuckle, though just when I was about to follow in her footsteps, Lazuli reached over and grasped my crotch while staring into my eyes with a look of hunger as if she''s been starved. "Alex." Said Lazuli softly as she looked at Alexander, who gulped before nodding. "L-Let''s do it outside." Said Alexander quietly, gesturing to Talis while exiting the tent, prompting Lazuli to do the same. Once outside, I quickly removed my clothes and tossed them onto a tree branch; as for Lazuli, she did the same, allowing me to witness the sexiness that was her body. Without further ado, I picked up Lazuli and embraced her while passionately kissing, prompting her to do the same as she wrapped her legs around my waist, causing me to grunt since my cock rubbed her small butt. After a few minutes, I couldn''t wait any longer; grabbing her buttcheeks, I further lifted her up before slowly lowering her onto my cock. "~Ahhh~ S-So big!" "~Urgh~ S-So freaking tight!" Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as they continued to kiss passionately. Changing my grasp, I grabbed underneath her knees or the bottom of her thighs and pushed her back against a tree; with her legs spread, I did long, deep, yet slow strokes as I thrust inside her. For the whole night, Lazuli and I made love¡­ As a matter of fact, every night during our trip, Lazuli and I made love; we didn''t miss a single chance to engage in such pleasurable activities. Chapter 232: Returning To The Treehouse While walking deeper into a forest, I glanced at Talis, who was perched upon my shoulder, causing me to faintly smirk as I scratched underneath her beak. "Feel nostalgic yet?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Talis, who purred in satisfaction while nodding. Chuckling, I scratched Talis for a bit longer before heading slightly more left; this forest may be hard to navigate, but I knew this place like the back of my hand¡­ Well, at least the middle half. Touching upon several trees, feeling their connection and emotions that helped guide me, after several minutes, the three of us came across a tree with a deep gash, seemingly of importance. "Where is this?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who stayed silent and merely watched as Talis spread her wings before landing upon the tree branch. "Huh, I can''t believe this place used to be my home. It''s so small now, barely the size of my wing." Said Talis softly as she stared at the abandoned bird nest, which had managed to weather the numerous storms over the years. "Yeah, I know. I remember when you were just a tiny, cute chick that couldn''t even fly¡­ Now you''re a big, annoying bird. Haa, how times change." Remarked Alexander lightly with a faint smirk as he approached the tree, only for Talis to slap him with her soft wing. "Oi, shut it, Alex!" Stated Talis in annoyance as she loudly chirped at Alexander while hitting him in the face with her wings, though the smile never left his face. "This is where Talis was born?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced between Alexander and Talis, prompting them to both nod while glancing at her. "Yep. And if it weren''t for me, she would probably be dead cause I found her as a little chick on the ground, unable to fly. If you haven''t noticed, Lazuli birds are incredibly vulnerable when walking, even more so when they can''t fly." Said Alexander with a small smile as he gently pushed Talis away while massaging Lazuli''s shoulders, causing her to nod. "Hmph, now look at me! From a mere chick that couldn''t even fly, I''ve grown to become one of the fastest-flying birds in all of existence! It''s only a matter of time before Queen of the Skies becomes a common household name!" Declared Talis proudly as she puffed her chest out and raised her beak to the skies, causing both Lazuli and Alexander to look blankly at her. "There are still many birds faster than you." Stated Lazuli calmly as she looked at Talis, who scoffed in annoyance before flying deeper into the forest. "Hehe, you made her annoyed with that one¡­ Good job." Said Alexander with a chuckle as he kissed Lazuli on the cheek, only to lift her into his arms, princess carrying her through the forest. While Talis flew off to who knows where,e I took another detour, and instead of heading directly to the clearing in the middle of the forest, vegetation began to grow sparse the further I walked until, eventually, there were no trees and only rocks, gravel, and sand. "That is a large crystal ball." Said Lazuli lightly as she stared at the boulder-sized crystal ball atop the rocky hill, causing Alexander to smirk. "It damn sure is. Do you know what it''s far?" Asked Alexander as he looked down at Lazuli in his arms while walking up the rocky hill, prompting her to nod. "You used it to train your mana control¡­ You''ve told this story many times, Alex." Replied Lazuli as she looked up at Alexander, her voice hinting at annoyance, causing him to awkwardly chuckle. "Hehehe, I do speak about younger days a lot¡­ Sorry." Muttered Alexander with a slight chuckle as he stood before the boulder-sized crystal ball. Gently setting Lazuli on the ground, I walked forward and took a breath before placing my hand upon the crystal ball, though, even after a full minute, not a single drop of my mana was sucked from my body, causing me to faintly smirk.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Heh, I couldn''t do this six years ago; I still needed Master''s mana to help me. Though now, even without her mana, it''s not that difficult." Said Alexander with a satisfied smile as he removed his hand from the crystal ball before glancing at Lazuli. "Want to try? You probably won''t even notice it trying to suck your mana, given your crazy level of control." Added Alexander as he gently pushed Lazuli toward the crystal ball, only for her to look at him. "Alex, can I have this?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she pointed at the crystal ball, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow. "Have it? What do you mean by that? It''s the size of the boulder; even with my [Shrink] skill, it''ll still be too big to fit into our space pouch. If I could, I would take it with us." Replied Alexander in slight confusion as he looked at Lazuli while holding his space pouch, only for her to shake her head. "No. I want to consume it. This crystal ball will significantly increase my mana capacity and a few other benefits." Said Lazuli, her words causing Alexander to nod in understanding while he furrowed his brows. I didn''t need much time to deliberate regarding Lazuli''s question since, despite its sentimental value, it was doing nothing sitting here on top of this hill; besides, if anything were to happen with it, I''d prefer knowing it went to helping someone I love¡­ Knowing Master, she probably would''ve wanted the same. "Haa, yes, you can go ahead¨C" Said Alexander with a saddened sigh as he nodded towards Lazuli, who didn''t waste a single moment and outstretched her arms to the crystal ball. With a twitching expression at how she didn''t hesitate, I watched how Lazuli''s body slowly began to morph into a blackish liquid as it engulfed the crystal ball; although it wasn''t a liquid, just incredibly tiny pieces of herself that were next to impossible to differentiate, so it just looked like a liquid. As her humanoid body slowly lost its form, her clothes dropped to the floor, revealing her body, but it wasn''t all that arousing when more than half of her was a blackish liquid. Eventually, Lazuli managed to envelop the entire crystal ball into her body, with the only thing remaining was her head since that was the only part of her body that wasn''t robotic; to be honest, staring at her head atop this boulder was beyond funny, and I couldn''t help but laugh at her appearance. "Hehehe, oh, I wish I had my camera with me! Hahaha." Said Alexander loudly with a smile while the hill echoed with his laughter, causing Lazuli to tilt her head in confusion. While I was laughing my heart out, Lazuli''s slowly shrunk down, and after a minute, she was nothing but a head and a puddle of blackish liquid; however, it only took her a few seconds to return to that sexy-looking humanoid form again. "Hehehe, s-so how was it?" Asked Alexander, wiping his tears while looking at Lazuli, who flashed him a rare lovely smile. "It was great. My mana capacity has more than tripled, and I can now absorb atmospheric several mana times quicker than before." Replied Lazuli with a smile, causing Alexander to passionately kiss her. "That''s wonderful news. Though I will say, I do feel a little sad now." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as his hands lowered themselves to Lazuli''s butt while he shifted his focus to where the crystal ball used to be. Although the loss of the crystal ball was a little bit sad, since it helped Lazuli, it got over it pretty quickly and carried her into my arms as we returned to the forest, heading to our final destination. "Hmm, is it just me, or have you gotten sexier?" Muttered Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Lazuli in his arms, causing her to silently stare at him while his crotch twitched, only for her to smirk. "Oh, you little." Added Alexander with a twitched expression as he shook his head, ignoring Lazuli, who faintly smirked while snuggling deeper into his embrace. While silently walking through the forest with a little vixen in my arms, we eventually reached a clearing after several minutes, only for me to see that all too familiar tree house. "Heh, I''m back home." Muttered Alexander softly with a bitter-sweet expression as he gently set Lazuli on the ground while approaching the treehouse. Once I arrived at the treehouse, I didn''t enter it and instead walked around it, only to arrive at Master''s grave, yet that wasn''t the only thing, as on top of her grave, there was a sapling up to my chest, and it emitted a golden glow. "Beautiful¡­ Just like her." Said Alexander lightly as he gently caressed the golden sapling, only to kneel while gazing at Lavender''s grave. "Sorry for not visiting once these past six years; your death was a bit too much for me to cope with, so I figured just keeping my distance would be best until I get ahold of myself and whatnot." Stated Alexander with a soft smile as he sat down and wrapped his arm around the grave as if it were Lavender herself. "Speaking of that, I''ve found myself some lovers. One of them is here with me, her name is Lazuli, and I think you''d like her. She''s super beautiful and VERY talented when it comes to anything mana-related, and she''s far better than me. She''s very smart, though also a little slow at times; she enjoys learning, though she has a rather bland personality. Given her lack of facial expression, people who don''t know her well have difficulty reading her emotions. However, between you and I, she''s a freak at night, Master." Remarked Alexander with a lovely smile as he looked at Lazuli, causing her to faintly smile at his words. Chapter 233: To Quavench! I had spent nearly an hour talking with Master about my lovers, and although I never once got a response back, I just envisioned her leaning into my embrace while silently nodding every now and then, and that was more than enough for me. However, before we left, I wanted to take a quick look around the treehouse to make sure nothing had changed because, who knows, someone might''ve found this place, and that was the last thing I wanted. ''Huh, Kurama is good at illusions, right? Maybe she can make a powerful illusion around the clearing?'' Mused Alexander with a thoughtful expression as he affectionately rubbed the gravestone while gazing at the sky. "Hmm, I''ll need to ask her. I don''t want you to be bothered after all, well, unless it''s me." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Lavender''s grave before slowly standing up. Stretching myself, I walked around the tree and leaped up the branches until I landed just before the front door, which was open as Lazuli had entered; walking inside, I inhaled the air, only to softly sigh when I noticed Master''s scent was nowhere to be found. I was hoping that her scent would remain in the air even after six years, but I suppose the house isn''t airtight, so there isn''t much I can do. Closing the door, I took off my armored boots and walked through the house, though when I approached my room, I saw Lazuli sitting on my bed, causing me to smirk as I fully opened the door while leaning against the doorframe. "So, how do you like my room? It''s a little messy, but other than that, it''s pretty neat." Asked Alexander with a small smile as he glanced at Lazuli, who raised an eyebrow before nodding. "It''s small." Replied Lazuli lightly, her words causing Alexander''s face to twitch while he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, well, when I had gotten this room, I was like 6 or 7, so I didn''t need a big room or anything; besides, this was a treehouse, not a lot of room to use." Remarked Alexander lightly as he gazed at his room, noticing how small it was compared to their current home, though he still enjoyed it. Pushing off the doorframe, I walked forward and grabbed Lazuli''s shoulders before pushing her down onto my bed while I kissed and sucked on her neck; Lazuli may have been mostly robotic, but her body felt the same as a real woman, so I somehow ended up leaving behind various hickeys, something I think she did on purpose. "So, want to make love here?" Asked Alexander curiously as he gently sucked upon Lazuli''s neck, causing her body to twitch in pleasure, though she eventually shook her head. Seeing her refuse my advances, I wrapped my arms around her before flipping our positions, causing her to lay atop my body while I gently stroked her back. "Yeah¡­ You''re probably right. I guess talking with Master aroused me a little bit; she was a hell of a sexy woman, and even in death, it seems like she can still make me erect." Remarked Alexander lightly as he affectionately embraced Lazuli, who gently rubbed her butt against his erection. "Was she not your Master, Alex?" Asked Lazuli in genuine confusion as she raised her head and looked at Alexander, who slightly widened his eyes before gently hitting himself. "I''ve never told you guys about my relationship with my Master, did I? Well, she was my Master, but she was also my lover and even my Wife; it wasn''t an official marriage, not like the one I got with Yuki, but, eh, it''s thought and emotions that mainly count. Heh, though she and I spent the entire next day making sweet love after the whole marriage ordeal." Replied Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who raised an eyebrow in surprise, though other than that, she seemed to hardly care. "Hmm, when will we get married?" Asked Lazuli curiously, her words causing Alexander to passionately kiss her before separating his lips, leaving behind a string of their saliva. "Well, I plan to marry Michelle, then I''ll need to speak with Yuki, ''cause you know, she still isn''t a fan of your presence. Speaking of that, I really need to treat her better; she puts up with you thanks to all my begging and convincing. I''ll take her on a date soon." Stated Alexander lightly while rubbing his head before kissing Lazuli again, causing her to nod.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Sitting upright, I picked up Lazuli in a princess carry and exited my room before continuing deeper into the house, eventually arriving in the kitchen, where I saw Talis looking through the fridge, causing me to roll my eyes. If we still lived here, I wouldn''t have given her a warning, but since we''re going somewhere, I couldn''t have her getting sick halfway through. "Don''t eat anything in there, Talis." Said Alexander as he glanced at Talis while continuing past the kitchen, causing her to nod in frustration. Passing the bathroom, where I remember frequently helping Master when she needed to use it, causing me to lick my lips while I ignored the disgusting comments Zartha and Trina were giving me. Master enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it, and that''s all that matters. However, when I arrived at Master''s office, I opened the door and looked inside, but I didn''t enter; after a minute of looking, I closed the door and headed towards Master''s room, which was¡­ Well, a fucking mess considering I had broken nearly everything in a fit of rage when I learned of her impending death. To this day, I''m still furious at her that she told me so late, but my love for her vastly outweighs anything else; it was like a small boat within the endless ocean; it wasn''t even noticeable. "Heh, even after six years, the scent of our lovemaking still remains, albeit barely." Muttered Alexander with a faint smirk as he walked around the room, avoiding the splotches of dried semen on the floor, causing him to wryly chuckle. There wasn''t much going on in this room, and as weird as it sounded, I wanted the scent of our lovemaking to be preserved for as long as possible. Exiting the room, I closed the door and walked the way we came from, though this time, Talis wasn''t in the kitchen scavenging for six-year-old food. Leaving and exiting the house with Lazuli in my arms, I closed both my room and the door to the house before landing on the ground, where I finally set Lazuli on the ground. "Are we done now?" Asked Talis curiously as she gently perched herself on Alexander''s shoulder, only for him to shake his head. "I''d also like to visit my Mother; then we can leave." Replied Alexander lightly as he turned around, gazing at the treehouse. "By Master, love you, I''ll be back!" Said Alexander with a childlike smile as he waved at Lavender''s grave before leaving the clearing with Lazuli and Talis. Walking through the forest, we encountered multiple beasts, such as Direwolves and Runebears, but they weren''t even considered a threat; once we reached our destination, I squatted before my mother''s grave and spoke with her for a few minutes. I didn''t know her, so the sentiment wasn''t there, but even so, it would''ve been rude to ignore the woman who birthed and saved my second life. "Ah, alright, who''s ready now?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Talis and Lazuli, who both nodded. Holding Lazuli''s hands close together, I had Talis stand on them while I intently focused on using [Mass Teleport], especially since it was such a far distance it would take several minutes and a tremendous amount of my mana. However, eight boring minutes later, I finished casting the spell, and with a faint smirk, the three of us were enveloped in a weird sensation as if our bodies were being stretched thin while we traveled through space exceptionally fast, though eventually, it vanished. "Heh, nice, it worked." Muttered Alexander with a grin as he opened his eyes, only to find them standing just outside the Mage Guild in Fullock. I had nearly used all of my mana performing such long-distance teleportation, but it was still so worth it; that just saved us multiple days of running, though I suppose I missed out on making love with Lazuli, so there''s that. "Anyways, now it''s time for us to officially begin our journey. To Quavench!" Stated Alexander with a faint smirk as he wrapped his arm around Lazuli''s shoulder and entered the building behind them. ___ ___ "Alex?" "Yes?" Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as they stood on the dock and eyed the ship parked before them. "Do you want us to die?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she looked at Alexander, who winced before shaking his head with a deep sigh. "H-He said he was the best Captain in Quavench¡­ H-He wasn''t lying, either." Replied Alexander with an unsightly expression as he looked at Lazuli before staring at the boat before them The ship in front of us, to put it lightly, looked worse for wear, but I honestly doubted we''d get anywhere in that floating bucket; as a matter of fact, I was impressed it was still even floating in the first place given how old and rickety it looked. "Eh, I don''t see why you guys are complaining." Said Talis lightly, her words causing Alexander''s face to twitch aggressively. However, the worst part was this ship wasn''t the one he had initially shown me; he had previously shown me a pristine-looking ship that looked more than capable of sailing the ocean, although it was slightly on the smaller side compared to most of the ships at this port city. ''But this boat. I can see fucking oars!'' Thought Alexander with an irritated expression as he clenched the ticket in his hand. Chapter 234: Learning About The Ocean Now, before things continue, let us travel back in time to a few days ago when Alexander, Lazuli, and Talis had just arrived at the port city of Quavench. ___ ___ Exiting the Mage Guild with Talis and Lazuli, we walked down the main street of Quavench, though even from here, we could see various ships in the distance parked beside the pier; it was quite interesting as it was my first time ever seeing a ship, hell, even the ocean in this life, but we had things to do so I couldn''t enjoy it right now. "Let''s look for an Inn to stay in for now." Said Alexander lightly as he walked through the city with his arm wrapped around Lazuli''s shoulder, keeping her within his embrace. Finding an Inn wasn''t hard as this place had an Inn at nearly every corner, and since we were no longer in dire need of money like we were several years ago, we didn''t need to find the cheapest Inn that existed; after finding a decent Inn, we entered and paid for a weeks stay, I didn''t think we''d stay for that long, but we got a slight discount for paying a whole week upfront instead of a day-by-day. "What must we do?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she lay on the bed with Alexander while he pulled her into his embrace, prompting her head to rest on his chest. "Hmm, first, we should find a good Captain; secondly, we should learn more about the ocean; thirdly, we should avoid ships that powerful adventures frequent." Replied Alexander lightly as he raised three fingers into the air while Lazuli nodded, only for her to tilt her head in confusion. "Wouldn''t taking a ship with powerful adventures be a good thing? If you happen to be attacked by a monstrous sea creature, they could help defeat it." Stated Lazuli as she raised her head and looked at Alexander, who nodded in agreement. "Yes, you''re correct, Lazuli, and that''s a very valid argument." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he playfully squeezed Lazuli''s nose, only for him to accidentally pull a fake one off her face. "Ha ha, very funny, Lazuli." Muttered Alexander with a sigh of relief as he blankly looked at Lazuli, who faintly smirked while absorbing her nanoite body. "As for powerful adventurers, I just don''t want them to somehow target us for some random reason; we''ve heard stories about B and A-class adventurers oppressing people; hell, I''ve even heard Nobles frequently do that, so it would be best avoid both of them altogether. It would be different on the ground, as we''d be able to flee, but we can''t do much when we are on a ship in the middle of the sea." Added Alexander solemnly as he turned and glanced at Lazuli, slightly nodded, causing him to faintly smile while he poked her nose. "Shall we start the search right now?" Asked Lazuli while shifting her head towards the window, glancing at the low sun, only for Alexander to shake his head. "Nah, for the rest of today, we can just relax; we haven''t done much of that lately. Also, do you want to eat something or not?" Replied Alexander lightly as he stretched his arms while yawning before looking at Lazuli. "If it''s not your cooking, I will not be eating." Said Lazuli sternly, her words causing Alexander to chuckle with a nod. Exiting the bed, I approached the window and opened it up, mainly so Talis would easily return to our room but also so it wouldn''t end up stinking. Taking off my clothes, I turned and looked at Lazuli, who did the same, causing me to smile as I crawled onto the bed before eventually mounting her, though I changed our positions with her now sitting atop my waist. "Hmm, it seems I wasn''t the only one eager to continue where we left off." Said Alexander with a smirk as he watched Lazuli slowly lower herself onto his cock, causing him to snap his head back while grunting in pleasure. "I-I can feel it touching my intestines." Said Lazuli lightly as she poked her stomach while gazing at Alexander, who skeptically raised an eyebrow.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "But you don''t have intestines." "No, but if I did have them, your cock would be touching them." Stated Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they looked at each other, only for her to start moving, causing their pleasure-filled voices to echo within the room and out into the street. ___ ___ After a night filled with intense passion, we exited the Inn in the morning and began walking through Quavench, asking long-time residents about the state of the ocean, the various captains, and whatnot; however, since more residents didn''t tend to take the ships, we didn''t get much information. "Well, those four hours weren''t wasted, but we could''ve definitely done something more productive." Muttered Alexander lightly while drinking water at a table outside a restaurant with Lazuli opposite of him. "Shall we switch our target to perhaps sailors? They should know far more." Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded, glancing at the ships in the distance, eyeing the various crew members disembarking and boarding several ships. "Yeah, that wouldn''t be a bad idea. Welp, let''s get to it." Said Alexander with a nod as he stood up and began walking towards the dock, prompting Lazuli to follow. Once we arrived at the very busy docks, we made no progress even after ten minutes, as whenever I tried to speak with a sailor, they''d shoo me off since they were busy, and it was honestly starting to get annoying. "No, kid, I can''t talk; you and your lover go somewhere else." Said a Sailor as he dismissively waved his hand at Alexander and Lazuli before shifting his eyes to the crowd in front, ogling every woman who walked by. "No, you can clearly talk; you just don''t want to." Said Alexander in slight annoyance as he stared at the sailor with a twitching expression, causing him to grunt. "Hmph, I can''t talk. I don''t want to talk. It''s the same thing, so just leave me alone and go drink milk from your mother''s nips." Remarked the Sailor in annoyance as he glanced at Alexander, only for his eyes to be drawn to Lazuli. "You need something, Miss?" Added the Sailor with a faint smirk as he approached Lazuli, who suddenly stepped forward before pushing him off the dock, causing a splash to resound a moment later. "You son of a bitch! Just wait right there, you bastards!" Yelled the Sailor, prompting Lazuli and Alexander to look over the edge before shrugging their shoulders. "If you didn''t do that, I was about to." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he ignored the sailor while glancing at Lazuli, who nodded with a smirk. "Anyway, let''s leave." Added Alexander as he continued walking down the dock with Lazuli following, all the while the Sailor struggled to exit the water. ___ ___ Since our first day happened to be a bust, after another night of passionate love-making, we decided to head to the Adventurer Guild, where we were able to ask all kinds of questions regarding certain captains, ships, routes, weather, and whatnot. Of course, not every adventurer was friendly, but thankfully, I was an easily liked person, though the only people who didn''t like me were those not liked by anyone else. "So Captain Spinel is the best?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced between three identical mermaids, who all shook their heads at his words. "No, Captain Spinel is the most famous Captain in Quavench." "While he is a great Captain." "He isn''t good enough to be considered the best." Said the three mermaids, respectively, as they spoke in turns using their beautiful voices, causing Alexander to nod. "Oh, I see. If that''s the case, which ship would you three take?" Asked Alexander with a nod as he glanced at the three mermaids, who all smiled before raising their lower bodies on the table, causing him to gently hit his head. "Well, that was a stupid question." Muttered Alexander lightly as he shook his head, causing the three mermaids to chuckle softly, their beautiful voices causing a few to shed a tear. "What about the dangers of the Ocean? Is there a day someone should avoid setting sail or?" Questioned Alexander as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully while glancing at the three mermaids, prompting them to look at each other. "Thursday." "Thursday is when the tide is usually at its lowest." "The hulls of big ships can be ripped open by sharp rocks and coral when the tide is low." Stated the three mermaids softly, their words causing Alexander to slowly nod. I had asked the beautiful sisters a lot more questions, and while I was doing that, Lazuli was on the opposite side of the room, doing the same; it was a little annoying since she was talking to multiple men who kept ogling her, the only saving grace was the fact she didn''t have much to ogle at I guess, still, that didn''t really help. "Thank you, three." Said Alexander softly with a faint smile as he looked at the three mermaids, who all smiled, displaying their razor-sharp teeth that were unbefitting of their beauty. "You." "Are." "Welcome." Remarked the three mermaids, respectively, as they all nodded at Alexander. Reaching into my space pouch, I grabbed a potion of my diluted Ichor and handed it to the eldest sister, who gave me a curious look, while the youngest eyes widened as it seemed she was the only one with analytical skill. "Have a wonderful day, you three; now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to talk with my lover." Said Alexander with a wink as he waved at the three mermaids while the youngest spoke to the two others. Chapter 235: Random Encounter While leaning against the wall, waiting for Lazuli to finish speaking, I watched her stand up at the table before walking away as she headed right for me, prompting me to raise my arms before wrapping one of them around her shoulder. "So, any luck? I got some good information from people I talked with; what about you?" Asked Alexander with hopeful eyes as he looked at Lazuli, who faintly nodded, causing him to smile. "Yes, I learned about a few Captains and which ships not to sail on, along with certain routes to avoid, but that is all." Replied Lazuli as she raised her head and gazed at Alexander, who kissed her while exiting the Guild. "Well, that''s arguably more helpful than learning which ships and routes we should take; still, today has been far more productive than yesterday." Said Alexander lightly while walking down the street of Quavench with Lazuli slightly leaning into his embrace. "I also learned about a man who is referred to as Captain Cinc. I didn''t acquire much information about him other than he is a Dwarf and an old man." Stated Lazuli lightly, her words causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Did you just say, Captain, Cinc? Like Sink?" Asked Alexander skeptically as he carefully eyed Lazuli, who nodded. "Yes. But it is spelled C-I-N-C." Replied Lazuli, causing Alexander to scratch his head with suspicion before shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. "Haa, well, let''s hope you weren''t lied to." "If I were lied to, I would return to the Guild and vaporize them into nothingness." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the former carefully eyed the latter, who calmly gazed back. "I''m joking, Alex." Added Lazuli blandly as she looked at Alexander, who hesitantly nodded, not fully trusting her words. "Right. Whatever you say, dear." Muttered Alexander lightly as he softly nodded while eyeing Lazuli, who continued walking as if nothing had happened. We continued walking for a little bit longer before we arrived at our Inn; entering, we headed toward our room, which was on the first floor, and plopped onto the bed while sharing the rest of our information; however, we may or not have gotten a little bit touchy in the process. ___ ___ "Welp, since that''s everything, I don''t think it would be a bad idea to start searching for which ship to take to Asckbon. Of course, we should still try to learn anything we can." Said Alexander lightly as he played with Lazuli''s nipples, pulling and teasing them with his hands, causing pleasure-filled moans to echo off the walls of the room. "Yes, I-I ~Ahh~ agree. However, I''ve checked some of the ticket costs, and they can be pretty expensive; did we bring enough money?" Asked Lazuli in slight concern as she glanced at Alexander while wrapping her leg around his cock, before stroking it using the pressure her thigh and calf created. "~Urgh~, I-I think s-so?" Replied Alexander in uncertainty as he glanced at Lazuli while she increased her intensity, causing him to struggle to withhold his grunts of pleasure. "I-If worst comes to w-worst, we can just make some e-extra m-m-money¡­" Added Alexander through gritted teeth, yet he was forced to stop talking as he raised his hips into the air while forcefully shooting thick ropes of semen into the air, staining both of their bodies white. Covering my face with my hands, I took a moment to catch my breath as that ejaculation of mine was much more violent than normal; I supposed being jerked off with Lazuli''s leg was more arousing than I expected. "W-What time is it?" Asked Alexander lightly as he sat upright before hopping off the bed and gazing out the window, checking the sun''s position. "It is precisely 3:45.34. Mhm, tasty." Replied Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander while scooping his semen off her body with her finger before sucking it off.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Oh, I forgot you had an internal clock." Muttered Alexander with a raised eyebrow before lightly nodding, only for him to stretch as he removed his shirt. "Welp, it''s not quite late enough for where we can stay home and make long for the rest of the day, so we might as well start looking." Said Alexander lightly as he grabbed Lazuli''s hand and yanked her into his embrace before entering the bathroom. After using my mouth to taste Lazuli''s juices, which I refrained from questioning what they actually were and just drank them with a happy smile; once we finished taking a shower, we exited the Inn and started searching for access to ships. However, of course, our luck had run dry as most ships were leaving tomorrow morning, which meant all tickets were very expensive; some were costing nearly half a gold, which was ridiculous. ___ ___ Plopping on a bench in frustration, I gazed at the dim sky and deeply sighed, only for Lazuli to sit on my lap while she leaned against my chest; while she did a poor job expressing her emotions, I could tell she was just as annoyed as me. "How much money did we bring again, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who grabbed his space pouch off his waist before sticking her hand into it. "32 silver coins." "Hmph, 32 silver coins, yet we still can''t both acquire a ticket, and here I thought I had brought far more than we needed." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter scoffed in annoyance before deeply sighing. "It''s simply bad timing, Alex. Normally, the tickets don''t cost that much." Remarked Lazuli, her words causing Alexander to grunt before reluctantly nodding. Our situation was not only highly annoying, but it was also worse than expected since, apparently, not many people travel back and forth between the Asckbon and Mezcla Continent, so we''d have to wait for these exact ships to return, which would probably take close to three weeks if I had to guess. "Haa, how the fuck did neither of us hear anything about the ships leaving tomorrow these past few days?" Asked Alexander in annoyance, though despite his words, both he and Lazuli remained quiet. Rubbing my face in annoyance, I was about to stand up and see if we could perhaps find a decent ship we could take with the money we''ve got on hand, but just as I went to stand up, an absolutely wasted Dwarf slammed onto the bench beside us; looking at the Dwarf, I couldn''t help but be surprised since it was a rarity for a Dwarf to ever get so wasted given their high alcohol resistance. "Ohm, wubd, sexy, fat ass Elves, mdonbouhy enodun." Muttered the Dwarf as he spoke incomprehensible words, causing Alexander and Lazuli to tilt their heads in confusion. I didn''t know what he was trying to say, but since it had to do with sexy fat ass Elves, I fully agreed with whatever he said; that saying, great minds think alike, wasn''t for nothing. ''Haa, I''m not even annoyed or surprised anymore. Just simply disappointed.'' Said Trina lightly with a bland expression as she calmly gazed upwards at the sky, watching everything through Alexander''s eyes. Ignoring Trina, I looked at Lazuli before reaching forward and tapping the man''s shoulder, seeing if he could react, which he did, though only after I practically shook him. "Hmm, what? Ah, where is my harem of sexy, fat-ass Elves?" Asked the Dwarf lightly as he glanced at Alexander, only for him to look around in confusion. "Um, I don''t know what you''re talking about, but that was probably a dream. Anyways, are you okay? You practically passed out on the bench." Repled Alexander lightly as he carefully looked at the Dwarf, who lowered his head in disappointment. "So no big booty Elves? Haa, life is a disappointment." Muttered the Dwarf, his words causing Alexander to nod in agreement, only for Lazuli to silently stare at him. "Here, as thanks for waking me up, here you two go." Added the Dwarf as he reached into his pocket, only to slap two tickets onto the bench, prompting Alexander to lean down. "Captain Cinc? You''re Cinc?" Asked Alexander in surprise as he gazed at Cinc, who nodded with a proud smile. "Heh, the one and only Captain Cinc, the best Captain Quavench has to offer. In my hay day, I used to take people back and forth between the two continents in a week!" Replied Cinc with a prideful smirk as he fixed his tie before lowering his head. "However, ever since my rival, Spinel, destroyed my ship, I''ve been reduced to an old rambling Dwarf! I can''t even hold my alcohol anymore!" Remarked Cinc in disappointment, his words causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Um, well, we''d like to go to Asckbon soon, and since you''ve given us a ticket, that must mean you''ve got a ship you can use¡­ Right?" Asked Alexander hesitantly as he gazed at Cinc, who widened his eyes while gazing at him. "Eh, y-you''d actually let me sail my ship!? I-I mean, hmph, damn right, I''ve got a ship! If you want to reach Asckbon faster than anyone else, just come to the rightmost pier early in the morning!" Said Cinc in surprise as he glanced at Alexander before shaking his head and proudly standing on the bench. Hesitantly nodding at Cinc, he loudly laughed before hopping off the bench and walking into the distance; he hadn''t lied about anything he had said, but I was still skeptical about him for some reason. ___ ___ "Let me ask again, Alex. Do you wish for us to die?" Asked Lazuli as she stared deeply into Alexander''s eyes, causing him to awkwardly cough before looking away, unable to muster any words to refute her claim. Chapter 236: Kidnapped At Sea "B-Before we make any decisions, let us at least look inside the ship. Maybe the exterior is only ugly since it''s been used a lot; the ship may actually be in great condition." Said Alexander softly as he looked at Lazuli, who was walking away, causing her to stop before turning around. Lazuli didn''t say anything and simply gave me a blank look before sighing, which was a rarity for her, but she did stand beside me, seemingly at least giving Cinc''s ship a chance. "So, how do we board the ship?" Asked Lazuli blandly as she observed the ship, prompting Alexander to awkwardly rub his head. "Umm, we jump onto it?" Replied Alexander in uncertainty as he glanced at Lazuli, who glanced at the ship before immediately turning around and walking away, though he grabbed her hand, stopping her. "C''mon, don''t be like that, Lazuli; we can''t just judge a book by its cover." Said Alexander sheepishly as he yanked Lazuli into his embrace before lifting her into a princess carry, prompting her to stare into his eyes. "I believe it''s fair if that same supposed book is meant to sail us across the dangerous ocean." Said Lazuli indifferently as she eyed Alexander, who nodded at her words, unable to refute them. Knowing Lazuli would win any arguments, I stopped talking as I leaped off the pier and onto the ship, only to widen my eyes when I spotted the deck. ''S-Shit!'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he stared at the rotting wood that lined the ship''s deck. Just as I was about to land on the deck, I swiftly lifted Lazuli higher into the air, which turned out to be the correct move as the rooting wood deck gave way under our weight, causing me to crash right through it. "A-Are you fine, Lazuli. Talis?" Asked Alexander wryly as he violently coughed before raising his head and gazing at Lazuli, who was still above deck. "Ugh, ouch. Yeah." Said Talis in annoyance as she stood up, flapping her wings and ridding herself of dust and debris before returning to her spot on Alexander''s shoulder. "Can we go now, or do you wish to continue looking around?" Asked Lazuli in slight annoyance as she twisted her head in a complete one-hundred-eighty to glance at Alexander, who sighed before reluctantly nodding. "Haa, I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, Cinc. You can''t be mad at that." Muttered Alexander softly as he slowly lowered Lazuli through the hole until she was at chest level. "Good." Said Lazuli with a small smile as she gently patted Alexander''s cheek, causing his expression to constantly twitch before he simply shook his head. Ignoring Lazuli''s behavior, I turned and started walking through the second floor of the ship, searching for some stairs, but for some reason, I didn''t find anything that led to the upper deck, causing me to tilt my head in confusion. "There is something seriously wrong with this ship. This is a ship that''s supposed to be on display, not one that''s actually meant to be sailed with." Muttered Alexander with a slight frown as he observed the lower deck before shaking his head. "Also, is there a storm coming or something? Why is the water so rough right now?" Added Alexander in slight confusion as he glanced at the floor before sighing, doubling his efforts to find a way out. In the end, I didn''t find a proper way out and just used the hole I crashed through to leap out, though this time, I didn''t end up crashing through the floor. Thankfully. However, while we didn''t crash through the floor, we were met with something worse¡­ Something much worse. There was no dock surrounding us; matter of fact, I didn''t see anything nearby except for water and more water. Actually, off in the distance, I did see land, along with a few large ships, but it wasn''t anywhere close.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Wasn''t the ship tied to the dock?" Asked Alexander softly as he glanced down at Lazuli, who nodded with a twitching expression. "If so, why the hell are we so far out at sea? H-How did it even happen so quickly?" Added Alexander in pure confusion as he looked at the Mezcla continent off in the distance before raising his head and looking around, only to spot a small yet stocky man. "C-Cinc?" "I''m going to end him." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they turned and gazed at Cinc, whose back was facing them. Just as I finished speaking, Lazuli jumped out of my arms and walked towards Cinc while her arm morphed into its cannon form, causing me to quickly stand in front of her, blocking her line of sight with Cinc. "L-Let''s just calm down, Lazuli; we''re still pretty close to Mezcla; we can just ask him to turn around rather than your option." Said Alexander lightly as he used his quick thinking to diffuse the situation, causing Lazuli to raise an eyebrow before reluctantly returning her arm to normal. "Oi, how did you two exit the lower deck?" Asked Cinc curiously as he turned and glanced at Alexander and Lazuli, prompting the former to point at the hole. "Oh, genius idea; I always have to bring a ladder to get out of the lower deck. It''s so tedious and annoying." Said Cinc lightly with a faint smile as he gazed at the hole, causing Alexander''s face to twitch. "W-Where is this ladder?" "Oh, I didn''t bring it with me; I left it somewhere at my house. Anyways, it should be fine; I doubt we''ll need to enter the lower deck." Said Alexander and Cinc, respectively, as they looked at each other, only for the former to aggressively rub his face. "A-Anyways, Cinc, can you take us back to land?" Asked Alexander lightly, his words causing Cinc to nod with a hearty chuckle. "Hahaha, I''m doing that right now, you fool; it should only be about six days until we arrive at the Asckbon continent. I told you, my speed is unparalleled when at sea!" Declared Cinc proudly as he raised his head, causing Lazuli''s face to twitch in annoyance. "Um, y-yeah, that''s cool and all, but I meant, can you take us back to Mezcla?" Asked Alexander softly, causing Cinc to raise an eyebrow as he released the helm and leaped off his stack of books before glancing at him. "Nope. No can do; the ship can''t make any big turns out at sea; the rudder has rotten, so anything more than slight turns will break it, and if that happens, you can kiss your life goodbye. However, don''t worry. I haven''t used this ship since I got it, so the rotted rudder should still be in okay shape." Stated Cinc lightly as he shook his head at Alexander before walking to the ship''s bow while leaving the helm unattended, causing the ship to tremble aggressively. While the information I had just received from him was more than just a little shocking, the ship was beginning to shake, so before we happened to sink or break the rudder, I quickly leaned forward and grabbed the helm, stabilizing the ship as we continued to head further and further away from Mezcla; now I could barely even see it anymore. "No one should know if I toss his corpse overboard." Said Lazuli lightly as her eyes took on a reddish hue while she approached Cinc, causing Alexander to groan as he reached forth and grabbed the back of her shirt collar with his hand. "Y-You don''t need to kill him; let''s just swim back to Mezcla; it''s not that far away, so it shouldn''t be a big deal to us." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli, who clicked her tongue before reluctantly nodding. ''I would highly advise against that, Master.'' Said Trina lightly as she snuggled within Zartha''s embrace while the two lay atop the clear ocean. ''Haa, what is it now?'' Asked Alexander in distress as he lowered his head, dreading the words of his swords. ''You probably don''t know, but every ship comes fitted with something called Oceans mimicry; it''s essentially a thin film of mana that you coat the entire ship in. Over a short time, it''ll seep into the ship and mimic the ocean''s aura while also masking your own since if it doesn''t, sea monsters will quickly find us. I hope you don''t think dungeons only appear above the sea; they appear wherever there is land.'' Stated Zartha lightly as she looked at the sky, watching as Alexander released a deep sigh of annoyance. "So, you''re telling me we''re essentially stuck on this ship now?" Asked Alexander in defeat as he raised his head and gazed at the sky, wanting to cry but no tears would form. ''Well, you can try to swim back; the monsters you encounter might be weak. But I would advise you not to take your chances.'' Replied Zartha coldly as she shook her head while rubbing Trina''s head, causing her to softly chuckle. "Now, can I kill him?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, who released a deep sigh of frustration. "A small part of me wants to look the other way, but we really can''t do that now; he''s the only one among us who knows how to sail. Killing him would be killing us as well." Replied Alexander in slight anger as he tightly gripped the helm, causing it to crack slightly. "I-I just wanted to take a look at the ship. How did it end up like this?" Muttered Alexander softly as he sighed to himself. Chapter 237: Surviving!? Now that we were practically stuck on this ship with Cinc, I prevented Lazuli from killing him while I attempted to make a bad situation good, though so far, I was proving unsuccessful, which is of no surprise; we were sailing through the middle of the ocean in a rotting ship against our will, and to make matters worse, there was no food onboard or water on board. It''s not like Lazuli couldn''t survive at least five days without water, but Talis needed water just as severely as most animals. "Ahh, I''m thirsty." Said Talis softly as she lazily lay in Alexander''s arms while staring at the sky, causing him to sigh softly with a nod. "I''ll let you drink one of my potions tomorrow morning, so just hold out until then¡­ Well, that is if we survive." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Talis, who lightly nodded before closing her eyes and drifting to sleep minutes later. Sighing to myself, I raised my head and looked at the night sky; the sun had just set probably only thirty minutes ago, yet to my surprise, the ship was still mostly intact, and we hadn''t died, which was already better than I would''ve expected. Still, according to Cinc, we''ve still got five more days of this, and that sounded so incredibly stressful that I just wanted to go to sleep and worry about that stuff later; however, I don''t think I could ever sleep in this situation. "Are you not going to sleep, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander lightly as he turned and glanced at Lazuli, who blankly looked at him with an indifferent expression. "I-I''ll take that as a no." Added Alexander wryly as he awkwardly scratched his head before looking away. I couldn''t tell if Lazuli was annoyed with me because I didn''t allow her to kill Cinc or because I had put us in this whole situation in the first place. ''To be fair, I also didn''t want to be stuck on this ship; I just wanted to take a quick look at the interior. How was I supposed to know this stupid Dwarf was going to set sail within that small timeframe; hell, why didn''t he say anything either?'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he quietly grumbled to himself while glaring at Cinc, who was dozing off at the helm. "Are you fucking with me right now?" Muttered Alexander in slight anger as he carefully handed Talis to Lazuli before standing up and approaching Cinc. I wasn''t even in the mood to argue with him, and honestly, he may have been a Captain, but I felt far safer when I was the one at the wheel and not him, so I didn''t even try to wake him up and simply picked him up by the collar before placing him on the ground. Slightly surprised he didn''t wake up, I shook my head and sat atop the stacked books. Though now that I sat at the helm, I promptly realized this was practically pointless; two pieces of very rotted wood were barely holding together the rudder on the ship, and simply a slight turn would break them, causing the rudder to fall into the ocean. "Can I kill him now? I''ll make it quick¡­ He won''t feel even slight pain." Asked Lazuli as she slowly approached Cinc, her transformed arm humming in response to her words, causing Alexander to sigh deeply. "Haa, no, you can''t kill him; despite how idiotic and unresponsible he is, he knows the ocean and how it operates; he can probably tell if a storm is coming just from the movement of the sea and the clouds above. Hmph, although I might be able to do that with [Heroes Gaze]." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he glanced at Lazuli, who scowled before reluctantly transforming her arm to normal while he quietly muttered to himself. Honestly, at this point, I felt as if I was just making excuses to keep Lazuli from killing it; part of me genuinely didn''t care if he died; he had put Lazuli and I in such a precarious situation without any concern for our wellbeings, hell, he didn''t even ask for our input before setting sail. ''Tsk, how can you live to be 82 while being that stupid? I''m starting to wonder if Captain Spinel really sabotaged his business or if it was just his idiocracy.'' Thought Alexander with a scoff as he glared at Cinc, who peacefully slept on the deck, seemingly without a care in the world.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "If we survive this, the first thing I''m doing when returning home is make sweet love with Yuki and Michelle¡­ Then I''m marrying her and you." Stated Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli, who nodded with a faint blush. "Marriage? Why does that make me happy?" Muttered Lazuli softly with a thoughtful expression as she turned around, quietly gazing at her reflection in the ocean. Inwardly chuckling at Lazuli, I raised my head and gazed at the three moons of Azarath, noting they looked exceptionally beautiful compared to most nights. "Hmm, I wonder if you can fly to them." Said Alexander quietly with a thoughtful expression, only for him to shake his head as he remained focused on their surroundings while his eyes softly glowed, searching for any signs of danger throughout the entire night. ___ ___ Unsurprisingly, these six days at sea passed by rather slowly; after all, every minute, Lazuli and I were expecting some huge monster to emerge from the ocean and swallow us whole, so I''m sure thinking like that didn''t help. Though we also had next to nothing to do except talk amongst each other, which isn''t bad, but for that to be the only activity for six days¡­ It was boring, to say the least. Lazuli and I couldn''t even make love; hell, even making out felt luxurious since whenever we got into the mood, Cinc would stalk us, and being so intensely watched while trying to express my love felt very uncomfortable¡­ Lazuli nearly killed him again for that, as well. However, to whatever god was watching over us, we had experienced the most calming waters possible; the most dangerous thing that happened was encountering a small wave a few feet tall. I had used my mana to reinforce the ship, similar to how I did so with the carriage several years ago, though the only difference was the sheer size of the ship compared to the carriage. Yet, I was only required to reinforce it for no more than ten seconds, so I was fine, though, to this moment, I''m still skeptical whether the boat could''ve survived that wave by itself. "Hahahaha, there she is¡­ The Asckbon Continent!" Said Cinc with boisterous laughter as he stood on the stack of books and gazed at the faint silhouette of land far off in the distance. Hearing Cinc''s words, Lazuli and I glanced at each other before instantly standing up, only to spot a faint silhouette of land in the distance; while gazing at the land, I felt as if all of my troubles had vanished. Embracing Lazuli, I gave her one deep, passionate kiss, uncaring that Cinc started to watch like a creep; only after several minutes did we finally part our lips. "Oh, I fucking love you, Lazuli!" Stated Alexander with a joyous smile, causing Lazuli to also faintly smile. "I love you as well, Alex." Said Lazuli softly, her voice full of genuine emotion, a rarity for her. Although I wanted nothing more than to make love with Lazuli right about now, I figured we should wait until we officially make it to land, though that didn''t stop me from feeling up her butt, which fit perfectly within my hand. Only one cheek, obviously. "Talis, wake up!" Said Alexander lightly as he gently nudged Talis with his foot, causing her to aggressively chirp before opening her eyes. "Ugh, what''s the deal, Alex? I don''t wake you up in the middle of a fantastic dream." Said Talis in annoyance as she eyed Alexander while rubbing her face with her wings, though he promptly ignored her every word. "Oh, be quiet and look." Stated Alexander with a faint smile as he pointed toward the direction of the land, causing Talis to grumble under her breath while taking to the skies, only for her eyes to widen. "Eh, i-is that land?" Muttered Talis in disbelief as she stared out at the land in the distance, only for her to loudly chirp in glee. "Hahaha, land! The Queen of the Skies has returned! Time to show all those land dwellers who truly rules them!" Added Talis enthusiastically as she flapped her wings, speedily shooting off toward land, only for a loud boom to accompany her. "And, there she goes." Said Alexander lightly with a wry expression, only to shake his head afterward. Unfortunately, we weren''t as fast at Talis. It took another twenty minutes before we finally arrived at the dock, and the instant we did, neither of us waited a second before hopping off that boat and destroying part of the deck. "Hahaha, now, go and tell all those Elves about the greatness of Captain Cinc!" Stated Cinc proudly as he raised his head, only for him to glance at Alexander and Lazuli in confusion. "Umm, w-why are you two making huge fireballs?" Asked Cinc in confusion as he nervously gulped while eyeing Alexander and Lazuli. "Oh, no reason, though you should probably move." Said Alexander with a smile as he glanced at Cinc, who tried to dissuade their action. "W-Wait! S-She''s my life and soul, my only remaining ship! P-Please, I''ll have nothing without her!" Said Cinc pleadingly as he got onto his knees, begging for them to spare her. Ignoring Cinc, Lazuli and I tossed our fireballs directly at the ship, causing Cinc to leap overboard while the ship was quickly set ablaze, sinking only a few moments later. "There, now you won''t be able to kill anyone." Said Alexander with a relieved smile as he dusted his hands off. Chapter 238: Terrible Experience While Cinc was mourning the loss of his ship, Lazuli and I walked across the dock without an ounce of guilt, matter of fact, I felt pretty good after destroying his ship; I might as well have done a good deed. "We should''ve killed him." Said Lazuli lightly as she walked beside Alexander, causing him to chuckle while rolling his eyes. "What''s up with you and killing, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander calmly as he glanced at Lazuli, who blankly looked at him. "I use the corpses of my enemies to secretly make an offering in the form of a ritual to the gods." Stated Lazuli solemnly as she eyed Alexander, whose expression aggressively twitched while he distanced himself from her. "I''m joking." Added Lazuli with a small smile, her words causing Alexander to look blankly at her before rubbing his face and sighing. "I think you forgot jokes are supposed to be funny, Lazuli." Said Alexander as he stared at Lazuli, who nodded, causing him to shake his head. "I know." Said Lazuli as she approached Alexander before leaning into his embrace, causing him to carefully wrap his arm around her. Once we stepped off the dock and officially walked across land, Lazuli and I noticed an abundant amount of Elves, and I must say, I hardly spotted a single ugly Elf; the women were very gorgeous, although most seemed to have a lithe body type and none were as curvy as Michelle. ''I must''ve hit the jackpot with Michelle then, ''cause while these women are gorgeous, sex with them probably wouldn''t be nearly as fun.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he gazed at the numerous Elves, only for him to whistle in awe. "Damn, even the men are kind of sexy. I thought Marlin was hot, but he must''ve just been average looking for a Dark Elf." Stated Alexander calmly as he gazed at the men walking about the city, causing him to inwardly sigh. I wasn''t someone who cared too much about their looks, but I, at best, looked as good as what seemed to be the average Elf, which is shocking, to say the least, as I always thought myself to be pretty hot. "Well, at least I''ve got something they don''t." Muttered Alexander with a faint smirk as he raised his arm and flexed his muscles, showing off his large muscular arms. Feeling good about myself, given the Elves'' lack of muscles, I was about to start walking into the city, but before I did, an Elf wearing professional attire suddenly stopped us, causing me to raise an eyebrow. "I assume you two humans have just arrived via ship?" Asked the Elf with a slight frown as he glanced between Alexander and Lazuli, prompting them to nod. "Yeah, we used that ship. Well, you can''t see it now, but our C-Captain is over there." Said Alexander lightly as he turned and pointed at Cinc, who poured alcohol into the ocean, though the Elf didn''t even bother looking. "Tsk, well, humans are allowed entrance into Asckbon; you must undergo a thorough inspection process. Follow me. Hmph, ugly primates are always trying to enter our continent." Stated the Elf in annoyance as he eyed Alexander and Lazuli before walking away while quietly grumbling to himself. ''W-We can still hear you.'' Thought Alexander with a twitching expression as he glanced at the Elf, who suddenly stopped. "Do I need to summon the guards, or can you two listen?" Asked the Elf in annoyance as he aggressively tapped his foot on the ground while glaring at Alexander, who inwardly grumbled before following him. "Tsk, you don''t need to be such an ass about it." Muttered Alexander quietly as he and Lazuli approached the Elf, causing him to continue walking once more. Unfortunately, this guy was probably speaking the truth since I''ve done some research on intercontinental travel, and Humans aren''t the most welcomed, though the same can be said for Elves and Demons. For humans visiting Asckbon, they''re required to undergo a scrutinizing process to determine whether they will be allowed entrance, and if you fail, well, I didn''t do that much research since I didn''t figure I''d fail; after all, I''m not carrying anything crazy on me.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ''Though given how hostile this guy is, my confidence is starting to wane.'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he raised his head, gazing at the building they were approaching. "Border Inspection; yeah, that name isn''t exactly reassuring." Muttered Alexander lightly with a frown as he and Lazuli reluctantly entered the building, following the Elf''s footsteps. The inside of the building looked really nice, but the aura was quite the opposite; it didn''t feel welcoming to me. "Oh, I see you''ve got two humans, Sage, lucky you." Said the Elven woman sitting behind a desk as she glanced at Sage, who merely scoffed. "Hmph, as if. I''d much rather do anything else than interact with some humans. Matter of fact, why the hell do we even allow them into our homes?" Said Sage in annoyance as he gestured to Alexander and Lazuli, both calmly waiting in the distance. "I don''t know; I''m merely trying to get paid; bring that stuff up with the council, not me." Said the woman as she casually shrugged, her words causing Sage to roll his eyes while he stood upright. "Tch, c''mon, you two." Said Sage as he continued walking deeper into the building, prompting Alexander and Lazuli to follow while passing the woman from before. ''Why does it feel like we''re about to be wrongfully sentenced to life in prison?'' Thought Alexander with furrowed brows as he used [Heroes Gaze] to constantly obverse their surroundings, ensuring nothing suspicious happened without his knowledge. Walking up two flights of stairs, we headed down a long hallway before Sage opened the door and entered, causing us to do the same, only to see what looked like a small office with various tools, though thankfully, none looked dangerous. Sitting down at the chairs, Lazuli and I quietly watched as Sage grabbed several pieces of paper and two clipboards, which he promptly threw at us. "There, do that and don''t leave." Said Sage blandly as he glanced at Alexander and Lazuli before exiting the office, causing them to look at each other. "I don''t like him." Said Lazuli lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded with a sigh. "If it weren''t because we needed some form of identification specifically for Asckbon, I wouldn''t have bothered with this racist fool." Remarked Alexander in annoyance as he gazed downwards at the clipboard, reading the papers. "Doesn''t our Adventurer License count as ID?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, who grunted while nodding. "Yes, but our license only works for the Mezcla Continent. We need to be an A-Class adventurer before we can get a universal license; we could also easily get a license on this continent, but to do that, we first need to be able to ENTER Asckbon. It''s incredibly stupid, but not much we can fucking do." Replied Alexander in slight annoyance as he nodded while tapping his fingers on the clipboard, causing Lazuli to slightly frown. "Tsk, annoying bastard didn''t even give us a pen." Muttered Alexander as he aggressively rubbed his face, dreading the lengthy process that would soon come. ___ ___ The Inspection process took FAR longer than I initially thought, and not only that, but it was incredibly tedious; I''ve never experienced such an annoying process throughout both of my lives and halfway into it, I wanted to slam my head against the wall until I lost consciousness. However, after hours of that nightmarish experience, we, for the love of god, finally acquired our stupid ID for Asckbon. "Here you go, now leave; you''ve been wasting my time." Said Sage in annoyance as he tossed Alexander and Lazuli''s ID''s at them while dismissively waving them off. Grabbing my ID from Lazuli, I stood up and exited the room, not even bothering to register Sage''s presence; matter of fact, if I did, I had a feeling I''d explode into anger. Walking through the building, I found an open window and didn''t hesitate to jump out of it as I didn''t want to waste a single more second in that building of nightmares. Landing on the ground, I stepped aside and outstretched my arms, catching Lazuli as she gently placed her on the ground before I raised my head and looked at the night sky. "We arrived here slightly before Noon¡­ Now it''s night." Said Alexander softly as he stared at the night sky, causing Lazuli to nod in agreement while he just released a long, deep sigh containing a variety of emotions. "It''s just been bad experience after bad experience." Muttered Alexander as he officially walked into the city while Lazuli followed right beside him. "Haa, how are you so unaffected by all of this, Lazuli? I''m usually the calm one, but even I''m furious." Asked Alexander as he gazed at Lazuli, who tilted her head before pointing at her heart and brain. "I''ll dampen any negative emotions as it''ll keep me level-headed." Replied Lazuli lightly, her words causing Alexander to nod while sighing. "Haa, I wonder how many people you would''ve killed without that unique ability." Muttered Alexander softly while walking through the city, depressed from today. "A lot." Added Lazuli, causing Alexander to softly chuckle before sighing once more. "Haa, well, let''s find somewhere to sleep." Said Alexander as he walked down the street, observing the many buildings on either side and searching for an inn. Chapter 239: Racist Elves Ignoring the grumbling of the Inn''s manager, I paid for the night Lazuli and I spent before promptly leaving, wishing to distance myself from the annoying manager. "I can already see my time here isn''t going to be that fun." Muttered Alexander with a deep sigh as he walked through the city''s street with Lazuli following beside him. Unfortunately, It seems my words were spot on since I received numerous looks from the surrounding Elves, and while most of them held some semblance of curiosity, it was mostly drowned out by their harsh and unfriendly expressions; not only that, but their eyes held an inborn arrogance whenever they looked at Lazuli or I as if they were looking at something or someone beneath them. I wasn''t trying to judge everyone, but it seemed to me that just about every Elf was somewhat racist, and that didn''t look like any fun whatsoever. ''Don''t tell me they''re still upset about that war from thousands of years ago?'' Master wasn''t even born when that shit ended; you can''t be serious.'' Thought Alexander with an annoyed expression as he gazed at the numerous Elves, only to sigh deeply. ''Long-lived species tend to hold grudges for quite some time, Master; as you can see, some even pass it through generations.'' Stated Zartha lightly as she calmly floated across the clear ocean while gazing at the sky, Trina nowhere to be seen. Grunting at Zartha''s words since they seemed to hold some truth, I rubbed my face and figured I should try getting used to this; I would be staying here for a few weeks at the least, so I couldn''t get annoyed at every inconvenience. ''Haa, but I imagine trying to do anything is going to be such a pain in the ass, just like what happened at the Border Inspection.'' Thought Alexander, his enthusiasm nowhere to be seen as he walked through the crowds. "Haa, let''s go to the Adventure Guild to acquire our Asckbon license." Said Alexander lightly as he placed his hands in his pockets while Lazuli calmly nodded in agreement, her face void of expression as she walked beside him. Since neither of us knew where the Adventure Guild was in this city, it took us quite a while before we found it, and although initially hesitant, I did end up asking a few Elves for directions, but, other than being ignored, given a look of disgust, or flat out cursed at we received no help. So, after a few failed attempts, I sighed and decided we would find it on our own; it took nearly an hour, but that hour was mostly peaceful, at least better than being cursed at or looked at in disgust. I will say, during that hour of walking around the city, I didn''t spot a single human; I noticed a few other species, mainly different kinds of demi-humans, but they seemed to be exempt from the harsh treatment Lazuli and I received¡­ I was indeed jealous. Once we arrived at the Adventure Guild, I opened the double doors first, allowing Lazuli to enter while I followed directly behind her, and unlike usual, I wasn''t hit with a powerful scent of sweat, shit, vomit, blood, and alcohol; instead, it smelled like I had just entered a forest, which slightly took me aback. ''I could definitely get used to this.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smirk as he deeply inhaled the air, though the silence of the guild quickly broke him out of his daze. Unsurprisingly, all eyes were on Lazuli and I, and it wasn''t the good kind of eyes; the Elven Adventurers were looking at us with hostile expressions, and they weren''t even trying to hide it either; it was clearly visible on their faces. "Tsk, fucking humans." Said an Elven warrior donned in faintly glowing leather armor as he spat onto the ground while eyeing Alexander and Lazuli. "Hmph, why can''t they just die off already? Bunch of cockroaches." Stated another warrior with a sneer, wearing light-plated armor while staring at Alexander and Lazuli from a distance.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Lazuli, stay close to me." Muttered Alexander with furrowed brows as he whispered to Lazuli, who faintly nodded. Unlike the normal civilians, who mainly kept their thoughts to themselves, the same couldn''t be said about these Adventures; they spoke whatever was on their mind, whether it be mocking the humans as a whole species, mocking Lazuli or I, or even worse. For the most part, Lazuli and I could ignore them; their words were just words, but every now and then, I''d hear something quite unsavory. "Heh, what do you think? Should we follow them and kill them once they leave the city? Maybe we could even rape that woman in front of her lover; if we do, we must impregnate her; that would be the real kick in the gut." Stated an Elf in the distance as he gazed at Alexander and Lazuli with an expression of intense hatred. "Tsk, you can do that; I don''t want anything to do with those lesser humans." Replied another Elf in disgust as he shook his head while sipping tea, purposefully ignoring Lazuli and Alexander''s presence. Taking a deep breath, I kept calm and didn''t foolishly lash out at their words; besides, that wasn''t even the worst I heard while Lazuli and I waited in line to speak with the receptionist, though my hands were tightly clenched within my pockets, that was for sure. ''Tsk, at this rate, I''ll become racist myself.'' Thought Alexander as he ignored the harsh words of the numerous Elves. "Alright, have a good day. Next-tch." Said the beautiful receptionist as she politely waved at the Elf, only for her expression to instantly sour when her eyes landed on Alexander and Lazuli. "Tsk, what do you two want? Make it quick, I''m busy." Asked the beautiful receptionist rudely as she eyed Alexander, who was inwardly screaming to himself. "We''d just like an Adventure license for Asckbon, Mam." Said Alexander respectfully as he gazed at the receptionist, who scoffed in annoyance. "Are you slow? I can''t do that without your Adventure license." Remarked the receptionist mockingly, her words causing Alexander to silently nod while glancing at Lazuli. Grabbing Lazuli''s license, I handed hers and mine to the receptionist, who snatched them from my hands before standing up and walking away. "Tsk, humans are so stupid." Ignoring her words, we, surprisingly, didn''t have to wait that long, though that might''ve been because there were a few people behind us; otherwise, I had a feeling we''d be here for hours. "Here you go, now leave. I''ve got actual people to deal with." Said the receptionist as she tossed four licenses at Alexander while sitting back in her chair. With a twitching expression, I picked up our license and quickly exited the guild with Lazuli by my side, not bothering to check the quest or job board. "Tsk, well, that was fucking hell." Muttered Alexander with an annoyed expression as he handed two adventure licenses to Lazuli while storing his own in his space pouch. "Less than ideal." Said Lazuli indifferently, her voice containing no emotions as she glanced at Alexander, who softly chuckled in response. "Hehe, what a positive outlook you have, Lazuli." Said Alexander with a wry smile as he kissed Lazuli''s cheek before wrapping his arm around her neck, pulling her slightly into his embrace. "Now, let''s get the fuck out of this city." Added Alexander as he walked through the street alongside Lazuli, who nodded in agreement. ___ ___ Having exited the city over an hour ago, Lazuli and I casually walked through the forest, opting to avoid the road so as to stay clear from any passing Elves since I doubted any of them would be friendly; however, we still made sure the road was within eyesight as we didn''t wish to get lost. "I will say they''ve got beautiful forests." Muttered Alexander lightly as he gazed at the forest, only for his eyes to widen slightly. "Where the hell is Talis!?" Exclaimed Alexander loudly as he came to an immediate halt, quickly using [Heroes Gaze] to search for Talis, though to no avail. "She is likely fine; she''s very resourceful for a bird." Stated Lazuli lightly as she leaned into Alexander''s embrace, her words causing Alexander to wince. "Yeah, I mean, you''re not wrong; we''re just in an unknown continent, and who knows what kind of species lives here? She''s also a little reckless, and I''m just glad she''s not stupid." Said Alexander lightly with a faint nod as he continued searching through the sky, only for his body to suddenly shiver. Feeling Lazuli''s dainty hand grasp my cock, I released a soft groan as I lowered my head and glanced at her, causing her to stare right back at me while she continued to gently stroke my growing shaft. "Now that we''re by ourselves, we can use this chance to make love; it''s been nearly a week since we''ve gotten the chance." Remarked Lazuli with a faint smirk as she winked at Alexander while dropping his pants to his ankles, revealing his massive erection. "Oh, you don''t know how much I need this." Said Alexander with a smirk as he leaned down, passionately kissing Lazuli while his hands groped all over her body. Removing Lazuli''s clothes, I lifted her into the air upside as I stuffed my face into her crotch, prompting her legs to wrap around my head, and while I ate her out, she used her mouth to please my cock. Chapter 348: Treasure Hunt! After leaving that angry little boy with his crew, Scar and I headed to the center of Delta Island, where most of the pirates had docked their ships; however, we left that place alone and landed on one of the many piers while walking into the bustling city. Despite only one city on this island, it was huge and filled with ambitious pirates who had probably all come here with the sole intention of acquiring the Pirate King''s treasure. "I-Is t-that The Insatiable?" "B-Back away! I-I heard no man is safe from her grasp!" "L-Look, it''s Tiche!" N-No way! T-Two Apocalyptic Commanders of the Frenzy Pirates are here?" D-Does that mean t-the Frenzy Pirates are here!?" Remarked several terrified pirates as they backed away from Freyja and Scar, clearing a path while they calmly walked down the street. "Huh, sometimes I forget how infamous our crew really is." Muttered Scar lightly as he walked beside Freyja, who was leaning into his embrace while stuffing his hands into a pocket, causing him to be the source of envy for everyone. "Well, to be fair, you''re with me, and I''m even more popular than that monkey bastard; however, don''t forget, you''re a walking calamity with a bounty of over one billion Beri''s. Besides our crew, there are only a few people present who can match your strength." Stated Freyja with a faint smile as she glanced at Scar, who raised an eyebrow before faintly nodding, prompting her to kiss his cheek. "Well, I don''t feel all that strong when you and Captain constantly surround me." Said Scar lightly with a wry chuckle as he glanced at a stall a fellow pirate was robbing. "Fufu, don''t worry, you''re quite powerful. However, speaking of that, I can sense a strong enemy is somewhere on this island." Remarked Freyja with a chuckle as she glanced at Scar, only for her expression to turn solemn while she closed her eyes, using her observation haki. While my observation haki wasn''t nearly as monstrous as Captain''s or Sebas''s, I was still able to view the entire island as I attempted to search for the person my instincts were warning me of; unfortunately, whoever it was had an impressive level of haki since they remained hidden from view. ''Tsk, they''re haki is quite good. Is it an Admiral? I wouldn''t be surprised if they learned about this place; maybe they''re from the World Government?'' Mused Freyja with a thoughtful expression as she opened her eyes, only to shake her head. I had no clue who it was, but it was fine; I was confident in my strength; besides, I didn''t want to think about those things right now as I wanted to enjoy myself; unlike Diddy, I wasn''t a battle junkie. "C''mon, Scar, let''s go and try that stall; the food looks good." Said Freyja with a faint smile as she pointed toward the stall in the distance, pulling Scar, who sighed with a nod while reluctantly following her. ___ ___ "Bullet! I''ve just gotten news that some very interesting pirates have arrived." Said Festa with a smile as he entered a room, only to see a large man with long blonde hair calmly sitting down. "I can already sense them¡­ They''re decent." Said Bullet with a faint smirk as he turned and glanced at Festa, who smiled while pulling pieces of paper from his pocket. "The Frenzy Pirates and the supposed sixth Emperor of the Sea, Strawhat Luffy, have arrived!" Remarked Festa with an enthusiastic smile as he handed Bullet two wanted posters, causing him to grin while he eyed them. "The Insatiable and Straw Hat." Muttered Bullet with a feral smirk as he eyed the two wanted posters before crushing them in his hands. "What about Chaos Kong? Where is he?" Asked Bullet with a deep frown as he eyed Festa, who shook his head. "We''ve got no reports about him, though if I''m being honest, it''s probably best he doesn''t show up; he''s known to cause a lot of chaos." Replied Festa lightly while shaking his head, causing Bullet to click his tongue before sitting back down.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "What about the Marines and World Government?" Asked Bullet with a slight frown as he looked at Festa, who nodded with a wicked smile. "Hehe, none could resist the allure of the Pirate King''s Treasure; they had sent CP0 and several warships. However, when they learn what it truly is, hehe, I can''t wait!" Remarked Festa with a smile as he rubbed his hands together, imagining how great his festival would be. "Good; go and get things started then. I''ll show myself when the time is right." Said Bullet with a nod as he faintly smirked while he gazed out the window, eyeing the endless ocean, his words prompting Festa to leave. ___ ___ Exiting from underneath the stadium, Scar and I stood in the middle of the coliseum alongside hundreds of other pirates, though they all made way for me like proper gentlemen; while walking, I happened to spot some members of my own crew, like Reiju, Mael, Grand, Trenza, Janet, Chala, and Sebas. "At least we''re not at the wrong place." Muttered Freyja lightly as she gazed at her fellow crewmates before ignoring them while Scar nodded. This is where the supposed treasure hunt for the Pirate King''s treasure would start; this all seems a little suspicious to me if I''m being honest, but I was still too curious not to attend, and it was obvious I was far from the only one who felt that way given the hundreds of other people present. I also happened to several pirates who were among the worst generation, only missing monkey bastard, Law, and Blackbeard; however, everyone else was here besides them. "What''re you looking at?" Asked Scar curiously as she glanced at Freyja, who waved at Sanji, causing him to collapse onto the ground while profusely bleeding. "Hmm, nothing, just waiting for the event to start." Replied Freyja calmly as she yawned while hugging Scar''s arm, causing him to nod lightly. We must''ve arrived pretty early because it wasn''t for another twenty minutes that we finally heard someone''s voice echo through the transponder snail speakers. "Is this thing working? Ah, there we go, finally." Muttered Moderate with a slight frown as he tapped on his microphone, only for him to clear his throat, causing everyone to gaze up at him. "HELLO EVERYONE!" "Welcome to the Pirate Fest!" Yelled Moderate and Anna, respectively, as their excited voices echoed through the coliseum. "Now, seeing this large crowd of pirates, I can only assume you all have come here to participate in the Pirate Fest''s main event!" "The Pirate King''s Treasure Hunt!" Stated Moderate and Anna, respectively, as they gazed down at the crowd while the pirates finally reacted with boisterous shouts. "However, before the event starts! We''re going to give you all a little help." "In the form of a little hint." Added Moderate and Anna, respectively, with a smile while she opened an envelope. "The Treasure is in a chest!" Remarked Anna with a smile as she read the note in the envelope before tossing it onto the ground, causing everyone''s expression to twitch, though before anyone could question her, the ground suddenly shook. Furrowing my brows, I felt the ground shaking intensify, and in a mighty explosion, a massive pillar of water shot into the sky from the center of the island while lifting a much smaller island enveloped in a bubble. "Knock-up Stream." Muttered Scar softly as he gazed at the knock-up stream before glancing at the small island. "No wonder I smelled salt everywhere on the island." Said Freyja lightly as she eyed the knock-up stream. "Well, what are you pirates waiting for!?" "If that isn''t a hint, then I don''t know what is!" Stated Anna and Moderate, respectively, as their voices snapped everyone out of their daze while they all hurried towards the docks. "C''mon, you fools; I''ve got a ship." Said Trenza as she glanced at her fellow crewmates before quickly running towards the docks, prompting every Frenzy pirate to shrug their shoulders while following her. By the time we reached Trenza''s ship, several other pirates were already sailing up the knock-up stream, prompting her miniature crew to quickly lower the sails as we approached the knock-up stream. "Can you sail up that thing?" Asked Chala curiously as she glanced at Trenza, who sat at the helm. "Don''t know, but this is MY ship, so I''m either sailing us to glory or damnation." Replied Trenza sternly as she glanced at Chala while spinning the wheel, causing everyone''s face to twitch. "A special daughter you are, Trenza." Said Sebas softly as he glanced at Trenza, who was focused on the knock-up stream before them. "Sebas, make sure we reach the island even if Trenza fucks up." Said Freyja lightly as she glanced at Sebas just as the ship was swept into the knock-up stream, causing everyone to fall onto the wall. "I already planned to do so." Replied Sebas as he eyed Freyja in annoyance while using his powerful mind to keep the ship on course, ensuring they stayed connected to the knock-up stream. While sailing up the knock-up stream, the Strawhat''s appeared beside us, causing me to faintly smirk. ''This is a little nostalgic.'' Mused Freyja softly as she glanced at Nami masterfully sailing the Thousand Sunny before shaking her head. This knock-up stream was much smaller than the previous one, so it didn''t take long for us to reach the peak as we practically flew towards the island, piercing through the bubble before landing in a body of water. "We''ve arrived!" Stated Trenza with a proud smirk while docking the ship. Chapter 240: Sneak Attacked! Unable to contain my grunts, I released them right into Lazuli''s crotch, causing them to reverberate throughout her entire body while I continued eating her out, though with how she was sucking me off, I was hardly able to do that. "~Urgh~ f-fuck." Muttered Alexander through grunts of pleasure as he tried his best not to cum, though Lazuli''s masterful skills were something he had no hopes of winning against. Lazuli''s mouth didn''t even feel like a mouth with how amazing it was; it felt like I was using an actual vagina instead, and when it was moving with such skill, there was no way I was going to last long. ''Urgh, I-I''m going to cum soon; l-let me at least get her to orgasm as well.'' Thought Alexander as he shifted all of his focus towards Lazuli''s crotch, forgoing anything else as all his efforts went to eating her eating her out, causing her body to shudder slightly. I don''t know about other men, but I believed myself to be very skilled when it came to using my mouth; after all, I''ve had the opportunity to refine my technique and skills on four different women, five if we include Lily, but that was a one-time thing. However, despite knowingly making progress, I, unfortunately, wasn''t quick enough to beat Lazuli; her mouth felt like heaven had wrapped around my cock. Knowing she would make me cum before I could do the same to her, I used one hand to grab the back of her head as I thrust my hips, making love with her mouth just before I cummed. "~Urgh~ c-cumming!" Stated Alexander with grunts as he clenched his butt and stabbed his cock as deep as possible within Lazuli''s throat, spewing numerous thick ropes of cum into her. I ended up cumming more than usual, yet, Lazuli hadn''t let a single drop of my semen go to waste. "Mhm, tasty." Muttered Lazuli softly as she fell onto the ground, staring at Alexander while licking her lips, causing his cock to aggressively twitch. ''Yep, I''m going to fill her with my seed until she can''t hold anymore.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a nod as he gulped, staring at Lazuli in desire. Unfortunately, things seemed to just not go our way, as I heard the faint sound of metal clanging against each other, a noise that I was very familiar with, something that I could almost never mistake. Without a second of hesitation, I quickly used [Heroes Gaze], attempting to view my surroundings, yet I wasn''t able to as all of a sudden, an arrow had pieced my heart, causing me to grab my wound before collapsing onto Lazuli. Funnily enough, Lazuli didn''t seem to show even the slightest concern for me when she saw the arrow sticking out through my chest, causing me to inwardly roll my eyes; she and every single one of my lovers knew of my potent healing abilities, so a single arrow sticking through my heart, while it hurt like hell, hardly phased me. ''Tsk, but my god, does that fucking hurt.'' Thought Alexander with a twitching expression as the pain was far from ideal. As I still had [Heroes Gaze] active, I saw how two people approached; one of them was a man wearing light-plated armor, the same man who spoke of doing terrible things to Lazuli. To his left was a woman, a beautiful woman, though that doesn''t mean much when it seems like almost every Elf was beautiful; anyway, she was the one who must''ve shot me as she held a bow in her hand and a quiver on her side. "Hahaha, fucking stupid humans killed while having sex; it''s only fitting for such inferior creatures. Heh, the woman must''ve been unable to process her lover dying right in front of her; she hasn''t even moved!" Stated the man with a sneer as she spat onto Alexander''s back, while Lazuli raised an eyebrow at him, prompting him to lick his lips. "Be careful, Liam, she''s still alive; they may be just humans, but don''t think they can''t fight back." Remarked the woman as she kept her distance while looking at Liam, only to glance at Lazuli in disgust.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Oh, stop with all the worrying, Jolen; I''m not so weak to be k-ki¨C" Said Liam with a smirk as he kicked Alexander''s leg, only for him to suddenly be bisected at his torso. "Tch, fucking bastard, spitting on my back; that''s a whole other level of disrespect." Stated Alexander in slight anger as he stood up with Trina in his hand while glancing at Liam, who had already died. Using Trina, I cut off the back piece of the arrow and pulled it out through the front, causing it to rapidly heal back up within a few seconds as the wound was pretty small, though that was only on the outside since my heart always took longer to heal, it would probably need like a minute or so. However, just as I turned to face the Elf in the back, I was suddenly hit with three more arrows in the chest, causing me to take a step back before I regained my bearings. "Pathetic Human! I''ll kill you!" Yelled Jalen in blinded fury as she continuously shot arrows at Alexander, her shots impressively accurate as not a single arrow missed her target. Despite all her arrows piercing my body, they didn''t slow me down as I continued walking towards her, with Trina in my hand, ready to slice her in half once I got close. By the time I started nearing her, anger had begun to fade within her as desperation slowly took over as she realized her attacks were doing nothing to me, which was a lie; it hurt like fucking hell, though I didn''t let her see. "W-Why won''t you fall!?" Exclaimed Jalen anxiously as she reached for quiver, planning to grab another arrow, yet, to her horror, she had run out; all fifty arrows were sticking out of Alexander''s body. "M-My arrows-" Said Jalen as she raised her head, only for a hand to grip her throat, suffocating her while she was lifted into the air. "Hmph, the fact you helped the bastard that intended to rape my lover, I should do the same to you." Said Alexander calmly as he used Trina, cutting off the numerous arrows that stuck out from his chest, which made him resemble a porcupine. I could see the terror appear on her face from her words, causing her to do everything she could to escape from my grasp; she grabbed her little dagger and viciously stabbed my arm, yet my wounds healed up just as quickly as she caused them. Scoffing, I slapped her dagger away using Trina while slamming her against a tree, causing her to aggressively cough with some blood following soon after. "Are you going to rape her? I find that to be a fitting punishment." Said Lazuli calmly as she stood beside Alexander, whose expression twitched at her words. ''It might just be me, but why does she seem a little eager to see me do it?'' Thought Alexander suspiciously as he glanced at Lazuli, who calmly looked at him, causing him to slightly shake his head. "Luckily for you, I''m a pretty nice guy. So I won''t be doing that. Besides, I personally don''t have any desire to stick my cock anywhere near you, Elves, considering most of you are a hell of a racist. Except for Michelle, she can get it whenever." Said Alexander blandly as he gazed at Jalen, whose expression lit up while he whispered the last part to himself. "S-So y-you''ll spare me!? P-Please, I-I just followed along with what Liam said, I-I didn''t know he wanted to rape your lover! P-Please." Said Jalen pleadingly as tears streaked down her face, a sight that caused Alexander to wince slightly. "No, I''m nice, not stupid. Besides, you''ve already seen my golden blood; that alone is enough to kill you." Said Alexander as he tossed Jalen onto the ground, causing her to instantly stand up, attempting to flee, only for her head to fall to the ground beside her feet. Shrinking Trina back to normal, I coated her in flames to burn the blood, only to do the same with the two bodies as I absorbed my greatsword while walking toward my clothes. "Is something the matter, Alex? Did you regret not raping her?" Asked Lazuli as she approached her pile of clothes while her words nearly caused him to trip. "N-No. I just wish I had killed her without doing all that talking; it didn''t really leave a good taste in my mouth when I killed her after she did all that begging." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli while holding his clothes in his hand before approaching her. "Hmm, I see. I would''ve preferred if you raped her, though." Said Lazuli calmly as she gazed upwards at Alexander, whose expression constantly twitched. With Lazuli''s help, she was able to pull out all forty-nine arrows in one swift motion, causing me to heave a sigh of relief as all the pain vanished, though it also allowed me to don my armor again. "What is up with you and rape? Are you into that kind of stuff? I don''t know if I''ll be able to act as a good ''rapist'' next time we make love." Remarked Alexander lightly as he intensely gazed at Lazuli, who shook her head, further confusing him. "No, I simply haven''t seen what rape is, and I''m curious what it will be like." Said Lazuli innocently with a look of curiosity as she glanced at Alexander, who didn''t know how to react. "I don''t even know what to say to that." Muttered Alexander as he shook his head, ignoring her words for now. Chapter 241: Terrifying Or Beautiful? After our encounter with those two Elves, which had ruined our love-making session, we continued walking along the edge of the forest beside the dirt road; though now that I think about it, we had no idea where we were going, I just really wanted to leave the port-city, though I should''ve gotten a map or something. ''Welp, I''m damn sure not turning around now, so we press onward!'' Thought Alexander as he folded his arms before nodding to himself, nearly walking into a tree in the process. "It''s getting a little late. Do you want to continue or rest for the night, Lazuli? We can continue where we left off from before if you want." Asked Alexander as he raised his head, looking at the night sky, only to glance at Lazuli, who took a moment to respond. "We should continue through the night; it would be best if we further distanced ourselves from the crime scene; since we''re humans, I''m sure we''d be given no mercy if what happened were to somehow come to light." Replied Lazuli lightly as she opened her eyes and looked at Alexander, who softly sighed before nodding. "Haa, yeah, you''re right. Welp, at least give me a few kisses." Said Alexander with a nod as he groaned in annoyance, only to lean down, stealing Lazuli''s lips with a passionate kiss. Enjoying Lazuli''s delicious and plump lips, we reluctantly continued onward through the night, and although we happened to spot some Elves walking along the dirt road, we would always conceal ourselves deeper within the forest as neither of us felt like dealing with them. Throughout the rest of the night, it was pretty calm, with a few groups of Elves every here and there, and while we did come across a beast, he happened to be pretty docile despite how intimidating he looked. By the time the first rays of morning peeked from beyond the horizon after several hours, everything was pretty much the same; the only difference was that we were now further away from where I had killed those Elves. "This is¡­ Not what I had in mind when I thought of visiting Asckbon. First, we''re forced to deal with racist Elves; now we''re spending our time walking through the forest¡­ I guess Yuki was smart not to come." Muttered Alexander lightly as he walked in a funny manner, doing whatever he could think of to relieve his boredom. Again, the next few hours of the morning were nothing special, and just when noon began to roll around, although faint, I heard yelling in the distance. "Eh, Lazuli, do you hear that?" Asked Alexander lightly with furrowed brows as he stopped walking, his words causing Lazuli to do the same. "No." Replied Lazuli with a shake of her head as she strained her ears, yet her natural senses were inferior to Alexander''s. Closing my eyes, I focused on my ears, trying to listen, but I was too far away; all I could make out were the sounds of faint yelling; however, thankfully, if I could hear something, that meant it was close enough to where I should be able to see it. Exiting the forest, I stepped out onto the dirt path and squinted as I looked far into the distance, only to see what looked like a carriage and several people protecting it from what seemed to be a single attacker. "Did you figure it out, Alex?" Asked Lazuli as she turned and glanced at Alex, who nodded with a slight frown. "Yeah, looks like a bandit or just someone, but they''re attacking a carriage." Said Alexander as he quickly reentered the forest before picking up speed, dashing through the forest''s vegetation while summoning Trina from his body. I didn''t really like these Elves, but at the same time, I couldn''t just ignore people in such a plight; I had to at least get a closer look before deciding anything. "Are you intending to help them? They will most likely be racist like the previous Elves." Stated Lazuli as she followed right behind Alexander, who nodded with a sigh.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Don''t know yet, but yeah, you''re probably right." Replied Alexander softly with a wry expression as he shook his head, only to slow down until he stopped. Nearing the battle, I could clearly hear and see what was going on, and from the looks of things, the people protecting the carriage seemed to be Adventurers or something of the sort, yet they had little coordination with each other, causing a lot of their attacks to either fail or backfire which resulted in arguing, and well, it was apparent they were merely delaying the inevitable. The person attacking was an Elven woman, and although most of her face was covered by a golden helmet, leaving only her mouth visible, I had this feeling she was exceptionally beautiful, even by Elven standards; following her face, she had long, red hair, reaching down to her butt, which was something I''d never seen on an Elf till now, as their hair color is blonde primarily or brown. She wore a red cape around her neck, though, upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn''t red, at least initially red, but actually white, which took me aback as I understood the implications. ''How many people has she killed?'' Thought Alexander with an astonished expression as he gazed at the elven woman, finding it hard to avert his eyes. She wore two layers of clothes, with her second one being a somewhat tight-fitting, brownish dress, though from the waist down, it was cut, allowing for ease of movement; her first layer was most likely just regular pants and a long-sleeved shirt, given how most of her skin was hidden from view. However, I did notice her lack of armor; except for her sword-wielding arm, helmet, and two legs, she had no armor whatsoever, though I suppose I couldn''t say anything else about it given how she''d yet to be touched by any of her opponents. "Alex, you''re blushing." Said Lazuli lightly as she eyed Alexander, who was finally snapped out of his daze. "Eh, I-I was? My heart as well." Remarked Alexander in surprise as he touched his blushing cheeks, only to touch his chest, feeling his rapidly beating heart. I knew this feeling all too well, and I didn''t even need to question why my heart was beating so fiercely despite me doing nothing; even an idiot would be able to figure out it was because of that woman. ''I-I mean, she is sort of hot.'' Thought Alexander as he stared at the woman in fascination, causing Lazuli to frown subtly. Shaking my head at such thoughts, I had already checked the carriage, and it was filled with numerous people, most likely just normal citizens trying to get between cities, and while they were most likely racist, as Lazuli said, I wasn''t so cruel enough to as ignore them when they needed help. So, with a sigh, I prepared to exit the first and assist them, yet before I could, the woman suddenly leaped high in the air, with her sword overhead behind her back, and what happened next was terrifying. She practically flew through the air while attacking her enemies with such explosive speed it left them unable to defend her relentless onslaught; she maneuvered through her opponents without any difficulty as she struck each and every one of them down with such precision I was left awestruck. Even when one of them tried to distance themselves from her, she covered numerous meters in the blink of an eye as she reached her fleeing opponent, leaving gashes all over his back. With a flick of her long blade, she finally landed on the ground again, with no opponent left standing; within the span of five, maybe six seconds, she had defeated her nine opponents. Slapping my face, I shook myself out of yet another daze and summoned Zartha with my other hand as I exited the forest; though it was no longer with the sole purpose of helping the people in the carriage, part of it was because of her. "Hey, Lazuli, can you stay here for now?" Asked Alexander while emerging from the forest and approaching the woman, causing Lazuli to squint before nodding. The closer I reached the woman, the more rapid my heart became; it almost felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, but before I could even approach her, one of the adventurers grabbed my ankle, stopping me. "H-Help me!" Said the man weakly, coughing blood while holding Alexander''s leg. Inwardly cursing at the man, I ripped my leg away from his grip, only to be met with the tip of a blade a few inches away from my head, prompting me to instantly use [Heroes Gaze] as my reaction speed greatly increased. Still, even so, I was barely given what felt like a second as I used [Blink], teleporting a few feet behind the woman. "Um, I-I know my words don''t sound trustworthy, given I''m wielding two massive swords, but can we talk things out? I don''t really want you to harm the people inside the carriage." Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at the woman, who didn''t hesitate to push off her foot while slashing behind her. Thanks to her extra-long sword, which was even longer than mine, I was forced to back away as I further distanced myself while raising my hands into the air, trying to seem as harmless as possible since I didn''t really want to fight her. "A human?" Muttered the woman softly in confusion as she stared at Alexander, causing him to sigh inwardly. ''Damn, even her voice is pleasant!'' Thought Alexander as he stared at the women with a faint blush, something Lazuli noticed. (Note: A picture of her is on my discord) Chapter 242: Skill Issue Subtly shaking my head, I got rid of such thoughts and focused on the matter at hand, which was to deescalate the current situation from further progressing; however, that was promptly cut short when the woman stepped forward while slicing her sword, causing me to gulp nervously. ''Why was that so badass!?'' Thought Alexander as he eyed the woman in slight awe, only for her to suddenly lunge at him with immense speed. Taken aback by her aggressiveness, I swiftly tilted my body to the side, narrowly evading her long sword while I quickly backed away, dodging another slash; raising my hands into the air, I tried to once again talk things out, but she didn''t seem to have any interest in listening as she pushed off the ground and dashed towards me. "M-Miss! P-Please, I''m n-not trying to fight you! L-Let''s just talk things out!" Said Alexander anxiously as he continuously dodged the woman''s attacks while trying to sound as friendly as possible, though to no avail. As frustrating as it was, the woman had no desire to listen to me; hell, she didn''t even at least think about my words as she continuously attacked, her sword always a hair''s breadth away from slicing through my skin. Leaning backward, I watched her sword stab right where I was previously standing, only for me to blink away as she sliced downwards, nearly cutting me in half. "Alright, woman, you''re making this difficult, but since you don''t want to listen to reason, maybe I need to beat it into you a little. Sorry in advance; I would''ve preferred not to harm you." Remarked Alexander in slight annoyance as he twisted his swords, brandishing the dull side of his blades while eyeing the woman, who clicked her tongue, seemingly taking offense by his actions. Just as I was about to go ahead and knock some sense into her, she raised her sword into the air, only to slash downwards, launching a curved wave of reddish-black mana that sliced through the air; quickly raising my swords, I firmly planted my feet and blocked the powerful attack that had pushed me a few feet back. ''Ouch!'' Said Trina loudly as she and Zartha twitched in pain, their voices startling Alexander. ''Eh, are you two okay!? What happened?'' Asked Alexander in concern as he glanced at his two swords, only to block the woman''s sword, yet, she redirected her blade last minute, nearly poking his eye out. ''Focus, Master. We shall inform you later; just try to evade that attack from now on.'' Said Zartha coldly as she bent down and gently rubbed Trina''s head, soothing her pain. Inwardly nodding at Zartha''s words, I shifted my focus to the fight at hand, only for her blade to finally reach me as she nicked my cheek, causing my golden blood to flow down the side of my cheek, though it was for a split second as it healed right¡­ ''Wait¡­ Why isn''t it healing?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he quickly leaped into the air, using [Air Step] to further distance himself. Touching my cheek, I felt a stinging pain and saw my own blood, which only further confused me since such a small wound like this should''ve been healed within a second, yet, for some reason, it hadn''t healed at all. I was entirely clueless as to why, but I knew it had to do something with that woman''s blade; maybe it was also related to that reddish-black mana I saw; unfortunately, I wasn''t given a chance to ponder as she swiftly charged right at me. Quickly bringing my sword up, I stopped her blade while I used Trina to slash at her, using the dull side of my blade, yet, with a leap, she dodged my attack before kicking me in the face with her armored foot, causing me to wince at the lingering pain that I hadn''t dealt with in so long. Regaining my bearings, I slashed upwards at her approaching figure, yet she simply deflected it using her sword as she continued dashing toward me; using Zartha, I slashed at her from above, figuring she''d be forced to dodge as her sword was dealing with my other blade. However, I was sorely mistaken; with incredible skill, she flicked her sword and pivoted on her foot, using her heel to Trina into Zartha, slightly knocking me off balance, and although I managed to quickly recover, she had slashed right through my armor, leaving a deep gash on my chest.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Clutching my chest, I gazed down at my wound and winced before raising my head at the woman, who didn''t give me an ounce of rest as she lunged towards me, her blade now coated in my golden blood. Powering through the pain, I tried to fight her, but as much as I hated to admit it, I was merely her punching bag. Her skill with the blade¡­ It was incredible, and she was able to easily take advantage of my lack of skill as she targeted all of my openings, leaving behind numerous wounds on my body that wouldn''t heal no matter what. This battle lasted for no more than a few minutes, and although I held out longer than the several adventurers from before, I was left in a rather pathetic state. Gritting my teeth, I slashed down at her, causing her to retract her blade from my stomach while she backed away, causing me to drop to one knee as I stared at her in annoyance. "Y-You know, w-we really c-could''ve j-just talked about this." Said Alexander softly as he stared at the woman, who flicked her blade, cleaning it. Once again, she didn''t say anything and merely lunged right at me for the umpteenth time, causing me to roll my eyes; I decided to start fighting for real as I used [Lightning Cloak], causing my body to be coated in a thin bluish aura while faint arcs of lightning danced across my body. Using [Heroes Gaze] in conjunction, I pushed off the ground and speedily dashed toward her, taking her by complete surprise as I dropped my sword before clenching my fist and punching her in the stomach. Watching her skid across the ground, I felt slightly better about myself, though even after taking my surprise attack, she quickly recovered as she held her helmet while stopping her momentum. "Ouch." Muttered the woman quietly as she spat blackish blood onto the ground, causing it to seep into the soil as it swiftly destroyed everything it touched. Opening my hand, I summoned Trina right back to me just as the woman stood up, prompting me to raise my swords, yet instead of immediately attacking, all of a sudden, her clothes evaporated off her body, though that didn''t catch my attention, no, it was the potent reddish-black mana that seeped out of her body, that drew all of my attention. ''Dangerous.'' Thought Alexander with a solemn gaze as he stared at the woman, watching as her aura continued to increase. At some point, I felt the ground tremble while it quickly darkened, a thick blanket of dark clouds covering the sun as thunder violently roared from above. I had no idea what was happening, and the only time such a drastic change in weather occurred was when I wept for Master; however, it was apparent that whoever this woman was, she was someone very special. "Die!" "Who!?" Exclaimed Alexander with a deep frown as he used Heroes Gaze to look all around him, yet he couldn''t find the voice''s origin. Whoever that was, despite her voice sounding like a Goddess, it was laced with venom and seemed to carry a deep-seated hatred for who I assumed was the woman before me. Speaking of her, the blade in her hands was now enveloped within her dangerous mana, though unlike her pieces of armor that were slowly being destroyed, it remained perfectly fine. However, what followed next caused me to gulp as I saw her leap into the air while placing her sword above her head and behind her back; I didn''t dare to blink as she speedily arrived beside me while violently slashing her sword. Even with my enhanced speed, I found it incredibly difficult to block her sword, not to mention the reddish-black mana that seeped out of her worsened my already present injuries; however, regarding my injuries, most of them have healed, it just takes some time for them heal. Getting stabbed in the back, I bit my lip and ignored it, doing my best to survive her onslaught of sword slashes from seemingly every direction. One by one, gashes and holes appeared on my body just as my older wounds slowly healed; I ensured my vitals were always protected while forgoing less important places, which were pretty much everything that wasn''t my heart or brain. It felt like it''d been minutes, but not even ten seconds had passed, and I''d blocked over a hundred attacks; it might''ve just been my imagination, but she seemed to be getting faster. ''This isn''t good, w-why couldn''t we have just talked!?'' Thought Alexander as his blades turned into a purplish-black blur as he did his best to block, divert, or redirect. The longer this went on, the more I began to sense her frustration as her attacks became faster and more accurate, making it more difficult for me as I struggled to hold out. However, just when I felt I''d have to make a desperate move to escape, I saw a massive bolt of lightning suddenly leave the clouds as it struck right where we were standing. ''No, it''s aiming for her.'' Thought Alexander with slightly widened eyes as he gritted his teeth before lunging forward, receiving many deadly gashes. Feeling her sword pierce my heart, I coughed blood while raising Zartha and using [Expand], causing her to grow to over twice her size as I used her as a shield to protect us from the lightning bolt. Chapter 243: Leaving On A Good Note Once all the smoke cleared, I lowered Zartha and stabbed her into the ground while eyeing the woman, whose sword was still lodged into my chest. "A-Are you o-okay?" Asked Alexander softly as he gazed at the woman, who furrowed her brows only to push him off her body while removing her sword from his chest. "Argh. I-I''ll take that as a yes." Muttered Alexander softly with a grunt of pain as he lay on the floor while grabbing his chest, his wound showing no signs of healing. Tilting my head, I turned and glanced at the woman, who had reined in her reddish-black mana and was now walking away, though she had no clothes if you count her four armor pieces as clothes. Inwardly grumbling, I reached into my space pouch and grabbed a shirt and some pants; although they''re male clothes, it''s better than nothing. Besides, Lazuli''s clothes are far too small, so I didn''t even bother asking her. "H-Hey! I-If you tell me your name, I''ll g-give you these." Said Alexander weakly as he sat upright with a grunt while holding his clothes in his hand, his words grabbing the woman''s attention as she stopped and gazed at him. She gave me one hell of a skeptical look and didn''t even bother to gaze at herself before she cautiously approached me, causing me to roll my eyes as I was in no condition to fight someone. With a few grunts, I slowly stood up, nearly stumbling onto my butt, but Zartha served as a good cane to keep me propped up. ''I''m being used as everything but what I''m intended for.'' Muttered Zartha coldly in annoyance as she folded her arms and closed her eyes, all while Trina chuckled in amusement. Once she arrived before me, we stared directly into each other''s eyes; well, I couldn''t see her thanks to her helmet, but she could for sure see mine. "Vanye." Said Vanye with her heavenly voice akin to that of a goddess, surprising Alexander as he lightly smiled while handing her his clothes. "A beautiful name and beautiful voice." Muttered Alexander softly as he eyed Vanye, who promptly wore his clothes before glancing at him. "You''re weird." Said Vanye as she gave Alexander a once-over, causing him to chuckle as he outstretched his hand towards her. "Yeah, you''re not wrong. I''m Alexander Vestalis, by the way." Remarked Alexander with a friendly smile as he looked at Vanye, who hesitantly grabbed his hand using her golden prosthetic hand. "So, now that I''ve finally succeeded in getting us to talk, can you do me a favor for pretty much saving your life and not attacking the carriage?" Asked Alexander as he lowered his hand and gestured to the carriage behind him while eyeing Vanye, who reluctantly nodded. Sighing in relief that all my hard work hadn''t been for naught, I was about to ask Vanye, but before I could, she suddenly turned around and walked away. "I must get going, Alexander¡­ Thank you." Said Vanye softly as she walked down the dirt road, her words barely reaching Alexander''s ears. "Haa, I understand, and you''re welcome. I hope to encounter you again¡­ Hopefully, on better circumstances." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile as he waved at Vanye, who momentarily stopped before continuing down the road. It was quite unfortunate to watch her leave, but I''m glad we ended on a somewhat good note; besides, on the bright side, it was a little amusing to watch her walk away while wearing my clothes, which were extra baggy on her. She was pretty tall, only an inch or two shorter than me, but she was a stick figure compared to me; she probably weighed no more than one hundred eighty pounds, which is hardly anything when you''re nearly six-foot-six. Anyway, with a shake of my head, I was about to make my way over towards the carriage to check upon everyone inside, only to spot Lazuli standing before Vanye; however, thankfully, in the end, nothing happened as Lazuli ignored her after a while before approaching me.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Is everything fine, Lazu¨C" Asked Alexander in slight concern as he gazed at Lazuli, who suddenly grabbed his collar before yanking him down and passionately kissing him, surprising him and Vanye, who was secretly watching. "I was worried." Said Lazuli calmly as she parted her lips from Alexander''s, causing him to faintly nod with a gulp. "I-I''m sorry, I-I didn''t mean to make you worry." Stated Alexander as he gazed at Lazuli, who nodded with a faint smile before patting his chest and approaching the carriage. Watching Lazuli walk away, I couldn''t help but touch my lips as I stared at her body, my desires growing as I felt my cock press against my pants. I don''t know what it was, but her action had stirred my lust; the only problem was, I couldn''t act on it right now. ''Tsk, stupid cock-blocking Elves.'' Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he slowly approached splots of dried ichor on the ground. While Lazuli dealt with the carriage, I used this chance to clean any evidence of my blood, which did get me confused about our surroundings since, despite having blocked a massive bot of lightning, there didn''t seem to be any aftermath; it was like it never even happened. ''Even the atmospheric mana looks normal.'' Thought Alexander as he looked at the sky using [Heroes Gaze], only to shake his head afterward. Once I spotted no more of my blood, I glanced down at my chest, which was still emitting reddish-black mana, which was hampering my healing, but it wasn''t able to entirely stop it; however, still, it would be a while until I was fully healed. ''Can I flush out the mana with my own?'' Thought Alexander as he expelled his mana from his wound, slowly dispersing the reddish-black mana that stuck to his body like glue. My assumption was correct; the only problem was that it wasn''t efficient at all, so I figured Lazuli and I should leave this place before I wasted my mana on ridding myself of this reddish-black mana. ''Tsk, I should''ve asked Vanye to help me before she left.'' Mused Alexander with a click of his tongue, only for him to glance at Lazuli when he felt her touching him. "So, how were the Elves? Racist?" Asked Alexander as he eyed Lazuli, who lightly nodded, causing him to sigh while rubbing his head. "What did you do with them?" "Nothing, I merely welded the doors shut." Remarked Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they turned and gazed at the carriage, only for him to shake his head. Figuring it better not to question Lazuli, I looked around at the bodies of the Elven adventurers, and although Vanye had unfortunately killed them, a few were still living, their lives hanging by a single thread. ''Great, now I won''t feel bad when leaving.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he reached into his pouch, grabbing three vials of his diluted blood. Approaching the three remaining survivors, I poured a vial of my diluted blood into each of them, causing all of their most serious wounds to heal while leaving only a few flesh wounds. With our job complete, we didn''t extend our stay and promptly left, heading back into the forest while letting the three remaining survivors deal with the aftermath. "I want to take a nap." Muttered Alexander softly as he followed behind Lazuli, moving a little slow given he was still wounded. ___ ___ It was the morning of the next day; Lazuli and I had camped out pretty deep in the forest after she created a small house with the help of her earth mana, which provided me with a place to lick my wounds. As of right now, I was perfectly healed and back into tip-top shape, yet instead of continuing our journey, I rolled onto my side as I grasped Lazuli''s waist, pulling her into my embrace. "Now, we can finally continue where we were previously interrupted." Said Alexander lustfully as he rubbed his hardened cock between Lazuli''s buttcheeks, causing her to clench them together. "Oh, you naughty woman!" Stated Alexander with a smirk as he pushed Lazuli onto her stomach, holding her arms down while he aggressively thrust his cock between her buttcheeks, causing her to ever so faintly moan. With the sound of our flesh slapping together, I increased my speed before slamming my hips against her butt while I spewed all of my thick semen onto Lazuli''s back, painting it white. "Ah, that felt good, but it''s far from over¡­ I''m just getting started." Said Alexander with a smirk as he flipped Lazuli onto his back, staring into her eyes while rubbing his cock against her sopping-wet vagina. "What are you waiting for then?" Asked Lazuli with a mischievous smirk as she tilted her head, her words causing Alexander to laugh wickedly while he pushed her legs far back, nearly racing her head. Mounting Lazuli, I held her legs down with my body and slowly pushed my cock into her amazingly tight vagina while I held her hands as I stole her lips; "I''m going to impregnate you." Stated Alexander with a wicked grin as he furiously thrust his hips into Lazuli''s hole, turning her into a moaning mess as she struggled to withstand his aggressive matting press. Lazuli''s insides were always something to marvel at, and after only a few minutes of non-stop thrusting, I ended up blowing my load deep within her, yet that didn''t stop me as I continued to pound away at her hole; it may be impossible for her to get pregnant, but I damn sure was going to try. Chapter 244: Elven Lazuli!? Our lovemaking continued throughout the day and well into the night, only stopping when the morning had arrived, yet given how there were no windows in our stone house, we very well could''ve continued far past morning. "Mhm, that was amazing, Lazuli; I filled you to the brim with my semen." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he lay on the ground beside Lazuli, gently kissing her cheek and causing her to nod. "Yes. It was very pleasurable." Said Lazuli with a small smile as she glanced at Alexander, who chuckled while moving his mouth down to her breasts. Since we were taking a rest break after our non-stop lovemaking escapade, I used that chance to further indulge myself in Lazuli''s body, though it didn''t take long for it to progress into us making love once more. "~Urgh~ y-you''re too tight, I-I''m going to cum!" Said Alexander as he repeatedly thrust into Lazuli''s tight hole, his words prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist, preventing him from leaving. "Do it inside. I want it deep inside of me." Said Lazuli softly as she wrapped her arms around Alexander''s neck while staring into his eyes, pushing him over the limit. With one final thrust, I released thick ropes of semen deep within Lazuli, furthering her bulging stomach as it filled her up with even more of my cum, though at the same time, it made her look as if she were pregnant, and such thoughts caused my cock to remain hard. ''Oh, I can''t wait to get my woman pregnant.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smirk as he stood up and grabbed Lazuli''s thighs, only to repeatedly knock against her womb with his cock. ___ ___ After our second round of fun, we cleaned ourselves using Lazuli''s water mana before continuing through the forest, heading closer to the road to ensure we didn''t lose our way. Nothing exciting happened either, and a few days passed by; of course, we took our time, spending each night making passionate love. Unfortunately, we didn''t encounter Vanye, whom I wished to talk to again, but I suppose you can''t force things like this. Speaking of Vanye, we did see several other Elves along the road, but for obvious reasons, we didn''t bother interacting with them. I had a strong feeling that just looking at us would give them expressions of disgust, and I didn''t feel like dealing with any of that. Eventually, after several days of walking, we finally came across a city, though here came another problem. How would we enter? "Will our Adventure License not be sufficient?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander while the two stood far off in the distance, away from any prying eyes. "Yes, they should be more than enough, but you''ve also experienced how the Elves have been treating us; even if we do have the required ID, they may make things difficult for us, not to mention they might not even let us in." Remarked Alexander in annoyance as he sat on a nearby log, rubbing his chin while eyeing the city. "If only we had an Elf to vouch for us or something, it would make our lives so much easier right now. I''m sure I could''ve gotten Vanye to help us." Added Alexander as he narrowed his eyes while whispering to himself, his words causing Lazuli to frown. While I was pondering solutions to easily get us into the city without dealing with elven guards, who were most likely racist, Lazuli''s body suddenly turned into metallic sludge as she stared at me in the form of a puddle. "Um, what are you doing?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he stared at Lazuli, who was only a head sticking out from a liquid metal puddle. I didn''t get a response, so I just sat back and watched her, though I must say, seeing her like this was always so weird to me, especially when you take into the fact I had pumped her with well over a pound of my semen.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ''Master, you do realize you''ve pretty much been making love with a robot, right?'' Said Trina lightly as she sat on the edge of her chair, kicking her feet while glancing at the sky. ''Lazuli''s a cyborg; there is a huge difference between the two. Besides, I would have no shame in plowing the insides of a robot¡­ Only if she were sexy, of course.'' Replied Alexander, his words causing Trina to simply sigh; already used his shameless behavior. Anyways, ignoring Trina, I switched my focus back to Lazuli, only to see her slowly grow until she had the figure of a human body, yet it was merely baby-sized; however, that was an easy fix as Lazuli continued to grow in size, eventually surpassing her normal height quite quickly. Raising my eyebrow, I stood up, watching as she reached a height similar to me, yet her body was very lithe, like that of an¡­ "... Elf?" Muttered Alexander with widened eyes as he stared at Lazuli with a large smile, only for him to furrow his brows. ''No, that won''t work; her hair color isn''t a big deal, but combined with her lack of pointed ears, it will be hard to deny such proof.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a slight frown as he gazed at Lazuli, only for his problem to be immediately solved. As if Lazuli was listening to my thoughts, she brushed her ears, causing them to slightly grown in size as they gained a pointed tip identical to that of an Elves; not only that, but her bluish hair had changed to dirty-blonde. "Better?" Asked Lazuli softly as she glanced at Alexander while slowly twirling, causing him to nod with a gulp. "Oh, for sure." Replied Alexander lightly while his eyes lingered on her butt, something she clearly noticed, causing her to step forward while grabbing the back of his head. "If you want, we can make love like this." Said Lazuli lightly as she softly kissed Alexander, who grew an erection with the quickness. "Oh, I can''t refuse such an invitation, but let''s save it for later." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he firmly grasped Lazulu''s butt before reluctantly removing his hand. With a nod from Lazuli, she backed away before snapping her fingers, causing clothes to adorn her graceful body, prompting me to pout, but I put up with the loss of her beauty and gave her a slight bow. "After you, M''lady." Said Alexander with a slight smirk while gesturing to the city, prompting Lazuli to walk towards it. Since Lazuli looked Identical to an Elf, she would obviously be the one taking the lead from now on, and all I would have to do was follow behind her like a good little boy. ''I really hope the Elves don''t have some secret passcode or something, that would suck.'' Thought Alexander with a faint chuckle as he and Lazuli approached the city. Since it was pretty early in the morning, there weren''t too many people waiting in line, though. I couldn''t help but smile when I noticed everyone who noticed us giving me looks of disgust, which meant Lazuli''s plan was working. ''Heh, I''m a genius!'' Mused Alexander with a wide smile as he silently stood behind Lazuli, slowly making their way toward the front of the line. "Have a good day, sir. NEXT!" Said an Elven guard as he patted an older man on the shoulder before turning and glancing at Lazuli, who was next in line, only for his expression to instantly sour. "Care to explain why you would ever be with a human, Mam?" Asked the guard curiously as he looked at Lazuli and glanced at Alexander, whose mere presence irritated him. "They serve as good pack mules." Said Lazuli lightly as she glanced at the guard before looking at Alexander, only for her expression to morph into a sadistic smile. "... I also love venting my anger on them; hearing their cries of pain as I whip them is such an exhilarating sensation." Added Lazuli as she stared at Alexander, causing him and the guard to shiver. "A-Ahh, I-I see." Muttered the guard with a slightly uncomfortable expression as he glanced at Lazuli while subconsciously stepping back. After Lazuli''s choice of words, the guard quickly examined our License before allowing us entry, prompting us to enter the city as we calmly walked down the street, garnering numerous looks of disgust, though I''ve gotten somewhat accustomed to it. "So, what shall we do?" Asked Lazuli lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I can''t really do much, but since you''re an Elf, you can use this chance to walk around the city and gather information I couldn''t get before." Replied Alexander, his words prompting Lazuli to nod as she raised her head, observing her surroundings. "I''ll go and do that then." Said Lazuli as she didn''t hesitate to walk off, leaving Alexander by himself in the middle of a crowd full of human-hating Elves. Watching Lazuli walk off, I felt my face constantly twitch, yet in the end, I merely sighed before shaking my head and walking in a different direction; there wasn''t much to be done on my end, but I suppose I could at least explore the city. ''Maybe I''ll find Vanye? This is in the same direction she was walking.'' Thought Alexander with slight hope as he maneuvered through the crowd, purposefully avoiding any guards. Chapter 245: Vanimo The Cutey (Note: Pic of Vanimo will be posted on Discord either today or tomorrow) ___ ___ An hour had passed since Lazuli and I entered the city, and unfortunately, there was no success in locating Vanye, which I half expected, so I wasn''t depressed; no, if anything had made me depressed, it was that even some Elven children gazed upon me in disgust, hell, some even threw tomatoes at me when I walked by. ''Haa, now that''s depressing.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he turned down an empty alley before hiding behind a wall, using this chance to take a break. I''ve walked around most of the City by this point. The only place I hadn''t visited was the market, but I was heading there right now, so that will be crossed off my list; after that''s done, I guess I''ll just go and meet up with Lazuli, wherever she is. ''We should''ve agreed upon a place to meet beforehand.'' Thought Alexander with a faint sigh as he pushed himself off the wall before exiting the alley and entering the crowd of Elves once more. While walking amongst Elves, who all hated my kind with a passion, I eventually arrived at the market, causing me to inhale the air deeply as I smelled various scents I''d never smelled before. As I gazed at the various vendors and stores, I spotted numerous fruits, vegetables, and even spices I''d never seen before; such a sight caused me to drool as I imagined cooking so many different ingredients. However, my hopes of acquiring any of the ingredients were dashed when I noticed nearly every vendor giving me the same look as all of their fellow Elves, causing me to sigh as I lowered my head, grumbling in annoyance. "Tsk, stupid Elves." Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he inwardly scoffed. Shaking my head, I was about to turn around and leave as these Elves were beginning to annoy me, yet just as I turned, a small Elf crashed into me, spilling all of their food onto the ground. "Ah, I''m so sorry." Said Alexander softly as he helped the Elf onto their feet, only to raise an eyebrow in surprise as he stared at them. ''Huh, red hair?'' Mused Alexander lightly as he gazed at the Elf''s reddish hair, reminding him of Vanye, only for him to shake his head. "Ah, no, you''re fine; it was my fault; I wasn''t paying attention to where I was walking. I should be the one apologizing." Said the Elf with a soft, feminine voice as she dusted her clothes off while raising her head, only for her to widen her eyes in surprise. "Eh, a Human?" Mutted the Elf in slight surprise, her words causing Alexander to reluctantly nod. I was expecting her to start calling me slurs or whatnot, yet, surprisingly, she just stared at me in curiosity and fascination, which I wasn''t expecting at all; after all, the only person who didn''t seem to downright hate me for being a human was Vanye, and even then, we ended up having one crazy fight where even the world tried to kill us. "Um, y-you don''t hate me or anything?" Asked Alexander lightly as he awkwardly rubbed his head while gazing at the Elf, who titled her head in confusion. "Why would I hate you? It was my fault I crashed into you. AH, MY FOOD!" Replied the Elf while giving Alexander a confused expression, only for her eyes to widen as she shifted her focus to the ground before quickly dropping to her knees and picking them up. "Ah, let me help you with that." Said Alexander with a small smile as he squatted down and helped the Elf, using his much larger hands to grab multiple items before placing them into the basket. Unfortunately, some of the items were a little delicate and damaged when she crashed into me; not only that, but a few had been walked on, and I''m sure she wouldn''t want to eat food that''s been stepped on.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Thank you for your help." Said the Elf with a smile as she picked up the basket and stared at Alexander, who outstretched his hand before picking up the basket, including her. "Here, let me help you; you seem to have difficulty carrying it." Remarked Alexander softly as he gazed at the Elf, who hung from the basket before shaking her head. "N-No, that''s really not necessary; you''ve already helped me pick my items up; besides, I need to go back and get some more." Stated the Elf with a shake of her head as she looked at Alexander, who simply smiled in response. "That''s fine by me; it''s my first time in this city, so I could use it as a chance to continue exploring the market; besides, I still feel guilty, so let me help you." Said Alexander with a faint smirk and a thumbs up as he looked at the Elf, who hesitantly sighed while releasing her hold on the basket. "I-If you insist. It is difficult for me to carry that basket alone." Said the Elf softly, feeling slightly embarrassed as she scratched her head while looking away, causing Alexander to chuckle. "Hehe, so where to? I''m following you; oh, also, I never did get your name. I''m Alexander, by the way, though you can just call me Alex." Remarked Alexander with a faint smile, giving a slight bow while pointing forward, causing the Elf to chuckle as she slightly widened her eyes. "Ah, Alexander? That''s a wonderful name, Alex. I''m Vanimo. It''s a pleasure to meet you; oh, and despite my appearance, I''m an adult, although I''m usually mistaken for a child." Said Vanimo with a smile as she gazed at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow in slight surprise before smirking. "Heh, an adult? Well, that''s good; now I won''t feel awkward when calling you cute." Declared Alexander with a playful smile, his words causing Vanimo''s expression to turn awkward. "Ah, a-about that Alex¨C" Said Vanimo quietly, yet she was interrupted by Alexander''s enthusiastic voice. "Alright, so where are we going, Vanimo?" Asked Alexander with a small smile as he looked at Vanimo, who shook her head before pointing in the direction she began walking. "This way, Alex, try to keep up; the basket is pretty heavy." Said Vanimos with a faint smile as she looked back at Alexander, who simply chuckled while causally spinning the basket on his finger. "Oh, don''t worry, I''ll be right behind you." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he gazed at Vanimo, only for his eyes to wander towards her butt. ''Woah, that''s a nice butt.'' Mused Alexander softly as he stared at Vanimo''s butt while she walked, only for him to shake his head. ''Keep your head in the game, Alex. It''s rude to stare at the butt of a beautiful woman you just met.'' Thought Alexander as he stared firmly at Vanimo''s back, his eyes only occasionally glancing down at her butt. ___ ___ "Have a wonderful day, Mam." Said the vendor as she waved at Vanimo, who did so back, all while completely ignoring Alexander''s existence, something he''d gotten used to. "Is it just me, Vanimo, or do you have way more stuff than when you bumped into me?" Asked Alexander as he stared at the basket before skeptically glancing at Vanimo, who didn''t even try to hide it. "Yep, I usually don''t get much because it''s difficult to carry it back home, but since I''ve got you to help¨C" Replied Vanimo with a slight smile as she turned and gazed at Alexader, only for her to freeze while her expression morphed into one of dread. "Hmm, is something the matter?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he gently shook Vanimo, who just stared at the basket with a dreadful gaze. "I''ll carry the basket back to your home if you''re worried about that. I don''t mind; I literally have nothing better to do; besides, what man would refuse to help a cute girl?" Added Alexander lightly as he glanced at the basket before looking back at Vanimo. The basket wasn''t really that heavy, maybe a little over a hundred pounds, which was nothing to me; after all, do you know how many different positions Yuki and I will make love in that require me to carry her? It''s not that many, but the point is, a hundred pounds isn''t heavy; however, to Vanimo, it might as well be the weight of the world; it also seemed my words sparked some life back into as her gaze returned to normal. "I-I, are you sure, Alex? I-I don''t live inside the City." Said Vanimo softly as she glanced at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, that''s fine; it doesn''t really make a difference to me. Besides, I don''t think I''d feel comfortable letting you walk to your house alone now that I know it''s outside the city." Replied Alexander with a nod as he flashed a smile at Vanimo, who heaved a sigh in relief before hugging him. "Haa, thank you very much, Alex." "N-No problem." Said Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as they glanced at each other, only for the former to blush deeply. "W-W-Was t-t-that your m-manhood?" Asked Vanimo with a deep blush as she glanced at Alexander, who didn''t say anything and quickly walked forward. "A-Ah, A-Alex, I-I n-need t-to tell you s-something important!" Said Vanimo as she chased after Alexander, who covered his ears while slightly blushing. "Nope, not listening!" Stated Alexander firmly as he continued walking down the street, ignoring everything Vanimo said. ''Fuck, fuck fuck! What the fucking hell was that, Alex!?'' Thought Alexander in anger, shame, and embarrassment as he glanced down at his semi-erection. Chapter 246: Vanimo and Vanye After that incredibly embarrassing situation, Vanimo and I silently walked beside each other; she still seemed a little embarrassed about everything, and I was definitely ashamed of myself. I couldn''t even explain why I got erect from a simple hug; it''s not like I''ve never felt the touch of a woman before. I''ve spent many hours making love throughout my life, and I''m not new to it in the slightest. In the end, all I could do was chalk it up to an unfortunate circumstance since I was not even feeling horny or anything of the sort; Lazuli and I had spent all of last night making love like crazy, so there was no way I''d still be horny. Anyway, the more I thought about it, the more it annoyed me, so I opened my mouth, hoping a change in topic would make me forget about what had occurred¡­ Unlikely though. "S-So, what do you do for a living, Vanimo?" Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanimo, who seemed slightly startled before quickly regaining her bearings. "Oh, I-I don''t have any job; my little sister does all the work; I''m more like a wife if anything. I keep the house clean, shop, and tend to her when she returns home." Replied Vanimo as she glanced at Alexander with a thoughtful expression while tapping her chin, causing him to inwardly click his tongue. ''Little sister? Dammit, I was hoping she was related to Vanye.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh, only for him to shake his head before shifting his focus back to Vanimo. "That''s quite nice; having a sibling is quite the luxury." Remarked Alexander with a nod while softly smiling, thinking back to his brother from his past life. "Do you not have a sibling, Alex?" "Nope. I''m an only child; my mother might''ve had another child, but things happened." Said Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as she glanced at him, prompting him to shake his head. "Ah, I''m so sorry to hear that, Alex. I know exactly what it feels like to be abandoned by your own parents; because of our deformities, I was merely 9 when my parents abandoned me and my newborn sister. I''m just glad she has no recollection of them; I prefer it that." Remarked Vanimo apologetically as she gave Alexander a look of pity while horrible memories flashed through her mind. "Eh, no, that''s not what happened, Vanimo. My mother died almost immediately after I was born." Said Alexander in slight surprise as he gave Vanimo a confused expression, causing her to be taken aback. "Oh, i-it seems I jumped to conclusions, hehe." Muttered Vanimo with a beautiful laugh, her words causing Alexander to lightly shake his head. "Still, I''m very sorry for your loss, Alex; for no one to care for you, it must''ve been a miracle you managed to survive, though I''m glad you did." Stated Vanimo softly as she looked at Alexander with a smile, causing him to awkwardly scratch his head. "I was actually raised by my Master, and speaking of her, she''s the reason I''m even here in Asckbon. I wanted to return some things to her family." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanimo, whose expression twitched once more before she lowered her head and sighed. "I should finish listening before jumping to conclusions." Said Vanimos softly with a sigh, her words causing Alexander to chuckle in amusement before shaking his head. "It''s fine, Vanimo, you''re worrying too much. Besides, it is kind of funny to laugh at your supposed misfortune." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he patted Vanimos'' shoulder, his words causing her expression to twitch once more, only for her to sigh. "Haa, I''m glad at least one of us is enjoying this." Muttered Vanimo softly with an annoyed look as she eyed Alexander, who sported a large smile. Laughing at Vanimo, we continued walking through the streets of the city, garnering various looks from several elves, but neither of us really seemed to care, so we just ignored them and kept to ourselves. However, when we tried to exit the city, that''s when we received the most trouble since it seemed the guard from before remembered me. "Hey! Human, where are you going!?" Exclaimed the guard in slight anger as he pointed at Alexander, quickly approaching him while his fellow guards followed in his footsteps.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Eh, w-what''s the problem?" Asked Vanimo in confusion as she glanced between the guards and Alexander, who was slowly approaching her. "Everything will be fine; just stay calm; we''ll deal with this Human." Said one of the guards softly with a smile as he glanced at Vanimo while grasping his hilt. "What happened with the woman you entered with?" Questioned the guard sternly as he glared at Alexander, who grasped Vanimo''s hand. "You know, I''ve got a strong feeling you''re not going to let me go no matter what I say, so go fuck yourselves." Remarked Alexander with a wicked smirk as he stuck his tongue out at the several guards, his words only serving to anger them. "Tch, get him!" "Don''t let him escape!" Yelled the guards as they unsheathed their swords and dashed toward Alexander and Vanimo. "W-Why did you say that!?" Exclaimed Vanimo in slight anger as she looked at Alexander, who suddenly grinned, only for her eyes to widen while she observed her surroundings. "W-Where are we? What happened?" Added Vanimo in pure confusion as she observed the forest they were now standing in. "I just used [Mass Teleport] to teleport far away; however, we should get moving; we''re not that far away. Which way is your home?" Replied Alexander proudly with a grin as he puffed his chest out while glancing at Vanimo, who raised an eyebrow before nodding. "O-Okay, give me a moment." Said Vanimo with a nod as she approached a tree before closing her eyes and placing her hand on it, taking Alexander aback. "Eh, you can also speak to trees?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Vanimo, who gave him a confused expression before shaking his head. "Speak to trees? No, I can''t do that; I''m just searching through the network of trees to find where my home is. Can you talk to trees?" Replied Vanimo with a slightly surprised expression as he glanced at Alexander, who nodded while placing his hands on the tree. "Well, talking to them is a bit of an overstatement as they don''t communicate through words like you and I; they transfer raw emotions to convey whatever they''re trying to say. It''s very handy, and I''ve used it a lot, but speaking with words is much superior. Oh, this tree also likes you." Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanimo, who stared between the tree and Alexander with a raised eyebrow, only to softly smile. "Anyways, which way are we heading in?" Asked Alexander as he removed his hand from the tree and glanced at Vanimo, who turned and pointed to the left behind her, prompting him to nod. Storing the basket into my space pouch, which barely fit, I turned around and squatted while pointing at my back. "C''mon, get on my back; I''ll carry you; it''ll be much quicker." Said Alexander, his words causing Vanimo to nod as she hesitantly climbed onto his back. "Woah, your back is so big and muscular." Said Vanimo softly as she rubbed her hands across Alexander''s back, only for her to slightly squeal when she felt his hands grasp her butt. ''Hmm, soft and plump.'' Mused Alexander with a slight smirk as he stood up and held Vanimo in place from her butt. "T-This reminds me, but Alexander, I''m not actually a w¨C" Said Vanimo softly as she quickly tried to get her point across, yet she couldn''t finish speaking as Alexander had suddenly shot into the distance like a bullet. "Hold onto my neck, or you''ll get whiplash." Said Alexander lightly as he slowed down just enough for Vanimo to pull herself closer to his back, only for him to speed up again. "I-I''m going to die!" Yelled Vanimo loudly in fear as she tightly clung onto Alexander''s neck, causing him to laugh while he maneuvered through the forest at breakneck speeds ___ ___ Spotting a home in the distance with the help of my [Heroes Gaze], I began to slow down while approaching it, and a few moments later, I entered a small clearing in the middle of the forest where a sizeable log cabin stood in the center. "Alright, we''ve arriv-" Said Alexander with a faint smile as he came to a stop, only for him to quickly summon Trina as he raised his sword, blocking a powerful slash from above. "Don''t move!" Stated Alexander sternly as he forcefully pushed the attacker backward before summoning Zartha while distancing himself, only for him to raise an eyebrow. "Vanye?" "Alex?" Said Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as they silently stared at each other while the latter lowered his weapons. I was about to approach her, but then she gazed at Vanimo before looking back at me, and she no longer seemed as friendly as before, not like she had ever looked that friendly in the first place. "Release Vanimo." Ordered Vanye sternly as she glared daggers at Alexander, whose expression twitched at her words. Before I could even say anything, Vanimo leaped off my back and approached Vanye, stumbling toward her since it seemed like she wasn''t used to moving at such intense speeds, but once she arrived before her, she snatched the blade right out of her hands. "Go inside the house." Said Vanimo as he held Vanye''s blade and pointed at the log cabin to their right. "B-But, Vanimo¨C" Said Vanye, though Vanimo promptly interrupted her. "GO!" Stated Vanimo sternly as he narrowed his eyes, causing Vanye to sigh as she sluggishly walked towards the cabin before slamming the door. "Haa, sorry about that, Alex." Said Vanimo apologetically as she glanced at Alexander, who sported a wry smile. Chapter 247: Mythical Sword Looking at Vanimo, I just smiled and dismissively waved my hand; it wasn''t my first time being attacked by her, so I wasn''t that bothered by it; I just hoped it would be the last time. "Ah, don''t worry about that, Vanimo; this wasn''t my first time being attacked by her." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he rubbed his head while approaching Vanimo, who raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, it did seem like you and Vanye knew each other beforehand." Muttered Vanimo softly as she lowered the sword and thoughtfully rubbed her chin. "Yes. We had actually met each other a few days ago, and a lot of interesting things happened, though, in the end, I''m pretty sure we left on a good note." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Vanimo before reaching down and gliding his hand across the blade. "Can I see that?" Asked Alexander as he pointed at the blade in Vanimo''s hand, causing her to tilt her head before nodding. "Sure; just don''t tell Vanye; she doesn''t really like it when someone other than me holds it." Replied Vanimo with a nod as she handed the sword to Alexander, who grabbed it before swinging it around, attempting to mimic Vanye''s movement. Although I tried to copy her movements from my memory, it quickly turned into a wasted effort as my swordsmanship was severely lacking when compared to her; I didn''t even bother attempting to do that deadly move where she practically flew through the air. "Impressive!" Said Vanimo with a cheerful smile as she clapped her hands, causing Alexander''s expression to twitch before shaking his head. "I appreciate it, but it wasn''t impressive in the slightest when compared to the one who actually wields this blade. To be honest, I felt like I was just swinging this sword around like a barbarian." Remarked Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he glanced at the sword before looking at Vanimo, who simply smiled. "Maybe you''re right. But considering I''m barely strong enough to even swing the blade, the fact you so effortlessly swung it was more than impressive in my eyes." Stated Vanimo with a slight smile as she grabbed the sword from Alexander''s hands before attempting to swing it, causing her to use the entire moment of her body, yet even then, the sword moved painfully slow. "S-See? J-Just a few swings, a-and I''m e-exhausted." Added Vanimo with heavy breathes as she turned and glanced at Alexander while dropping the sword onto the ground, causing him to nod. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, that sword is much heavier than it looks, so the fact you could swing it was already somewhat impressive." Said Alexander with a smile as he picked up the sword before poking Vanimo''s forehead, causing her to fall onto her back in exhaustion. "Yes, it very much does." Muttered Vanimos softly as she gasped for breath while smiling, causing Alexander to chuckle before turning around. With my back facing Vanimo, I used the sword and made a small cut in my arm, only for it to heal within seconds, prompting me to nod as I glanced at the log cabin. ''So it''s not the blade but Vanye; I figured that was the case, but I just wanted to make sure.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he rubbed his chin, only for him to summon Zartha from his body while holding the two swords side-by-side. ''What are you doing, Master?'' Asked Zartha coldly as she skeptically gazed at Alexander, who didn''t bother responding. Using [Hereos Gaze], I viewed deeply into Zartha, only to switch my focus to Vanye''s sword, yet I couldn''t help but frown as I constantly switched my eyes between the two; however, after a full minute, I shook my head, causing the glow in my eyes to vanish as I eyed Vanye''s sword. "Her sword¡­ It''s made of unalloyed Pulsar." Muttered Alexander softly as he gazed at Vanye''s sword in slight amazement. During our fight a few days ago, I hadn''t been intentionally trying to break Vanye''s sword, but I knew how strong and sharp my own blades were, so the fact that her sword hadn''t been damaged from the numerous clashes, let alone sliced in half, I knew there must''ve been something special about her sword; I just couldn''t check it until now, since during the battle, I was far more concerned about not being killed.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ''Eh, are you sure, Master? Having a weapon containing traces of Pulsar in the Mortal realm is already rare enough, let alone unalloyed Pulasar.'' Asked Trina as she looked up at the sky, glancing at Alexander, who nodded. ''Yes, it''s definitely unalloyed Pulsar; besides, what other material would be able to handle the power of something that made you two wince in pain?'' Remarked Alexander solemnly as he eyed Zartha, who folded her arms before nodding in agreement. ''Still, I was never expecting to come across another weapon similar to us, though it seems it doesn''t have a spirit artifact as we would''ve sensed it.'' Mused Zartha in slight surprise as she gazed at the sword directly beside her. "Um, Alex, can I get some help?'' Asked Vanimo as she glanced at Alexander, who snapped out of his train of thought before turning around while absorbing Zartha back into his body. "Heh, it seems someone exerted themselves too much." Said Alexander with a smirk as he squatted beside Vanimo, who wryly chuckled, only for him to furrow his brows. ''Hmm, she''s got a nice butt but a flat chest. Well, I suppose every Elf can''t be like Michelle.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gazed at Vanimo''s flat chest before shaking his head and picking her up into his arms. "Alright, let''s get you into your house; a certain someone has been eagerly waiting for you." Said Alexander as he glanced out the window, eyeing Vanye, whose figure suddenly vanished from behind the curtain, causing Vanimo to chuckle. "Ah, she''s always been a little too overprotective of me ever since she learned how to fight." "No offense, but considering how you can barely defend yourself, I think her actions are justified." Remarked Vaninmo and Alexander, respectively, as they glanced at each other, the former''s expression twitching while the latter simply hummed a tune. "Haa, fair." Muttered Vanimo softly in defeat as she lowered her head and sighed. Inwardly chuckling, I knocked on the door before opening it, only to be greeted by a beautiful and homely interior, which reminded me of Master''s Tree House back in the Mezcla Continent. Entering inside, I closed the door and took off my armored boots, leaving them beside the front door as I approached the small couch in front of the fireplace. Gently setting Vanimo down, I grabbed the sword off her body and was about to call Vanye, but before I could, the sword was snatched out of my hand from behind. "Don''t touch it." Said Vanye sternly as she eyed Alexander, who raised his arms. "I would never do such a thing, Madam." Said Alexander with a slight smile, one that caused Vanye to scoff. "So, how are you feeling? Not injured or anything, right?" Asked Alexander in concern as he approached Vanye while observing her body, checking for wounds, only for her to glance at him before shaking her head. "No, you blocked the attack." Replied Vanye softly as she holstered her sword before sitting on the couch beside Vanimo, who was pretending to be asleep. Seeing how there was no space to sit on the couch, I sat down on a nearby chair, which was too small for me, causing me to assume it was explicitly meant for Vanimo. "Also, if you don''t mind me asking, why do you still wear your armor inside?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Vanye while pointing at her limbs, causing her to frown. At my words, Vanye grabbed her left arm and pulled off her armor piece, yet instead of seeing a beautiful arm underneath, I just saw the logs on the other side of the wall, causing my eyes to widen as I stared at the stump that protruded slightly away from her shoulder. "My helmet is the only piece of armor." Said Vanye as she glanced at Alexander, who wore an expression of shock when she placed her golden prosthetic back onto her shoulder. Glancing at her arm, I looked towards her two other legs, both wearing prosthetics, and in the end, I could only say two words. "Fucking amazing." Stated Alexander, his words causing Vanye to frown, only for him to quickly shake his head. "T-The fact you don''t have three limbs isn''t amazing; it''s the fact you were still kicking my ass with only one limb. Granted, I wasn''t really trying to fight you, but still, it terrifies me how strong you''d actually be with all four of your limbs." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he stared at Vanye, who raised an eyebrow before briefly flashing a small smile. "I appreciate the compliment, though are you saying you could''ve defeated me if you were truly trying?" Asked Vanye as she narrowed her eyes while grabbing the hilt of her sword "Eh, I-I''m not saying that; I''m just saying you''d have a much tougher time if you wished to defeat me¡­ I also think you''d lose." Replied Alexander softly as he looked at Vanye, only to playfully smirk towards the end. "Hmph, if that''s the case, let us have a spar." State Vanye as she stood up, slightly surprising Alexander, who pointed towards Vanimo. "Eh, but what about Vanimo?" "My brother is fine." Remarked Alexander and Vanye, respectively, as they stared at each other, only for the former to suddenly freeze. "Eh, B-Brother?" Muttered Alexander with a pale expression as he mechanically turned his head towards Vanimo while his heart dropped, fear filling every part of his body. Chapter 248: Depression Setting In "I''m out of the bathroom, Vanye; you can use it if you want now." Said Vanimo with a faint smile as he peeked his head from around the wall, glancing at Vanye while using a towel to dry his long, reddish hair. "I will." Said Vanye with a nod as she glanced at Vanimo before shifting her focus to Alexander, who was curled into a fetal position in the corner. "H-Has he still not moved, Vanye?" Asked Vanimo hesitantly as he neared Vanye with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist before looking over the couch while glancing at Alexander. "No. Ever since he learned you were a man, he hasn''t moved an inch." "B-But that was nearly four hours ago, right?" Remarked Vanye and Vanimo, respectively, as the latter gazed at Alexander in concern while the former seemed indifferent about the whole ordeal. Releasing a sigh, I walked out from behind the couch and carefully approached Alex, though when I arrived right beside him, I heard him quietly whispering something, which required me to lean down. "I like women. I like women. I like women." Muttered Alexander quietly with his eyes shut as he continuously repeated those three words as if stuck in a trance. I felt pretty bad for Alex, but it wasn''t like I was letting him believe I was a woman. I tried to tell him the truth, but he always did something that would prevent me from telling him. ''Though his hands grasping my butt felt pretty nice.'' Mused Vanimo softly, only for him to faintly blush as he aggressively shook his head while backing away from Alexander. "N-No, what are you thinking, Vanimo!? I-I also like women!" Said Vanimo softly as he gently slapped his cheeks, causing Vanye to tilt her head in confusion. "I-I''m going to get dressed." Said Vanimo quickly, feeling slightly embarrassed as he walked past the couch before entering his room and closing the door. Closing the door behind me, I aggressively rubbed my face while dropping my towels to the ground, yet instead of drying myself, I had the feeling I needed to reaffirm my love for women, so I did just that. Heading towards my bed, I reached underneath and pulled out a big box, which was my secret stash I kept hidden from Vanye since inside of it contained sexual books with various pictures of nude women, something she would punish me for. "Hmph, why should I get punished? I''m the elder brother." Muttered Vanimo softly as he immediately went quiet when he opened the books, his eyes drawn to the beautiful woman posing on each page, causing a certain body part to harden. "S-So beautiful." Said Vanimo softly with a faint blush as he used one hand to slowly flip through the pages while his other stroked his manhood, quickly filling his pleasure. Minutes passed by with me ogling the numerous beautiful women before I eventually reached my limit as I shot several drops of semen onto the floor while my cock quickl lost its strength; however, instead of feeling happy, I was rather depressed as I slumped onto the ground. "Haa, no woman is going to want me when I look like this, and it''s all because of that stupid curse I was born with." Remarked Vanimo softly as he lowered his head to his knees, quietly crying at his unfortunate circumstance. I couldn''t cry forever, so after a while, I wiped my tears and placed the book back into the box before pushing it underneath my bed; once that was done, I cleaned the little mess I had made and wore some new clothes before exiting my room. However, just as I did so, I heard someone knock on the door, causing me to tilt my head in confusion since we seldom have guests. "Eh, I-I''ll get it!" Yelled Vanimo as he skipped towards the door in slight excitement, while Vanye stared at the door, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Arriving at the door, I unlocked it before opening it, only for my breath to be taken away when I stared at the gorgeous Elf that stood before us; I couldn''t even utter any words at her sheer beauty. "Do you speak?" Asked the Elf calmly as she looked at Vanimo, who barely nodded, though that seemed to be enough for her. "Where is Alex?" Asked the Elf as she glanced at Vanimo before gazing into the building, only for her expression to sour when she eyed Vanye. Before I could even question why this Elf knew of Alex, I saw her eyes turn red as she forcefully entered our house while both of her arms transformed into something I''d never seen before, but they looked really dangerous. "Where is Alex?" Asked the Elf sternly as she narrowed her eyes at Vanye while charging her two cannon-arms with mana, ready to disintegrate her into nothingness with pure mana. "Leave my house!" Stated Vanye viciously as she pointed her blade at the Elf, fully prepared to kill her at a moment''s notice. "W-Wait, c-can we c-calm down?" Asked Vanimo softly as he tried to pacify the situation, only for a smaller cannon to jut out of the Elf''s thigh before pointing at him, angering Vanye. "You have three seconds to reply, or you will die." Said the Elf indifferently as her stomach opened up, revealing several tentacle-like appendages, each with a cannon at the end of them. "Vanimo, don''t move." Said Vanye sternly as she glanced at Vanimo, who nodded, not moving an inch. Just before things were about to turn for the worse, a somewhat hoarse voice echoed throughout the house. "Ugh, I-I''m over here, Lazuli." Said Alexander lightly as he rolled onto his side and gazed at Lazuli, who promptly retracted all of her weapons while approaching him. "Vanimo, are you okay?" Asked Vanye in concern as she lunged toward Vanimo, who heaved a sigh of relief while nodding. Once Vanye was finished checking on me, we turned to look at Alex and the woman, apparently named Lazuli. However, to my surprise, there was no Elf; only a beautiful young human woman stood beside Alex. "YOU!" Said Vanye angrily as she glared at Lazuli, who didn''t bother paying her any heed since she was focused on Alexander. "Eh, y-you know you, Vanye?" "Hmph, hardly. I met her when I encountered Alex; however, before leaving, she had threatened me." Stated Vanimo and Vayne, respectively, as they glanced at Lazuli before looking at each other, only for the former to raise an eyebrow. "I want to believe you, Vayne; I really do, but I know you well enough to know you''re leaving out a major part of the story." Said Vanimo as he looked at Vanye, who scoffed before looking away, not bothering to elaborate further. "We''ll return in an hour." Said Alexander as he lifted Lazuli into his arms and headed towards the exit, his words causing Vanye to grunt as she raised her sword. "You can return, but she is to never!" Stated Vayne solemnly, only for Vanimo to forcefully lower her arm. "W-Where are you going, Alex?" Asked Vanimo with an awkward smile as he glanced at Alexander, who glanced at him before shivering. "T-To regain my masculinity and confidence." Replied Alexander softly as he exited the house before closing the door behind him. "Now that it''s just you and me, tell me everything that happened, Vayne. And I mean EVERYTHING." Said Vanimo sternly as he fearlessly eyed Vayne, who grunted in annoyance before reluctantly doing as told. ___ ___ Stabbing my cock deep into Lazuli, I released numerous thick ropes of semen into her, and as much as I wanted to continue plowing her wet and tight hole, it''s been a little more than an hour already. Removing my manhood from inside her, I didn''t even need to ask her as she immediately began sucking on my cock, cleaning the juices and semen that stained it, only for her to free my cock with an arousing pop noise. "Tasty." Muttered Lazuli as she stared at Alexander''s cock, only to slightly frown when it vanished into his pants. "I''m so glad you came, Lazuli; I REALLY needed that. I feel like a whole new man." Said Alexander with a large smile as he kissed Lazuli''s cheek before flexing his muscles, feeling entirely reinvigorated. "Yes, I could tell. You were much more aggressive than usual." Remarked Lazuli lightly with a small smile as she glanced at Alexander, who sheepishly rubbed his head. "Hehe, s-sorry about that. I-It didn''t hurt, right?" "No. Besides, I can only feel pain in my head." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they glanced at each other, causing the former to nod. "Hmm, interesting. Anyways, get dressed so we can return." Said Alexander as he put on his clothes while Lazuli did the same, prompting them to approach the cabin in the distance. "Also, how did you find me?" "There is a small piece of my body sitting on your heart; I''ll always be able to find you no matter where you are." Stated Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, her words causing the former to be slightly freaked out. "That''s very crazy, but I find it to be incredibly sexy at the same time." Muttered Alexander softly as he rubbed his chin before glancing at Lazuli, who flashed him a smile, causing his cock to press against his pants. "Mhm, I can''t wait until tonight." Said Alexander with a smirk as he leaned down and passionately kissed Lazuli while she reached into his pants, rubbing his manhood, all while Vanimo and Vayne peered at them from the window. Chapter 249: Caught Lying "Yo, excuse me, but may we enter? Or have we been refused entry?" Asked Alexander lightly as he repeatedly knocked on the door with Lazuli calmly standing to his right. After a few moments, Vanimo opened the door, causing me to faintly smile as I no longer felt awkward around him; it would be impossible after the lovemaking Lazuli and I had done. Granted, I''m still quite annoyed. "I would''ve preferred if Vanye opened the door, but this will suffice." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanimo while wrapping his arm around Lazuli''s waist before entering the house. "Hehe, s-sorry about that misunderstanding, Alex; I wasn''t trying to trick you or anything; I also like women. I''m not the slightest bit romantically interested in you. I-I mean, you''re a very handsome man, with an impressive physique¨C" Remarked Vanimos apologetically as he glanced at Alexander before slightly bowing, only to awkwardly wave his hands, yet he was promptly interrupted. "Shh. Just stop talking right there; I don''t know what you were going to say, but you were already crossing the line." Stated Alexander sternly as he eyed Vanimo, who sheepishly rubbed his head before nodding. Sighing in relief, I removed my hand before approaching the nearby couch, only to sit down while placing Lazuli on my lap, causing me to kiss her a few times as she was looking rather sexy. "Hmm, where is Vanye?" Asked Alexander curiously as he licked his lips while looking around, only for Lazuli to frown. "Ah, she is bathing right now. She also takes a long time, so it''ll be a while before she leaves." Replied Vanimo lightly with slight envy as he glanced between Alexander and Lazuli before looking at himself, only to sigh afterward. "If you don''t mind me asking, can you tell me how you met my sister? She''s not the most friendly, so seeing her befriend someone was a little surprising." Asked Vanimo enthusiastically as he leaned forward and stared at Alexander, who nodded with a faint smile. "Nah, I don''t mind, though just be warned; it''s a little graphic. Mostly on my part, Vanye was beating my ass." Said Alexander as he dismissively waved his hand, only for him and Vanimo to smirk. I started from the beginning when Lazuli and I saw Vanye killing those adventurers, which Vanimo didn''t seem to like, given his deep frown, though his expression only worsened as I continued to inform him. By the time I finished, he looked entirely fed up with me. ___ ___ "... After Lazuli talked with Vanye, she promptly left." Said Alexander lightly as he gently squeezed Lazuli''s butt while glancing at Vanimo, who threw a pillow at a portrait of Vanye. "Tch, I knew that little girl wasn''t telling me the whole truth! Ohh, I''m going to give her one stern lecture!" Stated Vanimo angrily as he stood on the couch, clenching his fist, causing Alexander and Lazuli to glance at each other. "Maybe I shouldn''t haven''t had told him everything?" Muttered Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who rapidly shook her head. "No. You did the correct thing, Alex. I''m proud of you." Said Lazuli with a faint smile as she kissed Alexander, causing him to raise an eyebrow before hesitantly nodding. "If you say so." Muttered Alexander skeptically as he glanced at Vanimo while Lazuli sported a sadistic grin. "Um, why don''t we just calm down right now, Vaninmo? No need to get so worked up, at least wait until she exits the bathroom." Asked Alexander as he pulled Vanimo by the arm, causing him to plop back onto the couch while he scoffed in annoyance. "Hmph, you''re right; I wouldn''t want my anger to run out before I can properly punish her. I''m definitely grounding her!" Declared Vanimo with a wicked smile as he folded his arms and sternly eyed the bathroom door, causing Alexander''s face to twitch. ''N-Not what I had in mind, but okay.'' Thought Alexander wryly as he glanced at Vanimo before sighing.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I gave Vanimo a few minutes to calm down before asking him another question, which also concerned Vanye, which might not have mattered. "Anyways, speaking of Vanye, I know this might sound a little weird, but are you and her¡­ You know." Asked Alexander as he glanced at Vanimo while constantly pointing between him and Lazuli, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. "Humans? Man and woman? OHH!!" Asked Vanimo in confusion as he glanced between Lazuli and Alexander, only for his eyes to widen in understanding. "No. No. No. No! Vanye may be a large part of my reason to live, and although she''s my sister, if anything, I see her more like a daughter. Having to raise her all on your own when merely eight years old with no one to help you will do that to you." Stated Vanimo firmly as he rapidly shook his head while waving his arms, causing Alexander to nod while Lazuli clicked her tongue. "Okay, I-I was just asking since you and Vanye kind of gave me that feeling." Said Alexander lightly, his words causing Vanimo to stare blankly at him before sighing. "Well, it''s pretty common for incest to occur among Elves, though it is frowned upon if it doesn''t stay within the same generation. Then again, considering our long life spans, no one is really going to know, at least not for a while." Remarked Vanimo as he glanced at Alexander while rubbing his chin before shrugging his shoulders in the end. "I actually think our parents were brother and sister. I don''t fully remember." Muttered Vanimo with a thoughtful expression, only shaking his head. "So, is Vanye single?" "Yes, she doesn''t have a significant other as of now." Remarked Alexander and Vanimo, respectively, as they glanced at the bathroom door, only for the former to clench his fist in victory. "Wait, why are you asking me those questions? Don''t tell me you''ve got a crush on my little sister!? Even after all those things she did to you? Not to mention, you''ve already got a lover!" Exclaimed Vanimo in disbelief as he stared at Alexander, who chuckled while rubbing his head. "Eh, what can I say? I like strong women. Besides, I''ve also got a Wife and a Lover back home, so it''s not like it would be unbelievable for me to get another lover. Also, between you and me, your sister is kind of hot." Replied Alexander shamelessly with a proud smirk, only to lean forward and whisper into Vanimo''s ear. "I won''t comment on that last part, but you also have a wife and a lover? I wasn''t expecting that, though, considering the moans we could hear, one woman might not be enough to satisfy you." Remarked Vanimo with a blank expression before shaking his head and eyeing Alexander, who sheepishly rubbed his head while Lazuli nodded. "Ah, you could hear us?" "I think everyone in the forest heard you two; well, we didn''t hear you, but we heard Lazuli." Said Alexander and Vanimo, respectively, as the latter glanced at Lazuli, who wasn''t ashamed. "Good. I want Vanye to know Alex is already taken." Declared Lazuli firmly, her words slightly surprising Alexander as he raised an eyebrow. "Eh, you don''t like Vaye or something, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who promptly shook her head, uncaring for Vanimo sitting beside her. "Why would I like her? I finally understand why Yuki hates me so much, and I see her reasonings are completely justifiable." Stated Lazuli in confusion as she glanced at Alexander, who opened his mouth before nodding in agreement. "Haa, I can''t argue against that; though, you''re also much easier to talk to than Yuki¡­ She can be quite hard-headed." "Yes, she can be very annoying." Remarked Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they both nodded in agreement while Vanimo tilted his head. "Oh, if you''re curious, Yuki is my wife¡­ I''ve even got a picture of her. See, isn''t she freaking adorable?" Said Alexander with a large smile as he reached into his pocket, removing a family photo before showing it to Vanimo, who raised an eyebrow. "Um, i-isn''t she a child?" "Child? Oops, my bad, my hand was covering her. Also, that''s Chloe, Michelle''s child, not my own. That is Yuki." Stated Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as the former skeptically eyed the latter, only for him to remove his hand while pointing to the wall of blue. Seeing Vanimo''s eyes widen while he constantly glanced between me and the picture caused me to chuckle, as that''s how I imagined most people would be. "S-She''s massive; h-how does intercourse even work between you two?" Asked Vanimo as he stared at Yuki in disbelief before looking at Alexader, who chuckled. "Well, if you want to know, I''m packing some serious heat; Lazuli can tell you ALL about it. Though I''ve also got a secret weapon, I''ve got a skill called [Expand] since I''m attuned to the space element, and it allows me to grow things in size¡­ both organic and non-organic are applicable." Replied Alexander with a proud smirk as he gestured to his crotch before whispering in Vanimo''s ear, causing his eyes to widen with a faint blush. "W-Well, I-I don''t know what to say other than I''m jealous." Said Vanimo awkwardly as he looked at Alexander, who grinned before laughing, only for the bathroom door to suddenly open. Turning our heads, we all looked at Vanye exiting the bathroom, and while I don''t know about the other two, I definitely felt my heart rate subtly speed up as I gazed at her. "Damn, she''s beautiful." Muttered Alexander softly as he stared at Vanye, only for Vanimo to leap off the couch while fire practically spewed out his eyes. Chapter 250: Chef Vestalis Strikes Again! "... So, do you have anything to say for yourself, little girl?" Asked Vanimo sternly as he stood on the couch while pointing at Vanye, who sat on her knees with her head down. "No." "Hmph, I thought so." Said Vanye and Vanimo, respectively, as the latter grunted in slight anger while folding his arms. "Give me your sword; I''m grounding you for the next week, and don''t try to talk back; my decision is final. Unless you wish for me to extend it." Stated Vanimo firmly as he eyed Vanye, who raised her head with widened eyes, only for her to click her tongue in annoyance. ''S-Sorry.'' Muttered Alexander apologetically as he mouthed the words to Vanye, who stared dagger at him while she reluctantly handed over her sword to Vanimo. "Hmph, I''m disappointed, Vanye." Said Vanimo softly with a deep frown as he glanced at Vanye, who bit her lip while lowering her head, only for him to leap off the couch before approaching his room. Watching Vanimo enter his room, I turned and glanced at Vanye, who stayed sitting in the same spot for a few minutes before finally standing up. "I-I''m sorry, Vanye; I-I didn''t know he would get so upset." Said Alexander apologetically as he approached Vanye, who shot him a glare before closing her eyes and turning away, causing him to sigh. Sighing to myself, I gave Vanye some space since she looked to be quite annoyed with me, though when I glanced at Lazuli, I could''ve sworn I saw her smiling, which caused me to shake my head as I suddenly clapped my hands afterward. "Hey, Vanye, do you mind if I use your kitchen to make dinner for you? It''ll be my way to apologize to you." Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Vanye, who raised her head before scoffing and looking away. "Sure, whatever, I don''t care." Replied Vanye as she lay on the couch, ignoring Alexander, who smiled. "Hehe, you''re not going to be disappointed¡­ Hopefully. I''ve seen a lot of ingredients I''ve never heard of before." Stated Alexander with a faint smirk as he clenched his fist in victory, only to awkwardly rub his head while glancing at Vanye, who paid him no heed. Reaching into my space pouch, I equipped my trusty apron, which I always keep on me, and confidentially entered the kitchen before opening the fridge and various cabinets. Seeing what I had to work with, I rubbed my chin, trying to formulate various dishes. Unfortunately, there were too many ingredients I''d never worked with before, so I wasn''t entirely confident the dish would come out how I''d like. "Alright, fuck it. I''m going in blind¡­ Let''s just hope everything comes out good." Muttered Alexander with a deep breath as he grabbed a pot, pan, and various ingredients. ''Language, Master.'' Said Zartha coldly, her words causing Alexader to roll his eyes as he set everything up on the counter on either side of the stove. Since I didn''t know what most of these ingredients tasted like, I did a taste test of each one, only to nod as I grabbed a box of noodles while filling the pot with water. "Yep, that''s spaghetti and meatballs." Said Alexander with a nod as he began working, cooking the noodles while morphing the available meat into small spheres. Spaghetti was easy to make; the problem was the meatballs since there wasn''t enough meat of one kind, which meant I needed to mix two different types of meat; thankfully, they tasted good together, so I was lucky. After adding the meatballs and noodles to the boiling pot, I chopped various vegetables and added them to the pot, adding oil as needed. ''Eh, they''ve got alcohol? Might as well as use that as well.'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he took a sip of alcohol before pouring some of it onto the pan, causing it to erupt into flames. Once I finished chopping up the vegetables, I added some other spices, a few of which were very potent, before letting it simmer while I worked on a side dish, which I settled on being a salad since it seems like Elves quite like their vegetables and fruits.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. However, while I was working, the wafting scent of the pan must''ve caught some attention as I heard a door open, only for Vanimo to quickly peek his head around the wall. "Eh, you know how to cook?" Asked Vanimo in surprise as he glanced at Alexander while deeply sniffing the air, inhaling the tantalizing scent. "Yep. I always had an unnatural talent for cooking¡­ Don''t know why. Anyways, I hope you don''t mind that I''m using your stuff; I asked Vanye, and she didn''t seem to care." Replied Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Vanimo while pouring some alcohol onto the pan, slightly startling him from the raging fire. "N-Not at all, not when it smells this good. So, what are you making?" "Oh, spaghetti and meatballs with a side of salad." Said Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as they glanced at each other, only for the former to tilt his head. "I know of salad, but what''s spaghetti?" Asked Vanimo curiously, his words causing Lazuli, who had just appeared from beyond the wall, to smile. "An incredibly delicious dish that people would die for." Replied Lazuli joyfully with a smile as she stood directly beside Alexander while eagerly staring at the food. "She''s being excessive, though I will say it''s pretty tasty." Said Alexander lightly with a smirk as he kissed Lazuli, whose entire focus was on the dishes, causing him to chuckle. Watching Vanimo come to stand directly to my right, I inwardly chuckled as I glanced between Lazuli and him before focusing back on cooking. Although I also didn''t miss it when Vanye peeked her head beyond the wall, [Heroes Gaze] is never to be underestimated. After nearly thirty minutes, I grabbed three plates and dumped the noodles and meatballs onto each one before adding the sauce on top; finishing the plates with a side of salad, I carried all three to the table, where I gently placed them down. "Alright, dig in!" Stated Alexander enthusiastically as he glanced at Vanye, Vanimo, and Lazuli. "Thank you, Alex." Said Lazuli and Vanimo simultaneously as they grabbed their forks and quickly began eating while Vanye just sat down. Lazuli''s reaction was pretty tame; she''d lived with me for nearly six years and tasted hundreds of my dishes; however, Vanimo and Vanye, on the other hand, looked as if it was the first time they had ever eaten anything, given their expressions. "..." Muttered Vanimo, frozen in place from the delicious dish while noodles dangled from his mouth. "D-Delicious." Said Vanye softly with a deep blush as she stared at the plate before her, only to voraciously eat without any semblance of etiquette. ''Heh, This would be a good picture.'' Mused Alexander with a smirk as he reached into his space pouch before grabbing a camera. Standing beside Lazuli, I took a picture of both Vanimo and Vanye, though neither seemed to notice the flash; removing the photo, I flicked it a few times before looking at it with Lazuli. "Heh, looks good." "Only one of them do." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they observed the photo, her words causing him to roll his eyes. ___ ___ After that somewhat hectic dinner, which resulted in Vanye getting third''s, I cleaned the kitchen and intended to leave as it was getting pretty late, though Vanimo practically forced us to stay the night; I would''ve said no, but he was pointing Vanye''s sword at us so we didn''t have much of an option. Unfortunately, since we did sleep in someone else''s house, Lazuli and I stayed respectful and didn''t make love, despite me wanting to as she kept flaunting her lovely body. ''I just want to stick the tip in.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli''s butt, only to sigh as he exited the bed. Standing up, I stretched a little bit before putting on some pants, yet just as I opened the door, I heard faint arguing, and it wasn''t Vanimo or Vanye''s voice. "The fuck is wrong with you!? You were supposed to return the goods yesterday! Yet not only are you late, you''ve got no good!?" Stated the man angrily, as a slap noise was heard directly afterward. Furrowing my brows, I glanced at the front of the house using [Heroes Gaze], allowing me to see through the walls as I saw Vanye arguing with a man, well, more like she was being lectured, though I ended up getting quite upset when he slapped her, especially since she did nothing about it. "Tch, such a fucking waste! You''re freaking useless; I don''t know why the Boss even keeps someone like you around; couldn''t even deal with a stupid carriage." Said the man angrily as he spat on Vanye before violently slapping her, yet even so, other than clenching her fists, she did nothing. "Whatever, the Boss wants you to come with us, so let''s get going." Added the man in annoyance as he turned around and walked away, only to stop since she wasn''t following him. "I can''t." Muttered Vanye softly, her words causing the man to nearly pop a vein. "I wasn''t asking. I was telling! Let''s get fucking moving!" Said the man as he narrowed his eyes while pointing to the ground beside him, only for him to sadistically chuckle after a few moments. "Hehehe, so you don''t want to listen? Alright, fine." Added the man as he cracked his knuckles before punching Vanye, only for someone else to suddenly appear in between the two. "I don''t appreciate you hitting my friend." Said Alexander with a deep frown as he brushed aside the man''s fist, which had left him completely unfazed. Chapter 251: Healing Amidst A War Looking at the sunny blue sky, I wanted to laugh right now; however, given my condition, that was nothing but a pipe dream; my body was more broken than after my battle with Akainu, and I couldn''t even turn my head, the most I could do was move one of my eyes. Even then, it''s not like my vision was that great; it''s like I was looking through a filter that turned everything a deep shade of red; it completely fucked up my depth perception. However, I could thankfully still see somewhat since, besides my nose, my other senses were useless, except my observation haki, of course. Speaking of observation haki, I watched Whitebeard finally join the fray, and the instant he did, nearly every marine ignored every other pirate and lunged at him; however, it was all pointless, as he didn''t hold the title of the strongest man alive for nothing, evident by the fact I''m barely alive after taking his attack. ''Hehe, not to mention he was still holding back, and he''s dying. What a fucking monster. I can''t wait to reach his level. Then we can have a proper fight.'' Thought Diddy with a slight chuckle as he tried to smile, only for waves of pain to fill his mind, forcing him to stop. Thanks to Nimbus protecting my brain and heart, they were both fine, which was the most important; yet, now that I''m out of immediate danger, I''m merely just a sitting duck waiting to be killed. I couldn''t move any part of my body right now, and worst of all, I was in the middle of the battlefield, on the Marines''s side to boot, which meant I was more likely to be attacked. ''Ah, there we go, right on cue; I was wondering what was taking so long.'' Mused Diddy lightly as he observed his surroundings through his haki, watching as several marines ran towards him with the intent to kill. Now that I was being attacked, I didn''t have the luxury to laze about, so with an internal sigh, I manipulated Nimbus, wrapping it around my skeletal frame before I slowly stood up through controlling it; once I was on my two feet, I took a quick second to get accustomed to this sensation of moving without actually moving. ''Weird, but not uncomfortable, well, except for the pain, though at least now, I should be able to deal with those marines. However, I need to heal, so I suppose it''s good that prey are running towards me rather than away.'' Thought Diddy with an expressionless face as he looked down at his body before turning around and eyeing his prey. "There he is! Chaos Kong! Kill him! We''ll get a hefty reward!" Yelled the group of marines as they lunged at Diddy with their weapons in hand. Waiting for my prey to get closer, right when one of their swords was about to stab me in the chest, I coated my skin in haki, causing my golden brown fur to take on a blackish hue while the man''s swords chipped against my fur, and before he could attack once more, I sliced my hand right through his neck in a somewhat sloppy manner, decapitating him with my sharp nails while his blood spilled everywhere. ''Tsk, not nearly as easy as I thought, whatever, at least I can''t smell his blood.'' Mused Diddy with a slight frown as he looked down at his fur, which was covered in blood, before suddenly leaping into the air, dodging two sword slashes coming from both ways. Summoning forth my lightning, which coursed through my body, causing it to be greatly strengthened by Nimbus, I launched two thick lightning bolts at the two marines, turning them into charred and unrecognizable corpses. Just as I was about to land on the ground, another marine appeared directly beneath me and slashed upwards, launching a sword slash. However, I saw it coming in advance, thanks to my haki, and simply controlled Nimbus to push me to the left while I swiftly flew towards him, crashing my haki-clad body into his, smashing him into the ground. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''Well, that was messier than I''d like, but oh well. Now then, time to dig in; I hope they taste better than the prisoners in Impel Down.'' Thought Diddy as he stood atop the crushed marine before crouching and taking a bite out of his arm, nearly choking on it until Nimbus forced it down his throat. ''Okay then, my stomach is a fucking mess, and isn''t intact, as for my intestines, they''re in the same condition, but they''re still operational. Sort of. Welp, this is most likely going to fucking hurt even more.'' Thought Diddy lightly as he observed his mangled and ravaged insides before focusing on his intestines, which had definitely seen better days. Once the small piece of meat I had bitten off the marine arrived in my intestines after passing right through my damaged stomach, I pushed my intestines into overdrive, causing me to feel an explosive amount of pain; however, if I didn''t do this, I wouldn''t heal from this type of damage for at least three days, and this war wasn''t going to last that long. Since I had nothing else to do right now other than consume enough food so my body could repair itself, that''s exactly what I did: I sat down and ate the four marines. I would''ve preferred to do it peacefully, but I would get attacked every now and then, not to mention Whitebeard was causing the entire battlefield to tremble violently every few seconds. ''Should I get Freyja to use that lust empowerment on me? The thought of actively kissing her disgusts me, but it would help heal my body faster and would allow me to get back into the battle faster.'' Mused Diddy lightly as he looked at Hancock and Fryeja''s battle, only to groan inwardly. Unfortunately for me, my lust for a battle far outweighed the disgust I had for Freyja, and so once I finished eating the marine, I flew into the air and headed for my Vice-captain, who was constantly getting her ass handed to her by Hancock, though she''d simply absorb a random man''s vitality to heal her injuries before returning to fight. "Ugh, son of a bitch, that hurt." Muttered Freyja with a grunt of pain as she removed herself from the frozen ground while spitting blood before eyeing Hancock, only for a familiar hand to grab her shoulder, stopping her. "Hmm, Diddy? What do you want? Can''t you see I''m busy? Do you want me to kill you right now? It''s taking a lot of willpower not to do so." Remarked Freyja with a raised eyebrow as she eyed Diddy, who simply stared back at her, filling her with annoyance as she threateningly spread her wings. I wasn''t able to speak, given my injuries, and Sebas was too preoccupied with affecting the thousands of marines to create a mental link between Freyja and I, so I did something I never thought I''d ever do in my entire life. Tightening my hand on Freyja''s shoulder, I pulled her closer before smashing our lips together, engaging in a pathetic kiss since I couldn''t move my lips, but she seemed to be enjoying it with all the vitality she was stealing from me, which was quite annoying, but even if it''s her, it would take a while for her to drain me of my life force. ''Ugh, disgusting fucking toilet, that''s not why I kissed you!'' Thought Diddy angrily as he wrapped his hand around Freyja''s neck and squeezed it while staring into her eyes, causing her to retract her face and frown. "Ahh, I see; you must want me to use Lust Empowerment on you like I did during our escape from Lindbergh; it annoys me that I''m helping you, but I can''t have you dying before I kill you myself, so here you go, you monkey bastard." Remarked Freyja with a raised eyebrow as she observed Diddy, only to click her tongue in annoyance before leaning forward and passionately kissing him. Although Freyja was still stealing my vitality, this time, I felt a sudden surge of strength, prompting me to immediately distance myself from Freyja while aggressively wiping my lips. "What, don''t look at me like that; it''s not like I enjoyed committing beastiality for the second time; now run along, stupid monkey, I''ve got something important to do." Stated Freyja with a frown, glaring at Diddy before scoffing and shaking her head as she lunged towards Hancock. I would''ve loved to curse her, but I simply ignored her before turning around and leaving, flying through the edge of the battlefield while looking for unsuspecting victims to kill while my body repaired itself, which I had forced to focus all of its efforts on my intestines first. The minutes passed by, and after ten or so minutes, my intestines where finally healed to the point were they weren''t a crazy mess; they weren''t fully healed, but at least now, they could work at full efficiency, which in turn further sped up how fast I was healing. ''C''mon, I want to join the battle before the war is over.'' Thought Diddy with an eager expression as he looked at Whitebeard while chewing on the thigh of a random corpse. Chapter 252: Raiding The Cabin "Shall I go back and kill her, Alex?" Asked Lazuli indifferently as she glanced at Alexander, who silently walked through the forest with his head down, not even bothering to glance at her. "No¡­ It''s fine." Replied Alexander softly with a faint shake of his head, his words causing Lazuli to subtly frown before nodding. "I wish Yuki was here instead. She wouldn''t bother listening to you like me, and she''d do what she wanted. Besides, what Vanye had done is arguably worse than what I had done; you''ll always heal from physical injuries¡­ Emotional injuries are far more difficult to heal from." Said Lazuli quietly as she glanced at Alexander, who faintly smiled before releasing a depressed sigh. Although Lazuli''s words had a great deal of truth to them, it didn''t really matter since Yuki wasn''t here, and what was done had been done. Rather than concerning myself with the past and what-ifs, I wanted to worry about the future, but then again, that was easier said than done, especially since I was quite depressed by Vanye''s words. Lazuli and I spent the next few hours walking through the forest; though I had no destination, I merely kept walking to ponder what she had said. To be honest, halfway through the walk, I realized Vanye was correct, yet I just didn''t want to agree with it; I had wanted to help her, not worsen her situation, so it really was like a stab to the heart to know my efforts only ended up in worse results. Taking a step through the forest, my foot caught onto the root of a tree, tripping me as I fell to the ground, though I didn''t bother trying to catch myself, so I face-planted into the muddy ground. "Alex?" Asked Lazuli in confusion as she glanced at Alexander before flipping him onto his back, prompting him to spit out a mouthful of mud. "Haa, I-I just want to lay here." Muttered Alexander softly as he glanced at Lazuli before closing his eyes, causing her to frown. Lazuli made a chair using earth magic while I continued to lay in the same spot, not moving a muscle for the next several hours before; eventually, I unknowingly fell asleep. ___ ___ Snapping my eyes open, I sat upright and looked up at the night sky, only to heave a sigh of relief while I grabbed my head before lying back on the ground. "Haa, t-that was a weird nightmare." Muttered Alexander softly as he thought back to his dream, which consisted of Vanye and Vanimo, causing him to release a deep sigh. Rolling onto my side, I glanced at Lazuli, who was lying on a makeshift bed while also in her Elven form, though she clearly wasn''t sleeping, given how she was staring right at me with her bright blue eyes. "Better?" Asked Lazuli softly as she sat upright before stepping off the bed and approaching Alexander, only to plop onto his stomach, causing him to shake his head. "No, not really. I still feel like shit." Replied Alexander wryly as he glanced at Lazuli, who nodded before shifting her focus to his crotch as she rubbed her butt against it. "What are you doing, Lazuli?" Added Alexander as he eyed Lazuli, who shot him a glance while removing his pants, freeing his enormous erection. "Improving your mood." Replied Lazuli lightly as she raised her head and glanced at Alexander while removing her pants, putting her moist vagina on full display. As much as I wanted to continue brooding about my failure, it was rather hard to resist the allure of a woman you loved, so in the end, I didn''t bother to stop Lazuli as she lowered herself onto my cock, taking all twelve inches inside of her, which didn''t seem that impressive now that she was only a few inches shorter than me. However, my brooding came to an end when I felt the tight, sticky, wet softness that was Lazuli''s vagina; it was simply just not possible to remain upset or in a bad mood when like this. Without any warning, I grabbed Lazuli''s butt and lifted her up while I thrust upwards, slamming my cock deep into her.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. " ~Ahhh~, mhm, so deep, ~Ahhh~ I love this." Said Lazuli softly between her moans as she leaned down and kissed Alexander while he repeatedly pistoned her vagina. Reciprocating the kiss, I slowly sat upright, which gave me a better grip as I was now able to rapidly move Lazuli up and down onto my manhood while her butt constantly slapped against my thighs, causing the sound of flesh smacking against itself to resound throughout the forest. After a while, I increased my speed, prompting Lazuli to tighten her hole since she already knew what was coming, slamming my cock as deep as possible inside of her; I spewed copious amounts of seed inside of her. "~Urgh~ H-How can I cum so much that it hurts?" Asked Alexander in confusion as he continued to release thick ropes of semen into Lazuli, whose stomach slightly bulged from the excessive amount. Once I finally stopped cumming, which took way longer than usual, I laid back down on the muddy ground while staring at the sky, only for Lauzli''s Elven appearance to block my line of sight as she kissed me. "Better?" "Haa, better." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter reluctantly replied, causing the former to faintly smile while she stood up. With the seal being released, globs of semen plopped out of Lazuli''s vagina and also dribbled down her thigh, a sight that caused a certain part of my body to twitch, though we must''ve not been done as she lowered herself back down, only this time, she was in the reverse cowgirl position, giving me an amazing view of her sexy butt. "Let''s continue then." Remarked Lazuli with a nod as she began to rock her hips on Alexander''s cock, causing him to roll his head back from the intense pleasure. ___ ___ With morning having arrived, Lazuli removed my cock from her mouth after cleaning it and stood up while summoning a small thundercloud that began to rain on the both of us, washing away the semen and other juices that stained our bodies. Once we were ''clean,'' I dried us with a large fireball and a gust of wind, which only took a few seconds. With that over with, I took a few moments to stretch before glancing at Lazuli, who was already adorned in her clothes, prompting me to do the same. "Thanks, Lazuli." Said Alexander softly as he passionately kissed Lazuli for nearly a full minute, only stopping himself once he felt his lust returning. "Anything for my husband." Stated Lazuli lightly with a small smile, her words causing him to faintly chuckle as he embraced her from behind. "Heh, we''re not even married yet, Lazuli." "All in due time, Alex. Besides, weren''t you planning to marry me anyway, so does it matter?" Remarked Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as he planted tender kisses on her nape while she calmly glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, causing him to chuckle. "So, where to now?" Asked Lazuli as she looked at Alexader, who shot her a confused look. "To the Dryad Kingdom, but you need to lead the way; I wasn''t the one who spent all of yesterday speaking with Elves; I don''t know where the heck to go; that''s for you to do." Replied Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who nodded before making a sharp right, prompting him to follow. "This way then, Alex." Stated Lazuli with a nod as she walked confidently while Alexander followed behind her with a faint smile, though not without looking back a few times. ___ ___ "Are you still upset with Vanimo?" Asked Vanye with a slight frown as she repeatedly knocked on the door while standing outside his room. I didn''t get a response, but I heard child-like footsteps followed by the door opening, and Vanimo stormed out of his room. "Upset? Of course, I''m upset but also highly disappointed in you. I didn''t raise you to behave like that, especially to kind people who wanted to help us. Help you." Remarked Vanimo as he ignored Vanye and walked towards the kitchen, his words causing her to scoff in annoyance. "Hmph, only one of them was kind; the other kept wanting to kill us. Besides, you wouldn''t understand. All the work I''ve been putting in for the last 50 years has been thrown out the window because of him!" Stated Vanye in slight anger as she dismissively waved her hand, only for Vanimo to suddenly spin around with an annoyed expression. "You''re right; I wouldn''t understand because YOU don''t tell me anything! Maybe instead of keeping things secret, you can tell me. But no, you won''t do that; instead, you''ll give the same bullshit response, ''It''s for your own good'' or something else like that.'' Well, guess what, I don''t care if it''s for my own good if attacking innocent people is what you must do." Stated Vanimo angrily as he narrowed his eyes at Vanye, causing her to flinch at his words while she hung her head. "Hmph, and there we go again, not telling me shit-" Said Vanimo with a scoff as he folded his arms, yet he was interrupted by several aggressive knocks on the door. Snapping my head to the door, I took a few steps forward, yet before I could even reach the door, it came flying off the hinges right for me; grabbing my blade, I slashed it in half while quickly returning to Vanimo as I protectively stood in front of him. However, as I watched men spill into our house, my expression turned ugly as I''d seen every single one of them before; though, when HE walked through the door, I couldn''t help but grit my teeth. "Vanye, my brother came here yesterday to get you. Why didn''t he return?" Asked the tall, muscular man as he narrowed his eyes at Vanye, who tightly clenched her sword. ___ ___ (Note: New pic of Alexander on my Discord. Chapter 253: Diddy Vs Kizaru Watching Mael, Sebas, and Freyja fighting against numerous Vice admirals who were all trying to attack Luffy, I grinned before kicking the air, lunging towards them, preparing to join them, yet the instant I arrived, I swiftly tilted my head to the side, while raising Naga-sa, dodging a light beam and blocking a lightning kick. "Ho, well, aren''t you stronger." Said Kizaru lightly as he looked at Diddy, who simply grinned while lightning arched across his bo-staff. "Hehe, why yes I am." Stated Diddy with a feral grin as he flexed his muscles before pushing Kizaru back, only for him to turn into a flash of light while lunging right toward Luffy. Seeing what was about to happen in the future, I clicked my tongue before turning around and swinging Naga-sa at Luffy, hitting him away just in time for Kizaru to miss while he landed beside an ugly person with a massive head. "Awe, I missed." Muttered Kizaru calmly as he glanced at Luffy before raising his leg, only for a blackish foot to suddenly grab his head and slam him into the ground. "You know, I''m not really a fan of how you marines operate; what''s so fun about the strong picking on the weak? Isn''t it more fun for the strong to pick on the stronger?" Remarked Diddy with a feral grin as he looked down at Kizaru, pushing his head deeper into the ground. "What a rebel." Said Kizaru with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Diddy before raising his finger and pointing it at Diddy, whom he launched a beam at, forcing him backward while leaving behind a trail of lightning. Dodging out of the way, I landed on the ground in front of Luffy, who was just given what sounded like some hormone boosters from that ugly man with a massive head, causing me to smile as I reminisced about my past life. ''What I wouldn''t give for some performance-enhancing drugs right now.'' Thought Diddy with a feral grin, looking far more menacing than usual given his haki-clad body, causing him to take on a black hue. While Luffy was getting some hormone-boosting drugs, I speedily lunged at Kizaru, who had just stood, leaving behind a trail of lightning as I moved far faster than ever before. Thanks to my improvements in armament haki, I was able to coat my entire body in haki, strengthening it, which included my insides and, specifically, my nervous system. (Note: I''d like to point out that the only reason he''s able to coat his nervous system in haki is thanks to immaculate control over his entire body.) The nervous system is too fragile to withstand the bombardment of lightning to forcefully increase my speed and reaction time, but if I coat my entire body in haki, nothing is stopping me; the only problem is, my haki isn''t infinite, so I do have a time limit while using this ability of mine, and it didn''t increase my strength, so while I was able to keep up with Kizaru, I was still his punching bag. "Aren''t you fast, though? Still not fast enough." Said Kizaru as he kicked Diddy in the stomach, causing him to spit blood while getting flung far into the distance. ''F-Fuck, I''m really pushing myself; my body is still in terrible shape from Whitebeard, and now I''m fighting against an Admiral.'' Thought Diddy with a painful expression as he clutched his stomach while blood leaked from his mouth, only for him to wildly grin like a maniac. "Hehe, I can''t wait to see how much stronger I''ll get once this is over!" yelled Diddy with a smile as he kicked the air, speedily flying back towards Kizaru, who was now fighting against Marco. I wasn''t a fan of jumping someone; hell, if anything, I wanted to get jumped, but given how neither Marco nor I were actually a match to Kizaru, I just accepted it. Watching Marco get kicked right towards me, I rolled over his body and grabbed his foot before tossing him right back towards Kizaru while I followed up right behind him.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Once we neared Kizaru, we both attacked him at the same time; Marco flapped his wings, creating a powerful wave of flames that headed right toward Kizaru, while I enlarged Naga-sa and slammed it right into his stomach, causing him to be flung deeper into the plaza. "Hehe, you''re quite strong, Marco; let''s fight after this." Stated Diddy with a smile as he hovered in the air while glancing at Marco, who merely scoffed. "Sure, I''ll make sure to kill you for daring to attack, Pops." Remarked Marco with a deep frown as he flapped his wings while eyeing Diddy, who licked his lips as his blackish figure grew rapidly. "Hehe, I can''t wait; however, until then, let''s take care of this fool." Said Diddy in a deep, raspy voice as the lightning surrounding him became far more volatile while his eyes were a deep red, signifying his Sulong state. "Ho, an alliance for me? I feel honored." Said Kizaru calmly as he dusted off his clothes while glancing at Marco and Diddy, causing the former to frown while the latter laughed before charging right toward him. "Haha, c''mon!" Yelled Diddy with a chaotic laugh as he lunged towards Kizaru even faster than before, engaging yet another fight while Marco promptly joined soon after. Swinging Naga-sa at Kizaru, who easily evaded it, Marco came from the side and attacked by swiping his talons, yet he created a sword out of light and blocked his attack while I came from behind and swung my bo-staff at him once more, hitting him in the back and zapping him with a massive lightning bolt; however, I knew it wasn''t even close to being over and quickly brought Naga-sa in front of me, just in time to block a light beam that still carried enough force to push me backward. While I regained my bearings, Marco was forced to fight Kizaura by himself and was doing a much better job at keeping him busy than I was, though he was still on the losing end; besides, I wasn''t even in peak condition. Lunging back toward the two, I enlarged Naga-sa and spun in the air, building momentum while Marco kicked Kizaru before backing away, just in time for me to violently slam my bo-staff atop his head and smash him into the ground, cousin the entire aire to tremble. However, I wasn''t finished and commanded my lightning to strike him while he was still pinned underneath my bo-staff, causing massive lightning bolts to surge through the sky before relentlessly hitting him. While Marco joined in and launched a mighty flame breath, one that made Freyja''s look like child''s play, though, I suddenly kicked the air using fish-man karate, causing the water within the air to destabilize while a large beam hit my body, flinging me far away while another one hit Marco. I wasn''t able to dodge such an attack, but thanks to my earlier actions, I managed to offset some of the damage; still, even so, it was painful and did a number on me. Rolling across the ground, I eventually stopped myself while groaning in agony as I slowly stood up while my blood dripped onto the ground. "Ugh, fucking hell. Even knowing it was going to happen, I still wasn''t able to dodge it." Muttered Diddy with an unsightly expression as he slowly stood up and summoned Naga-sa into his hand. Standing back up, I leaped into the air, intending to lunge back at Kizaru, yet before I could, I suddenly saw a massive explosion of magma, causing me to look towards the source where Whitebeard and Akainu were fighting, only to see he had been punched through the chest by him. ''Tsk, it seems no one is immune to old age.'' Thought Diddy with a scowl as he glanced at Whitebeard before eyeing Akainu. Although Akainu got a devastating hit, Whitebeard repaid in kind by smashing his head with an incredibly powerful punch that shook all of Marineford; however, he was forced to kneel afterward while holding the gaping hole in the middle of his chest. Thanks to his injury, it caused Marco and another one of his crewmates to lose focus from their battle, which resulted in the Admirals they were fighting to freeze one solid while Marco was cuffed with sea stone cuffs, making him powerless. With the Admirals no longer preoccupied with Whitebeard''s strongest pirates, the marines used this chance to try and execute Ace once more, causing me to click my tongue as I was prepared to use my conqueror''s haki to force them to fall unconscious since if he died, this war would come to an end, however, before I could, someone beat me to it. "STOP!!" Yelled Luffy furiously as he subconsciously released conqueror''s haki, shocking everyone while many others were knocked unconscious, pirates and marines alike. Snapping my head at Luffy, who was the source of the sudden burst of conquerors haki, I couldn''t help but chuckle, though it quickly turned into a laugh. "HAHAHA, will of the supreme king? HAHAHA!" Remarked Diddy with chaotic laughter as he eyed Luffy, who finally composed himself. Luffy''s outburst of haki had temporarily frozen the battlefield while he continued running for Ace, seemingly oblivious to what he had just done. "Now things just got a lot more interesting!" Said Diddy with a feral grin. Chapter 254: Vanimo Awakens "So, let me ask for the 43rd time. Where is Vanye?" Asked Alexander sternly with a deep frown as he stared into the Elven woman''s eyes while firmly grasping her neck. I didn''t like torturing, nor was I the kind of person who was naturally good at it, so despite it nearly being an hour, I''ve gotten hardly any information out of this woman; as for the man, well, Lazuli had killed him a while ago, after all, we only needed one person for information, not two. The woman only gave me a defiant look before spitting on my face, causing me to sigh as I wiped her saliva off my cheek. "Disgusting." Muttered Alexander lightly as he cleaned his face, only to reel his arm back, brutally punching the woman in the face, breaking her nose. "44th time. Where is Vanye?" Asked Alexander blandly as he eyed the woman while squeezing her neck, causing her to wince, yet even so, she ignored the pain of her nose and remained firmly silent. "Alex, let me try." Asked Lazuli lightly as she approached Alexander, her words causing him to glance at her before releasing a sigh while backing away. "Haa, you''ll probably be better than me. I was trying to give you a chance, just know that." "That is why you got no information from her, Alex." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as he glanced at her before pitifully looking at the elven woman, only for the latter to glance at him with a shake of her head. I had no response to Lazuli since she was probably right; I didn''t like doing any of this, so of course, I wasn''t going to be good at it, though I was still doing it. I would rather live with knowing I had tortured someone than not doing so and letting Vanye die. "Huh, willingly torturing someone? I''ve changed. I remember shortly after arriving at Hyphen, I was reluctant to kill anyone, but now, I don''t really feel that type of reluctance anymore, just pity." Muttered Alexander softly as he sat down beside Vanimo, who had yet to awaken while watching Lazuli, who worked her magic, both literally and figuratively. "Well, I''ve also never killed anyone that wasn''t trying to harm either me or people I cared for, so it''s not like I enjoy killing or anything. I think I''ve just gotten more used to it, which isn''t exactly something I ever thought I''d say¡­ Nor do I really like it." Added Alexander softly as he winced before looking away from Lazuli, shifting his focus to Vanimo, whose eyes had just opened. "U-Um, A-Alex?" Asked Vanimo weakly as he turned and glanced at Alex, who quickly leaned towards him, gently lifting his head onto his lap. "How are you feeling? You''ve been unconscious for over an hour; I was really starting to get worried." Asked Alexander as he brushed aside Vanimo''s hair while staring into his eyes, causing them to look rather intimate with each other. "Um, I-I feel¡­ Fine? N-No, I feel great, actually. B-But w-wasn''t I beaten? I-I can vividly remember everything, s-so why can I talk? W-Why can I see?" Questioned Vanimo in confusion as he rubbed his head while gazing at Alexander, who opened his mouth only to release a deep sigh. "Listen¡­ We can talk about that stuff later; right now, we''re trying to find Vanye. I know you just woke up, but do you know where she might be?" Replied Alexander softly as he momentarily averted his eyes, only to gaze back at Vanimo with utmost seriousness, causing his eyes to widen. "V-Vanye! W-We need to save her!" Stated Vanimo urgently as he practically leaped out of Alexander''s lap while dashing in a random direction, only to be blocked. "Calm down, Vanimo. I''m just as eager as you to go and save Vanye, but I''ve got no idea where the heck she is. Lazuli is trying to get information out of one of your attackers. Don''t look. But that will take a while." Remarked Alexander as he appeared in front of Vanimo, blocking his path while partially transferring his emotions, causing him to calm down, only for him to furiously glare at the elven woman.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "What happened, Vanimo?" Asked Alexander firmly as he held Vanimo''s shoulders, forcing him to look at him while they stared at each other''s eyes. After a few moments, Vanimo released a breath before plopping on the ground and leaning against a tree in a fetal position, only for him to begin informing me of everything that happened. ___ ___ "STOP IT YOU FUCKER!" Yelled Vanye furiously while tears streamed down her face as she glared at the man, who brutally kicked Vanimo in the stomach. "Tsk, silence her; she''s annoying." Said the large and muscular Elven man as he tightly clutched a reddish-black rock, causing Vanye to fall to the ground while screaming, having been engulfed with an unbearable amount of pain. "Shut you bitch; you''re upsetting the boss." Said an Elven woman with a sadistic smile as she violently kicked Vanye''s head, knocking her helmet off before stepping on her head, preventing her from moving. "S-S-Stop. D-D-Don''t t-touch h-h-her." Muttered Vanimo weakly while grabbing the Boss''s leg, only to grunt in pain as his arm was crushed by a large foot. "Tch, you''ve got the audacity to kill my brother, and now, you''re telling me to stop?" Asked the Boss softly as he looked at Vanimo before grabbing him by the hair and lifting him into the air, only to violently knee his face. "SHUT UP!" Yelled the Boss, kneeing Vanimo so hard that he bit his tongue in half, causing him to lose consciousness. "Please, stop." Said Vanye through her sobbing as she begged, though her words were promptly ignored. "Oh, unconscious? No, I''m not quite done yet." Muttered the Boss with a vicious expression as he dropped to one knee and firmly held Vanimo''s head down while his other hand grabbed an eye. "S-Stop ARGHHHHHH!" Said Vanimo, the pain snapping him to consciousness while he fearfully eyed the Boss, only to release a guttural scream as his eye was forcefully ripped out of his head in slow motion. "So disgusting." Muttered the Boss as he held Vanimo''s bloody eye in his hand, only to kick him in the face once more, silencing his screams. "B-Boss!" Yelled the Elven woman anxiously as she looked at Vanye, who began to emit a reddish black miasma from her body, turning everything it touched into particles of nothingness. "Hmph, I''m the one in control, so shut it!" Stated the Boss firmly as he tightly clenched the reddish-black rock, causing Vanye to once again scream in pure agony while the reddish-black miasma vanished from around her. ___ ___ "... After that, he continued to beat me before eventually leaving with Vanye after chaining me to a chair and setting our cabin on fire." Said Vanimo softly, only able to remain calm thanks to Alexander, who constantly soothed him with his emotions. "Do you know which direction they walked in?" Asked Alexander as he looked at Vanimo, who glanced at the destroyed cabin before nodding and pointing in a certain direction. "I saw them through the window walking in that direction; I just don''t know if they made any turns along the way." Replied Vanimo gently as he stared into the direction with fury and hatred, something unbecoming of him. "West. Hmm, I see." Muttered Alexander with a nod as he stared west before standing up and walking towards Lazuli, prompting Vanimo to follow him. "Any information, Lazuli?" "No. I was worried I would kill her before receiving any information, so I had stopped." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as they glanced at the Elven woman before looking at each other, only for Vanimo to violently punch her with every ounce of his strength. "T-That''s for kicking Vanye, you Fuckface; give me a dagger, and I''ll gut her!" Yelled Vanimo furiously as he repeatedly punched the woman before glancing at Alexander, who seemed surprised. "I-I will, but we still need her alive to help us find Vanye; s-so later." Replied Alexander softly as he backed away from Vanimo, who glared at the woman before grunting, only to fall to his knees while clutching his fist in pain. Ripping the woman out from the ground, I summoned Trina and made a small incision on my wrist, causing a few drops of blood to fall into her mouth as she began to rapidly heal. "That smell is familiar." Muttered Vanimo softly as he raised his head and glanced at Alexander, who had already healed, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. Once the woman was healed, she promptly grabbed her bow and arrow, though before she could even load it, I grabbed her neck and lifted her in the air before slamming her onto the ground, knocking the wind out of her while I tossed her bow and quiver into the distance. "I''m very pissed, so be quiet and don''t do anything stupid." Ordered Alexander sternly as he eyed the woman while tightly clenching her neck, prompting her to rapidly nod. Grunting in annoyance, I stood up and ripped off most of her clothes, leaving her in just her underwear, before tossing them to the side; after that, I lifted her onto my neck. Since we couldn''t get her to speak, I''d use her like a metal detector; I''m sure once we start getting close to where Vanye is, her emotions will change, and I''ll be able to notice it. It wasn''t the most efficient plan, but since we knew which direction they walked in, it also wasn''t terrible. "Lazuli, carry Vanimo and follow me." Said Alexander as he firmly gripped the woman''s thighs while dashing west into the forest. "Hold tightly." Said Lazuli as she picked up Vanimo in her arms before speedily following after Alexander while her passenger held onto her for dear life. Chapter 255: Lazuli Saves The Day! "You''ve been awfully quiet since we''ve brought you back; I was expecting you to make a ruckus, but this is pleasantly surprising." Said Boss as he exited the large tent while glancing at Vanye, who was hanging from a stake, her hands and feet having been nailed through. "Huh, not even going to respond? Rude." Asked Boss with a raised eyebrow as he approached Vanye, who simply glanced at him with lifeless eyes before lowering her head. "Anyway, let''s start questioning. Why did you kill my Brother? It clearly wasn''t that wimpy child who did it, so it must''ve been you." Added Boss as he narrowed his eyes at Vanye, who continued to ignore him, causing him to click his tongue while reaching into his pocket and grabbing a reddish-black stone. Flexing his arm, Boss tightly clenched the reddish-black stone, causing waves of pain to spread throughout my body as I screamed in agony; this persisted for several seconds before he finally let up, giving me a brief respite as I gasped for breath. "Ready to talk, or must we do this again?" Asked Boss with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Vanye, who continued to ignore him, which only further irritated him. "Hmph, alright, if that''s how you want to be, so be it; I''ve got things to do, so I can''t waste my time with you. LINANA!" Stated Boss in annoyance as he eyed Vanye before shifting his focus to a woman in the distance, causing her to quickly approach him. "Yes, Boss?" Asked Linana respectfully as she stood beside Boss while glancing at Vanye, only for him to hand her a reddish-black stone, surprising her. "Here, torture her, do whatever you want. Just remember she can''t die, and if she does¡­ I''ll kill you as well." Stated Boss solemnly as he narrowed his eyes at Linana, who nodded, causing him to glance at Vanye with a huff before turning around in annoyance and entering his tent. Watching Boss leave, I shifted my eyes to Linana, who sadistically smiled at me, though it was no surprise since nearly every woman hated me among the Yamen Mercenaries. Not only was I stronger than every single one of them, but I was also more beautiful as well. I never cared about that, so I tended to wear a helmet, though not like it mattered anymore. "Oh, how I''ve dreamt of this moment happening; ever since you''ve arrived, my pay has ever so slightly decreased. I will ensure I get every stolen coin from out of this." Said Linana with a sinister expression as she violently clenched the reddish-black stone, causing Vanye to scream loudly from the intense agony coursing through her system. ''Ahh, just let me die already. Let this cursed life end.'' Thought Vanye softly as she used the brief respite to regain her bearing while she gasped for breath, only for Linana to resume the torture that would continue well into the night. ___ ___ Standing within the canopy of a tree, Lazuli and I overlooked the large encampment down below, which was surrounded by large wooden walls and filled with people; just at a glance alone, there were at least a hundred people, and given that it was night, there were probably more within the many tents either sleeping or doing who knows what. However, just as I was about to speak to Lazuli, that voice of agony resounded throughout the encampment and into the forest, causing me to furiously clench my fist; only after numerous seconds did Vanye''s voice finally die down, though the same couldn''t be said for the anger that coursed through my veins. "What shall we do?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she turned and glanced at Alexander, who released a deep breath while snapping his eyes open. "We should infiltrate silently; I do not wish to deal with a large Mercenary group if we don''t have to. Also, when I mean by ''We,'' I mean you; I''m not exactly built for silent infiltration. Besides, if something happens to go wrong and you are spotted, I can run into the base and create a distraction, allowing you to safely escape." Remarked Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli before pointing to his large body, causing her to raise an eyebrow before nodding in agreement, only to furrow brows afterward.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "How will you escape if that is required? [Teleport] requires concentration, which isn''t possible to achieve amidst battle." Asked Lazuli in slight concern as she glanced at Alexander, who opened his mouth to reply, only for Vanye''s scream to fill the night air once more. "Tsk, I''ll be fine, Lazuli. Don''t worry." Replied Alexander firmly as he narrowed his eyes at the encampment, his gaze resting upon Vanye before leaping off the branch. Falling to the ground, I used wind mana to slow my descent before landing on the ground beside our prisoners, one being Vanimo; we had to imprison him since otherwise, he would''ve given away our location, though it''s not like I can be upset with him or anything. "Hey, I''m going to remove the muzzle, so please be quiet. I know you want to save your sister, but anything you want to do will only make it harder for us to save her." Said Alexander softly as he stared at Vanimo, who was bound to a tree with earth while a stone muzzle covered his face. Although he seemed reluctant, Vanimo eventually nodded, prompting me to forcefully remove the stone muzzle that covered his face, though the timing was terrible since Vanye''s faint screams once again reached our ears. Staring intently at Vanimo, I saw his face morph into several different expressions while he gnashed his teeth, tears streaming down the sides of his cheek. Seeing that he was managing to hold one, I sliced the stone chains that bound him to the tree, causing him to collapse onto his knees while clutching his ears, though how much it got rid of Vanye''s scream was questionable. "P-Please, A-Alex¡­ P-Please h-help her." Said Vanimo pleadingly between his sobbing, his words causing Alexander to bite his lips while nodding. "I had promised to help if you ever needed me." Stated Alexander firmly as he patted Vanimo''s shoulder before glancing at Lazuli, who landed right beside him. "Whenever you''re ready, Lazuli, I''ll watch from above." Said Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who nodded before pointing at the woman bound to another tree. ''I had nearly forgotten about her.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he glanced at the woman, only to summon Zartha before slashing at her, using [Wind Blade] to decapitate her, killing her instantly. "I shall be going then." Said Lazuli with a nod as she glanced at Vanimo and Alexander before exiting the forest, using the cover of night to approach the encampment. Watching Lazuli leave, I grabbed Vanimo and put him on my shoulders before leaping from branch to branch, ascending higher until I had returned to the tree''s canopy, where he and I kept a close eye on Lazuli. ____________________________________________________________________________ Peeking my head from out of the ground, I looked around, only to snap my head to the left when I heard Vanyes screams; with the help of earth mana, I slowly but silently moved through the earth while approaching Vanye''s location; her screams proving to be a real help in this regard. ''I''d prefer if I was the one torturing her.'' Thought Lazuli lightly with a faint frown as she suddenly submerged herself back within the ground. "Man, I know Linana hates her, but this is ridiculous! I''m trying to get some fucking sleep, and every minute all I hear is that woman''s screams!" "Hmph, yeah, so fucking annoying; some of us have work in the morning! Tch, such a fucking bitch." Said two Yamen Mercenaries, respectively, as they glanced behind them while walking throughout the encampment, their conversation being overheard by Lazuli, who hid directly underneath them. Emerging from the ground, I glanced at the backs of the two guys as they walked away before continuing towards Vanye, though the closer I got, the more I was forced to hide from random mercenaries that walked by, slowing my already snail-like movement down. However, after nearly twenty minutes, I finally arrived near where Vanye was, though I also spotted who I could only assume was Linana; getting closer, I looked around, waiting until the coast was clear, which didn''t take long as there weren''t many people in this area to begin with, most likely from the constant screams. Since Linana was too focused on Vanye, she didn''t even notice when I had touched her, causing a small piece of my body to stick to her before seeping into her skin. Controlling my body, I had my millions of tiny nanobots enter her bloodstream until they arrived at her heart, which they began immediately ripping to shreds. "Eh?" Muttered Linana as she grasped her heart while coughing blood, the reddish-black stone dropping onto the ground. Before she could scream or alert her fellow mercenaries, I quickly emerged from the ground and decapitated her after morphing one of my arms into a blade. With her dead, I quickly approached Vanye and wasted no time as I removed the nails from her feet and hands; I didn''t bother to be gentle as I knew Alex could easily heal her. "W-What are you doing here?" Asked Vanye in pure exhaustion as she looked at Lazuli, who removed the final nail, causing her to fall. "Helping you since Alex asked. Now be silent." Replied Lazuli indifferently as she caught Vanye before closing her eyes and focusing. Although I wasn''t as quick as Alex since I didn''t have an affinity for space mana, I was also able to utilize [Teleport] and [Mass Teleport], and I did just that; after nearly twenty seconds, I snapped my eyes open, only to reappear in the air beside Alex. Chapter 256: Taking On An Army! As I watched Lazuli stealthily sneak into the encampment and rescue Vanye from the stake she was nailed to, I clenched my fist with a smile while pumping my arm into the air, only for me to tilt my head in confusion when I saw her motionlessly standing in the same spot with Vanye in her arms. ''Oh, I''m stupid; she''s probably teleporting. I tend to forget about it since she doesn''t really use it much.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gently hit himself in the head, only to furrow his brows when observing Lazuli''s surroundings. Someone was approaching Lazuli''s location, and if she didn''t leave soon, they''d spot her and possibly break her concentration; however, thankfully, before the person reached her, she suddenly vanished. Seeing a pair of women appear behind me, I quickly turned, only to glance between Lazuli and Vanye; after that, I grabbed Vanimo and quickly leaped out of the tree we were sitting on while using my free arm to catch them just as I landed on the ground. "You''re fucking amazing, Lazuli!" Stated Alexander proudly with a smile as he gave Lazuli a deep and passionate kiss, causing her to faintly nod with a slight blush. Setting Lazuli and Vanimo on the ground, he practically leaped into her arms to check upon Vanye, which was an amusing sight since he was the older brother, although he barely looked to be an adult. Vanye!? Vanye, are you okay? How do you feel? Do I need to kiss your wounds like I used to?" Asked Vanimo anxiously as he held Vanye''s arm while eyeing the hole in her hand, prompting him to pucker his lips, though before he could kiss her wound, she suddenly embraced him. "Y-You''re alive? V-Vanimo, are you r-really alive?" Asked Vanye hesitantly as she tightly embraced Vanimo while tears streamed down her face, her words causing him to smile softly. "Heh, that''s such a stupid thing to say; of course I''m alive. I promised you we''d always be together, so how could I die?" Replied Vanimo with a faint smile as he lifted his head and gazed at Vanye, tears threatening to escape his eyes. With Vanye sobbing all over Vanimo''s shoulder, I didn''t want to break up this reunion between brother and sister, but we did need to leave; I''m betting they''re going to be quite pissed when they find one of their own dead along with their prisoner having escaped. However, I didn''t need to do anything as Vanye suddenly erupted into violent screams of agony that sounded several times worse when she was this close. "VANYE!? VANYE, WHAT''S WRONG!?" Exclaimed Vanimo in concern as he held Vanye''s face while tears continued to stream down his face. While I was just as confused as Vanimo as to why she was still screaming, I saw several arrows whiz through the air, heading right for us thanks to [Heroes Gaze]; summoning Zartha and Trina, I used [Expand] and stood in front of Lazuli, Vanye, and Vanimo, protecting them from several arrows that would''ve otherwise pierced them. "We must leave; Vanye''s screams are giving away our position!" Stated Alexander with a frown as he blocked the rain of arrows while watching several mercenaries rapidly approach their location. "W-We can''t just leave, w-what about Vanye!?" Exclaimed Vanimo anxiously as he glanced at Alexander, who bit his lip before swinging his greatswords, creating a massive gust of wind that knocked the arrows off balance. "ARGHHH! S-STONE-ARGHHHH!" Stated Vanye through her excruciating yells of pain, her words causing Alexander to furrow his brows in confusion. ''Stone? Stone? What the fuck is she talking about stone?'' Thought Alexander in frustration as he glanced at Vanye before shifting his focus to the mercenary encampment. As I scanned the encampment, my eyes suddenly narrowed when I saw a reddish-black miasma radiating off someone, though weirdly enough, it was the same miasma that surrounded Vanye when I first encountered her. However, upon closer inspection, it was the man the miasma radiated off; no, it was the reddish-black stone in his hands that he seemed to squeeze with all his might.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ''Please don''t tell me this is some kind of voodoo magic.'' Thought Alexander as he gritted his teeth in frustration and annoyance before turning around and glancing at Lazuli while his greatswords protected them like a shield. "Lazuli, you take them away; I''m going to get the stone to stop Vanye''s screaming." "That is not a smart idea." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as she peeked his head from behind him before shaking his head, causing him to wryly smile. "No. No, it is not, but just because it''s a stupid idea doesn''t mean I won''t succeed. Anyways, just get them to safety, okay? I won''t be dying or anything, not when I''ve got you, Yuki, and Michelle as my lovers." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he kissed Lazuli before smacking her butt, causing an arrow to pierce his arm. Waving at Lazuli while hiding the arrow in my arm, which she clearly saw, she gave me a blank look before running into the forest with Vanye and Vanimo as her luggage. Sighing in relief, I quickly turned around and cut the arrowhead off the shaft before pulling it out of my arm, causing me to wince slightly while tossing it onto the ground. ''Of course, it hit the one gap in my armor.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he hardened his gaze at the numerous incoming Yamen mercenaries. With my eyes set on the large, muscular Elf deep within the encampment, I took a deep breath and dashed forward, fueling my body with mana while also using [Strength Augument] and [Speed Augument] to further increase my power; I held off from using [Lightning Cloak] since it required a decent amount of mana, though with my current mana regeneration rate I could use my other two skills while barely losing any mana in the process. When I finally neared my first enemy after dealing with probably a hundred or so arrows at least, he brought his sword back, causing the wind to circulate around it before he swiped it at me, launching a blast of highly dense air, which I simply cut through with a blade of wind I launched from Zartha. His armor managed to offset any serious injury, but he was still forced back a few steps, and using that chance, I leaped into the air and violently kicked his head to the ground, knocking him unconscious while I continued to the next person. I would love to ignore these mercenaries and go directly to the man holding the voodoo stone, but I can see the mana within his system, which was larger than mine, and from the build of his body, I doubted he was a mage, so I''ve doubt he was strong, probably even stronger than me if I''m being honest. ''He would probably be considered a B-class adventurer¡­ Great.'' Thought Alexander with an unsightly expression as he clicked his tongue before continuing into the fray, dodging various attacks while everyone he came was either grievously injured and/or knocked unconscious. Although I knew I wouldn''t be so easily defeated when facing a B-class adventurer, I also knew I wouldn''t win in a fair fight; thankfully, for me, I was akin to an unstoppable berserker as I could ignore any attack that wouldn''t outright kill me. Raising my arm, I blocked an arrow from piercing my eye with my armor before leaping into the air, dodging a massive hammer from behind, only to appear directly behind my attacker. "Huh, where did he go!?" Asked the mercenary as she retracted her hammer while observing her surroundings, only for a golden hilt to slam into her head, knocking her unconscious. "Behind you. Speaking of behind, you''ve got one amazing butt." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at the woman before continuing towards the encampment, her butt occasionally flashing through his mind. ''Master, are you being serious?'' ''What, don''t do that; it was merely an observation I happened to notice. It''s not like I was solely looking at her ass.'' Said Trina and Alexander, respectively, as he glanced at his greatsword in his right hand while it released an ever-so-faint hum. Shaking my head at Trina, I neared the encampment, which was being guarded by tens of warriors, with even more waiting for me inside. ''Welp, I haven''t used this in a while.'' Thought Alexander as large gusts of wind circulated his swords before he leaped into the air while spinning. As I landed on the ground, a tornado manifested around me, though that wasn''t all as I took a deep breath before releasing a torrent of flames from my mouth, which the tornado sucked up. ''Fire Storm.'' Thought Alexander with a smirk as he continued to supply the skill with mana, causing it to grow larger. Using [Fire Storm] as a distraction, I crossed my sword before swiping them towards the mercenaries, launching two [Void Slashes], which had gone completely unnoticed until they arrived at targets, leaving behind nasty wounds on each one of them while the firestorm finished them off; I hadn''t meant to kill them, but what''s done is done. Running through the large, fiery tornado, I entered the encampment, only to be pelted by a volley of attacks as wind, fire, earth, and even ice, along with arrows, rained down upon me. With there being too much, I used [Blink], appearing in a different spot while smacking an archer with the board side of my sword, sending them skidding across the ground. "Ouch." Muttered Alexander lightly as he glanced at the arrow lodged in his butt before shifting his focus to the archer responsible. Chapter 257: Alexander Vs Boss Impaling the archer with Zartha that had shot me in the air, I used Trina to cut the shaft off, leaving just the arrowhead deep within my cheek, something I would have to deal with later since I don''t think I was bold enough to just rip an arrowhead out of my body. Blocking several more arrows using my great swords, I quickly leaped into the air, evading a sword from behind me before kicking his head, though he managed to block it while I used [Air Step], creating a temporary platform out of the air, allowing me to push off of it as I propelled myself into the distance away from the several mercenaries that had just managed to surround my previous position. ''I can''t allow myself to get surrounded like that.'' Thought Alexander while falling to the ground, only to use [Blink] to teleport himself a few feet to the left as he kneed a man in the chest. Caving the man''s chest in by using his body to disperse the force of my landing, I quickly stood up and backed away, evading the fireball that landed upon the dying mercenary, though I happened to take an arrow right into the back of my knee, causing my leg to buckle as I collapsed to one leg. "It''s over!" "Kill him!" "He can''t run no more!" Yelled several mercenaries as they lunged at Alexander, who suddenly vanished from their line of sight, only two to be impaled by his greatswords. Lifting the two men impaled by Zartha and Trina into the air, I flung them at the other approaching mercenaries before turning around, continuously blinking as I distanced myself from my attackers. However, while I was trying to gain distance, not only was I being shot at by several arrows, but I also happened to notice several mercenaries leaving the encampment to chase after Lazuli, Vanye, and Vanimo, which caused me to click my tongue as this is the whole reason why I''m even here in the first place. ''D-Damnit!'' Thought Alexander as he suddenly grabbed the arrow lodged in the back of his knew before gritting his teeth and forcefully yanking it out. Grunting in pain, I continued to use blink for a few more seconds, which was burning through my mana; it was a costly skill given what it was capable of, but repeated use damn sure wasn''t cheap. However, after a few seconds passed, I started running, my knee having fully healed, something I''m sure wouldn''t take long for the mercenaries to notice, not when I''ve left trails of my golden blood all throughout the encampment. ''The encampment, that''s it!'' Thought Alexander with a faint grin as he swiped his swords together, setting them ablaze with fire as he swung then in different directions, launching several weak fireballs. The fireballs may have held next to no damage, but they didn''t need to be powerful to get the job done. Firestorms also use fire, but they don''t spread since the raging wind will quickly snuff it out whenever they ignite something. However, unluckily for me, my genius plan didn''t come to fruition as several mages quickly snuffed out flames before they could get too big; the most my fire did was burn half of a small tent. ''Tsk, never mind then.'' Thought Alexander with a click of his tongue as he swiped Zartha toward the mercenaries attempting to chase after Lazuli, launching a void slash their way. One thing I loved about the space element was how hard it was for people to perceive it; if you weren''t strong, experienced, or didn''t have an attunement for the space element, it was by no means easy to find it. So, although I attacked from far away, I still managed to bisect two of the six Elves that were chasing after Lazuli, scaring the remaining four. With their focus on me, I turned back around and ran back towards the encampment, prompting them to chase back after Lazuli, yet whenever they did so, I would launch a void slash their way, killing one of them, which practically forced them to abandon Lazuli in hopes of killing me. To start with, the one holding the reddish-black stone, the one who I assume is in charge, didn''t seem concerned about his men giving up on chasing Lazuli; I didn''t know why that was the case, but a part of me assumed the stone could trace her location.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I didn''t know whether I was right or wrong, but it didn''t matter since I planned to take it anyway. ''That is¡­ If I can survive this onslaught.'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he was relentlessly pelted by mana attacks along with warriors wielding weapons. Blocking a fireball with my sword, I pushed it outwards, deflecting a swing of someone''s sword, only for a hammer to hit me in my knee, causing me to grunt as I pushed off that specific leg while using my other one to kick my attack in the face, which allowed someone with a thrusting sword to stab the gap where my under arm is, penetrating deep into my chest and boy was it both painful and uncomfortable. Hissing in pain, I landed on the ground and firmly grabbed the woman, preventing her from retreating before I stabbed Zartha into her chest, killing her. Tossing her body onto the ground, I quickly blinked away, using the half second of respite to yank the sword out of my underarm, only for an arrow to suddenly penetrate my chest piece while digging into my chest. ''W-What the!?'' Thought Alexander in shock as he widened his eyes while eyeing the woman sitting on a tower wielding a longbow. The fact she could penetrate my armor left me stunned; in the five years I''ve worn this armor, it''s been practically indestructible, and the last thing I thought that would finally pierce it would be an arrow. ''Great, now I''ve got something else to worry about.'' Thought Alexander with a hiss as he pulled the arrow off his chest while cutting the shaft, causing the arrowhead to fall out of his armor. Quickly realizing I couldn''t stay here too much longer, I shifted my focus to the man in charge holding the reddish-black stone and dashed toward him; what I was doing was pretty damn dangerous, but at this rate, I felt like the outcome would stay the same whether I took my time or rushed things. I''d most likely still end up dying; I could either fight the man after exhausting more than half of my mana, or I could fight him now when he''s still got a lot of reinforcements. Not to mention, my healing capabilities haven''t been noticed as of yet, though if I decide to take the long route, they will be revealed. ''I''ve got to make this quick; only a few exchanges at most.'' Thought Alexander solemnly as he dodged several arrows and speedily dashed through the encampment, heading directly for Boss, who narrowed his eyes. ___ ___ "Ho, so the human wants me? Either he has a grudge against me, or he wants the stone." Said Boss lightly as he glanced at Alexander, who plowed through everything in his way before removing the tarp from a random pile, revealing a battle axe that had seen better days. Storing the stone in my shirt pocket, I circulated the mana through my body, using it to strengthen my physique while flames flowed out of my hands onto my axe, coating it entirely in reddish flames while I glanced at the approaching human, who did something similar, but instead combined his fire with wind, further increasing the destructiveness, allowing it to reach a level comparable to mine. Once the human finally neared me, he raised his greatswords into the air, only to suddenly appear standing in front of me, causing me to faintly smirk as I swiftly swung my axe, intending to cut the human in half, yet he managed to block my swing, albeit I can tell he was struggling, though the fact he did so was surprising as I was expecting him to evade such an attack, which would allow me to follow up with an even stronger attack. "Impressive, human; I see you''re not completely stupid for raiding my Yamen Mercenary group by yourself." Said Boss with a faint nod as he eyed Alexander, who suddenly vanished, only to reappear a few feet above his original spot while swinging his greatsword. Having watched his fights against my Mercenaries, I knew better than to block his swords; they were astoundingly sharp and seemed to cut through everything. Backing away, I dodged his attack before kicking a random barrel into his chest, knocking him slightly off balance while swiftly lunged at him with my axe, aiming right for his neck, yet, unsurprisingly, he vanished before I could reach him. However, I didn''t stop my attack and continued with my moment, spinning in a circle as I looked behind me, where I saw him trying to attack me. Slamming my axe onto his sword, I sent him flying through the sky, yet before he got very far, he pushed off the air itself and lunged towards me, though while doing so, he swiped his swords at me from a distance, causing me to narrow my eyes. "They may fool my Mercenaries, but not me." Remarked Boss as he eyed the void slashes before shifting his body, allowing them to harmlessly pass right beside him. Chapter 258: Surrounded! Clicking my tongue at my failed attempts, I lunged right for the man, only to use [Blink] as I appeared on the ground right in front of him, yet he was already prepared for me and quickly kicked my chest, forcefully pushing me back while he came charging right for me. Gritting my teeth, I braced for impact and used [Expand] on my swords, causing them to grow to over twice their original size as I used them to shield my body; following that, the man slammed his axe onto me with even more force than previously, causing Trina and Zartha to nearly slip out of my hands, though I had fused them to my hands at the last second. However, the force from the impact still sent me skidding across the ground, crashing into a random tent before I eventually stopped. ''Felt like my wrists were going to snap.'' Thought Alexander as he slowly stood up, only to quickly blink away, just in time to avoid an axe that would''ve otherwise sliced him in half. Appearing above the man, I watched his axe slam into the ground, releasing a small but powerful fiery explosion that engulfed the entire tent, causing me to internally sigh in relief since that was almost me, though just as I was about to attack, another arrow suddenly pierced through my chest, hitting the same axe spot as previously. ''Tsk, fucking sniper!'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he Zartha in the direction of the archer, launching a large blade of wind her way, yet before it could reach her, a torrent of flames dispersed it. "Your fight is with me, human." Said Boss as he tightly clenched his axe with both hands before violently swinging it at Alexander, who opted to retaliate rather than evade. Using wind mana to increase the power of my flames, I attacked with nearly all my might, though; while my opponent didn''t smash right through my attack, I wasn''t able to stop his, causing me to be sent flying through the air with two broken wrists. ''Tsk, this isn''t going to get me anywhere; I will have to use [Lightning Cloak].'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he regained his balance in the air, only for yet another arrow to pierce his back armor and stab into his back. "Hmph, so much for, ''Your fight is with me, Human''." Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he glared at the woman, who was already placing another arrow in her bow. Using my swords, I cut the shafts of the arrows before shifting my focus to the man, intending to properly deal with them when I''m not in the middle of enemy territory. Landing on the ground directly opposite the man, I used Blink to close the distance while also evading a swing of his axe. Once I saw an opening, I used [Heroes Gaze] to speed up my perception of time. I also used the lightning cloak, causing lightning sparks to dance across my body while a faint bluish aura surrounded me. This significantly increased all of my physical attributes except stamina, which I already had an infinite amount of. Pushing off the ground, I speedily approached the man, though instead of going straight for the stone, which I wouldn''t easily acquire, not to mention it would also make my intentions obvious, I swiped my swords across his chest, causing him to bleed, yet, even though I had taken him by surprise, he still managed to react by leaping backward, which prevented me from giving him a deeper wound. "Hmm, those swords of yours sure are sharp; sliced right through my enchanted armor with ease¡­ Like it wasn''t even there. Epic artifacts, perhaps?" Stated Boss calmly as he glanced down at his flesh wound before looking at Trina and Zartha, a glint of greed flashing through his eyes. "After I kill you, I''ll take them for myself; they''ll be better used in my hands anyway." Added Boss as he removed bot outfit and thin armor underneath, revealing his thick muscles that outclassed even Alexander''s, a rather impressive feat for an Elf.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ''Hmph, as if. Master still has plenty of room to grow stronger.'' Said Trina with a scoff as she folded her arms while glaring at Boss, her words causing Zartha to nod in agreement. ''Thanks, Trina.'' Thought Alexander softly with a hardened gaze as he pushed off the ground, charging towards Boss much faster than previously. Now, with my increased speed, I wasn''t required to blink away every time I wanted to dodge an attack, which, surprisingly, saved on mana in the long run, even though the skill I was using was somewhat extensive when it came to mana usage. Side-stepping, I dodged a mighty swing of the axe and kicked his wrists, knocking his attack slightly off balance, which prevented him from continuing his attack into another; taking advantage of that, I slashed my sword at him, yet, at the last second, I blinked to his right side as Zartha effortlessly cut into his flesh, drawing blood while I quickly backed away, evading yet another swing of his axe. Seeing my attacks working, I was starting to grow confident and planned to make a move for the stone very soon, but of course, I couldn''t have it so easy as several arrows shot right for me; most simply bounced off my armor, though some did manage to find their way to the small gaps in my armor. Thankfully, with lightning cloak, they didn''t reach any more deeply than my muscles, though they still hurt, yet the worst was probably the fact I saw several mages from a distance casting spells, along with several mercenaries running towards me while the others surrounded us. "Seems like things just got a little bit harder for you." Said Boss lightly as he flexed his muscles, causing his body to faintly glow with a reddish hue while steam emitted from his body. Ignoring the man''s smart-ass remark, I narrowly dodged his sudden attack, which was faster and stronger than before, causing me to back away while I used my eyes to inspect his status panel, and after sorting through several, I finally found what I was looking for. //////////////////// [Flame On]¡ª Grants an increase to all physical attributes proportionate to how much the user increases their body temperature. (Epic) //////////////////// ''Tsk, fucking great.'' Thought Alexander as he barely dodged an onslaught of swings from Boss, who further pushed him back. While dodging the man''s swings, I raised both of my swords, stopping his attack, causing me to grit my teeth as I used all the muscles in my body to push him backward, though just as I did that, a lady stabbed her sword into my side while another arrow pierced my thigh. I tried to kill the lady behind me, but she quickly backed away while leaving her sword in me, and I wasn''t even given enough time to pull it out as the man lunged towards me once again. "Seems like you''re having a tough time¡­ It was a decently fun battle while it lasted." Said Boss with a faint smirk as he powerfully slashed his axe upwards, sending Alexander into the air despite blocking his attack. Before I could get pelted by numerous spells, I used blink to reappear behind the man, only to back away while yanking the arrow out of my thigh, which was probably the most painful one yet. ''Fucking bitch!'' Thought Alexander as he took a deep breath before releasing a torrent of flames that rapidly grew, covering nearly half of the encampment in seconds. Ignoring the several spells and arrows pelting my body, I continued to release flames, yet I was forced to stop when an arrow suddenly pierced my neck, causing me to collapse to one knee while my blood began to coat the ground. ''Tsk, I-I knew I should''ve killed her.'' Thought Alexander as he used his swords to cut the arrow in two, allowing him to easily remove it while he burned his blood. Quickly standing up, I backed away, though narrowly dodged yet another swing of the axe before blinking towards him; appearing right in front of him, I slammed my foot onto his axe, preventing him from removing it while I punched him in the face, though it didn''t seem to affect him that much as he simply spat out blood. Clicking my tongue, I was forced into the air by the man while he swiped his axe upwards, launching a wave of flames, enveloping me in them while I used Zartha to block them; Trina was used to launch a [Void Slash] his way, which he dodged, but it made him stop attacking me. Falling through the sky, I blinked right beside him while tossing my swords away and manifesting an incredibly dense [Fire Blast] in my palm as I lunged right for him, seemingly uncaring for my wellbeing, which seemed to take him aback as I tightly hugged him. Just as it looked like I was about to perform a suicide maneuver, I head-butted him in the chin and used that chance to push off him as I lunged towards his jacket that was on the ground. ''Yeap, it''s still in here.'' Thought Alexander with a nod as he looked at the reddish-black stone in the jacket before suddenly vanishing from his spot, dodging a powerful fiery slash that left a deep gouge in the ground. "So you were after the stone the entire time? I should''ve known, but you did a good job tricking me¡­ Though I don''t like being tricked." Remarked Boss with a deep frown as he tightly clenched his axe while the steam emitting off his body increased in density. Chapter 259: Escape! Listening to the man''s rather ominous words, I was forced to use [Blink] to narrowly dodge a swing of his axe, and the moment I appeared somewhere else, I was stabbed in the foot by another mercenary; luckily for them, I wasn''t able to retaliate since I was required to dodge yet another attack from the man that would''ve probably killed me. ''Tsk, he''s much stronger and faster than before.'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he eyed Boss, who blitzed towards him, leaving behind a trail of steam while his axe whipped through the air at immense speeds. Quickly raising my swords, I used [Expand] on them, causing them to grow to just about twice their original size while I used them as shields to protect me from the incoming axe; however, I also planned to use the force of the impact to send me flying out of the circle of mercenaries that has surrounded me, and hopefully the encampment as well. Yet, despite expecting the attack, it surprisingly never came, though I wasn''t stupid enough to lower my swords and instead just blinked away in a different spot, only to immediately get pierced in the thigh by that sniper up in the tower, causing me to internally hiss. "I''ve been tricked once today¡­ It will not happen again." Said Boss solemnly as he dashed toward Alexander, dragging his axe through the ground, only for deadly flames to gush outwards onto the ground. Watching him fling chunks of magma at me, I used powerful gusts of wind to cool them off before hitting them back toward the man. I also launched sharp blades of wind myself, ignoring the numerous arrows from all around me. ''Seems he saw through my plan; that''s great.'' Thought Alexander sarcastically as he quickly leaped backward, barely dodging the axe that otherwise would''ve cleaved him in two, only to be hit in the stomach by the front part. Wincing, I quickly regained my bearings and was forced to raise my swords as I resisted an attack that slammed me into the ground, breaking several of my bones; it only got worse as he continued to wail on me from above with his axe, forcefully pushing my body deeper into the pit I created. Inwardly cursing at my predicament, I tried to use this opportunity to utilize [Teleport] since I wasn''t requiring much thinking right now, and it was working, though I wasn''t able to finish as my leg was suddenly grabbed, only for me to be yanked out of the ground and slammed into another piece. I quickly rolled to the side, dodging his axe, which stabbed into the ground, turning the touching pieces of earth into magma from the intense heat while I swung my sword at it, yet I only managed to cut a small piece off the blade as he had retracted it quick enough. Leaping onto my own two feet, I gritted my teeth and decided to charge the man, taking the initiative in our fight as I swung at him with my swords, prompting him to masterfully deflect my blows to the side while; however, unlike with Vanye, he wasn''t doing so with the same amount of ease as her despite being stronger and faster. This time, when I swung my swords his way, I used the skills expand and [Shrink], rapidly changing their sizes just before he deflected my swords, causing him to constantly make mistakes while I slowly chipped away at his axe. However, that only happened a few times, since after a while, he simply opted to stop deflecting my swords and merely dodged by keeping out of harm away, even when expanding my swords to nearly three times their normal size. ''Tsk, fucking great; he''s just going to stay on the defensive when I attack, and then if I try to leave, he''s going to change strategies. It''s smart, and that''s why I freaking hate it.'' Thought Alexander as he narrowed his eyes at the man while clicking his tongue in annoyance.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Since I didn''t have a plan on how to escape, I just continued to attack; it gave me a chance to think a little, and the mages weren''t able to attack me, forcing me to only deal with the archers, but it didn''t matter where they hit, so I was fine. Glancing upwards at the sniper, saw her already aiming at me, but that wasn''t why I was looking at her, I was trying to see if would be possible to swap positions with her using space mana; I could already teleport someone without touching them using my eyes, but could I swap positions? ''Heh, I''m getting desperate, aren''t I?'' Thought Alexander wryly as he shifted his focus to the man who kept dodging his attacks. Such a thought was pretty stupid; even if I could theoretically do it without intensive practice, I wouldn''t be able to do it right now at all times. If I could just create a decent distance from my opponent to use as a head start, I was somewhat confident I could escape; however, he''s still a little too close for my liking, not to mention I''ve got to pull out the arrow in the back of my thigh, which is going to hurt like hell. Clicking my tongue in sudden eureka, I used expand once more, though this time, I used it on both my swords and my arms, causing them to elongate as I slashed at the man, taking him by surprise as I created another shallow gash on his chest. However, he didn''t back away, probably knowing if he gave me any more space, I wouldn''t hesitate to flee, and unfortunately for me, he was correct; after all, this wasn''t a battle I could win, my opponent had already proven he is too strong for me, let alone the fact he''s being back upped by probably close to a hundred mercenaries that''ll stab me if I get to close to them. ''Got any genius plan, Zartha, that will save my fucking life?'' Asked Alexander as he continued to attack the man, injuring him every few attacks, though they were merely flesh wounds, nothing noteworthy. ''You''ve got two lives, Master.'' Replied Zartha coldly, her words causing him to scoff as he turned around and dashed away, causing Boss to rapidly lunge at him. Just as I turned around, I blitzed toward the circle of mercenaries while my opponent dashed at me, and just when he was about to get near me, I vanished and appeared behind him while slashing downwards, leaving behind a deep gash. ''Heh, what was that about not being tricked again?'' Thought Alexander in amusement as he landed on the ground while backing away, using the chance to yank the arrow out of his thigh, only for another to pierce his stomach. With a twitching expression, I glared at the sniper while removing her arrow from my stomach after cutting the arrowhead off; I shifted my focus to my opponent, who gave me a cold glare, causing me to wince internally. "That is twice I''ve been fooled, so I can not blame you, only my incompetence for not seeing through the trick." Said Boss as he coldly eyed Alexander, who calmly stared at him while secretly preparing to teleport. After he finished speaking, he clutched his axe with both hands and lunged at me, though I stood my ground and raised my sword as I eyed him; just when his axe was about to slice me in half, my figure vanished. Clutching my bleeding chest, I glanced at the nasty wound his axe had managed to barely inflict on me before I teleported, though I couldn''t even sigh in relief as an arrow pierced my chest, causing me to turn and look at the encampment off in the distance, which was still far too close to comfort, hell, I could even see the man from before dashing towards me. ''F-Fucking hell, I can''t catch a fucking break.'' Thought Alexander as he tossed a fireball onto the ground, burning his blood while dashing into the forest. Yanking the arrow out of my chest, I flung it behind me and speedily ran through the forest, though even with my speed, I saw someone was slowly catching up to me, causing me to push myself even harder while I prepared to teleport, and this time, somewhere much farther. "GET BACK HERE!" Yelled Boss furiously as he dozed through various trees, leaking a path of burnt destruction wherever he ran. Several seconds passed, and before he could catch up to me, I teleported once more; this time, while I was still in the forest, I landed beside the remains of a burnt cabin, causing me to plop onto the ground as I sighed in relief. "Haa, thank you fucking Eywa; I only had like a few more uses of teleport before I ran out of mana. All those fucking blinks burned right through my mana." Muttered Alexander as he stared into the sky and blew kisses to Goddess Eywa or to whatever God was watching over him. After a minute or so of lying down, I decided to get up because, one, I needed to reunite with Lazuli, Vanye, and Vanimo, and secondly, it was not like I was all that far away from the Mercenary encampment; if that man knew where I was, he could probably get here within two hours. "Alright, time to reunite with my adorable little cyborg." Said Alexander as he absorbed Trina and Zartha into his body while jogging through the forest. Chapter 260: Uplifting The Curse Although I said all that, I was clueless about where Lazuli had taken the two siblings, so it would be a while before I found them; well, at least I thought so until I felt something emerge from my chest directly where my heart was. Looking down, I removed my shirt and chest piece, only to see a metallic object sticking out of my chest, pointing towards my left, causing me to tilt my head as I turned left, making the metallic object now point straight. "Hmm, didn''t Lazuli say she keeps a part of herself around my heart? Maybe this is the piece of herself that she was referring to." Muttered Alexander softly in slight confusion as he rubbed his head while gently touching the metallic object, which behaved similarly to a liquid, although it wasn''t one. Anyways, seeing how this metallic object sticking out of my chest wasn''t hurting me and was pointing in a direction, I just assumed it was Lazuli guiding me, so I took off into a full-on sprint. While dashing through the forest, I made whatever slight adjustments the metallic object made, ever so slightly heading right. Since I could not gauge how far away they were or how long this would take, I sang one of Master''s favorite songs along the way. Although I didn''t really like the song, I listened to it enough that I now know the lyrics by heart. ''Haa, I''ll need to have a discussion with Master about her taste in music whenever I die. How are you going to live for over 2,000 years and listen to this nonsense?'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he eyed the sky, only to shake his head a few moments later. Several minutes passed while I darted through the forest; the trees were practically disappearing at the speed at which I was moving, but after twenty or so minutes, I finally began to slow down as the metallic object started to point downwards. By the time I came to a stop, the metallic object was already pointing downwards, causing me to look at the ground while I summoned Trina into my hand. ''Master, please don''t use me as a shovel! I''ve been a good girl! Use elder sister instead!'' Said Trina with a teary-eyed expression as she got onto her knees and begged before pointing at Zartha, whose expression morphed into a scowl. Before I could even respond to Trina, the ground beneath my feet trembled slightly while a thick pillar emerged from the ground, causing me to step backward as I patiently waited. Only when the pillar reached a height comparable to the trees, which were extremely tall, easily taller than any tree from my past world, did I finally start to see an opening within the pillar, revealing an utterly gorgeous Elven woman with long red hair, causing me to gulp from her sheer beauty. Following her appeared a woman I''ve come to love despite her bland expressions most of the time, and yes, her beauty was comparable to that of the woman before. Lastly, there was a man who could''ve been easily mistaken for a young woman. Once I saw Lazuli, she flashed me a faint smile, which served to reinvigorate me, but also, the metallic object sticking out of my chest re-entered my body. ''So I was correct. Weird.'' Mused Alexander with a curious expression as he wore his shirt and chestpiece. "Glad to see you all are safe. Especially you, Vanye, you looked really terrible last time I saw you." Said Alexander with a smile as he approached Lazuli, tightly embracing her before raising his head and glancing at Vanye, only to see a small, pale-skinned fist. ''Oh, she''s pissed.'' Thought Alexander lightly as Vanye''s fist violently hit his face, snapping his head backward and drawing blood. Taking a few steps back, I wiped the blood from my nose and glanced at Vanye before raising my hand, stopping Lazuli, who was already raising her hands at Vanye.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Neither of us moved or said anything for several seconds, though I was the first one to break the silence as I cleared my throat before apologizing since I was at fault for the whole ordeal. "I''m sorry-" Said Alexander apologetically, though he wasn''t able to finish speaking as another fist slammed into his face, this time even stronger than before. Unlike before, she didn''t only punch me once; no, she released an onslaught of punches as she repeatedly attacked my face without a shred of mercy, coating her hands in my blood that ended up healing her fists after every attack. This went on for three full minutes, in which not a single person uttered a word; only the sound of her fist repeatedly digging into my face echoed through the forest. To be honest, this probably would''ve gone on longer, but her breathing was starting to turn uneven, and it seemed she didn''t want to do this until she was exhausted. "Have you finished?" Asked Alexander softly as he reached into his space pouch, grabbing a cloth while glancing at Vanye with a bloody face. She didn''t say anything and merely lowered her fists, causing me to reach down as I firmly grabbed her wrist and cleaned her hand, which she surprisingly didn''t try to fight me against; once I finished cleaning both of her hands, I cleaned my face before tossing the cloth back into my space pouch. "No need to glare at her like Lazuli; I''m fine." Said Alexander with a chuckle as he picked Lazuli up before placing her on his left shoulder, only for him to reach into his pocket, revealing a reddish-black stone. "Also, here you go, Vanye. It was quite the hassle, but I got the stone." Added Alexander with a faint smile as he handed the stone to Vanye, who stared at it for several seconds before grabbing it from his hand. "N-Now that we''ve got the stone, h-how do we remove the curse?" Asked Vanimo in confusion as he glanced between Vanye, Lazuli, and Alexander while the latter clicked his tongue. "Tsk, so it was cursed all along? That''s freaking great." Said Alexander with a raised eyebrow, his words causing Vanimo to nod. "While you were gone, Vanye had explained the purpose of the stone; she and it are cursed to essentially be one entity. Whatever damage the stone received, she receives, and if the stone is destroyed, well¡­" Remarked Vanimo with a nod as he looked at the stone before glancing at Vanye, who was deeply staring at it while Alexander nodded. "How long have you been cursed for?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Vanye while gently rubbing Lazuli''s thigh, occasionally kissing them. "30 years." Replied Vanye lightly as she gave Alexander a side glance before gazing back at the stone, causing him to widen his eyes. "Oh, yeah, I forgot you Elves live for a long time. Speaking of that, how old are you, Vanimo?" Asked Alexander curiously as he turned and glanced at Vanimo, who faintly smiled. "I''m 58, and Vanye''s 50, she actually just had her birthday last month." Replied Vanimo with a faint smile, his words causing Alexander to nod while shifting his focus back to Vanye. "Anyway, can I see it Vanye? I might be able to get rid of the curse." Asked Alexander, his words surprising both Vanimo and Vanye, prompting her to hand to him. "Eh, you mean it, Alex!?" Asked Vanimo in excitement as he looked at Alexander with eyes of excitement while he set Lazuli onto the ground. "Relax, I said I might. Not that I can." Replied Alexander lightly as he summoned Trina before handing it to Lazuli, who accepted it while silently staring at him. Squatting down, I grabbed the rock from Vanye''s hand and set it on the ground while outstretching my hand towards it before looking at Lazuli. "If you could do the honors." Asked Alexander, his words causing Lazuli to glare at Vanye while she swung Trina, effortlessly slicing right through his wrist. Suppressing grunts of pain, I caught my hand and poured my golden ichor onto the reddish-black stone; although my ichor doesn''t precisely say it can remove curses, it does say it will eliminate any and all negative effects Legendary and below. As my blood flowed onto the reddish-black stone, an ear-piercing shriek was heard, along with an excessive amount of steam emitting from the stone, though after a few seconds, it all vanished while a reddish-black aura emerged from the stone before floating towards Vanye, who somehow reabsorbed it. Seeing that happen, I connected my hand to my wrist and waited a few seconds before letting go. "Alright, if that didn''t look like I had just cleansed the curse, then I don''t know what to say." Said Alexander as he grabbed the stone with his left hand and tossed it to Vanye, who caught it, only for reddish-black miasma to engulf her palm, causing the stone to morph into dust. "I wouldn''t be against receiving a thank you." Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Vanye, only for Vanimo to leap into his embrace. "Thank you! Thank you!" Stated Vanimo with tears of joy as he hugged Alexander, who gently patted his shoulder with a twitching expression. "Y-You''re welcome." Said Alexander softly as he glanced at Vanimo before looking at Vanye, who turned his back to him, causing him to sigh while Lazuli snorted. "Pointless." Muttered Lazuli as she stabbed Trina into Alexander, his body absorbing it back into him. Chapter 261: Disrespecting Alexander After having cleansed Vanye''s curse from the stone, effectively freeing her and placing her life solely back into her hands, we walked through the forest since, believe it or not, an entire mercenary group was still chasing us. "So, what are we going to do now?" Asked Vanimo curiously as he glanced between Vanye, Alexander, and Lazuli, the latter blankly glancing at him. "Get my sword." Stated Vanye lightly with a hardened gaze as she stared into the distance, her words prompting Alexander to snap his fingers. "Ah, that''s what was missing about you; I thought something was off. Anyway, your sword is back at your home, underneath all the burnt rubble." Remarked Alexander as he glanced at Vanye, only for him to awkwardly look away while trailing his words off. "Oh yeah, our house. I forgot about that." Muttered Vanimo softly with a saddened expression, only for him to shake his head as he suddenly hugged Vanye. "Well, so long as we''ve got each other, we can always build another house." Added Vanimo with a faint smile as he glanced at Vanye, who sighed deeply before nodding in agreement. Glancing at Vanimo in jealousy, I shook my head and cleared my throat, opting to change the topic since I didn''t want it to return to me. "What do you plan to do afterward?" Asked Alexander curiously as he glanced at Vanye, who shot him a glare before looking away. "I''ll kill Boss." "Boss?" Said Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the latter gazed at the former in slight confusion. "Haa, really, Vanye? Why must you always resort to violence? You know I don''t like it when you kill people." Said Vanimo with a deep frown as he firmly stared at Vanye, who snorted in response. "Boss is the name of the man who had tortured you." Said Vanye, lightly with venom as she clenched her fist, causing it to be engulfed with reddish-black miasma, destroying a tree with a single punch. "O-Oh, that''s Boss; I-I see." Muttered Vanimo with an expression of understanding, only to cough awkwardly while silently averting his gaze. I would''ve loved to laugh at Vanimo, but, seeing as this wasn''t something to laugh about, I had to forcefully suppress it; maybe in a decade or so, we could laugh at it, but not when it happened only like a day ago. "If we''re trying to get your sword, I can just teleport us there; it will save us a lot of time. Unless, of course, you just want to¨C" Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanye, who promptly cut him off while tightly grabbing his shoulder. "Take me there now." Stated Vanye sternly as she glared at Alexander, tightly grabbing his shoulder with her golden prosthetic, causing him to hesitantly nod. "O-kay. Vanimo, grab my hand." Said Alexander as he outstretched his hand to Vanimo while Lazuli leaned into his embrace, squishing her chest against his body. "Oh, teleporting? I''ve never done that; my body won''t be split in half or something, right?" Asked Vanimo in excitement as he grabbed Alexanders'' hand, only to skeptically glance at him. "Um, I don''t know; maybe if I messed it up. But that won''t happen; I know my limits when it comes to teleporting." Replied Alexander lightly as he rubbed his head while glancing at Vanimo before shrugging his shoulders and closing his eyes. Taking a few seconds to visualize the cabin, which was now a pile of rubble and ash, I swiftly used [Mass Teleport] once I was ready, and when I opened my eyes, we appeared about twenty feet in the sky above the burnt and destroyed cabin. "Sometimes this can happen, though." Added Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanimo, who tightly clung to his arm. Grabbing Vanimo with one arm and Lazuli with another, I practically slammed onto the ground, though they were both fine as I had absorbed most of the impact; not like Lazuli would''ve gotten hurt at first, I was merely behaving like a gentleman.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "That was¡­ Scary." Muttered Vanimo softly as he exited Alexander''s hold while standing on his own, causing him to chuckle. "Hehe, you get used to it." Said Alexander lightly in amusement as he patted Vanimo''s back while glancing at Vanye, who was already searching through the cabin''s remains. "You said you saw it, Alex; where is it?" Asked Vanye sternly as she raised her head, intensely eyeing Alexander, who nodded while raising his arm, only for Lazuli to grab it. "He will answer you once you''ve reeled in your attitude." Stated Lazuli coldly as she eyed Vanye, who narrowed her eyes, the two entering a silent battle. "I can do this until the end of time, Vanye, nor am I the one who wants to kill Boss." Added Lazuli as she unblinkingly stared at Vanye, who grunted before scoffing while shifting her focus to Alexander. "Can you tell me where my sword is, Alex?" Asked Vanye softly in a calm tone after suppressing her annoyance and anger, prompting Lazuli to snort though otherwise she remained quiet. "Um, yeah, it''s more towards your right, underneath that wooden beam." Replied Alexander with a nod as he pointed to his left since Vanye was facing him, prompting her to search where he was pointing. "What was that for Lazuli?" Asked Alexander as he glanced at Vanimo and Vanye, both searching through the pile of burnt rubble, only shifting his focus to Lazuli. "Stop accepting her disrespect, Alex. Just because you feel guilty doesn''t mean you can allow her to freely disrespect you; even if you do, I won''t allow it." Stated Lazuli sternly as she eyed Alexander, who awkwardly rubbed his head while occasionally glancing at Vanye. "I mean, she had just gone through a lot, mostly at my fault, so she''s probably just really angry with me and in general." "I don''t care whether it was anger or disrespect; I''m not allowing an ungrateful bitch to speak to you like such." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, the latter''s words spoken coldly as she eyed the former, who slightly frowned in response. "I know you don''t like her, but I don''t really think you need to resort to calling her a bitch. I mean, she may be acting like one right now, but she had just gone through a lot; also, no offense, but you were also pretty bitchy when we first met, though I still put up with you, and now, I got this sexy woman all to myself. Short-term sacrifices for long-term success." Remarked Alexander softly as he looked at Vanye pushing a wooden beam out of the way, only for him to smirk as he grasped Lazuli''s petite butt while stealing her lips. "C''mon, you know, I just can''t wait until we''ve got some alone time." Added Alexander softly as he passionately kissed Lazuli, who gladly reciprocated it. Feeling Lazuli grab my erect crotch through my pants, I suppressed a grunt and stared at her, looking into her eyes that were full of playfulness, which aroused me to no end. "Because I''ve had time to reflect, I now know you shouldn''t have put up with me, though I am thankful that you did; however, now that I know better, I will not allow you to make the same mistake you made with me. Besides, unlike me from five years ago, Vanye knows more than I did; she has no excuse to treat you like such." Said Lazuli with a small smile as he tightly grasped Alexander''s cock through his pants while staring up at him, only to suddenly back away. "Found it, now let''s go." Said Vanye as she removed her sword from the pile of burnt rubble while standing up and approaching Alexander and Lazuli. "Eh, a-already? I haven''t found much, though." Muttered Vanimo sadly as he glanced at Vanye while holding several damaged items in his arms before sighing and following behind her. "Hmph, you''re such a tease, Lazuli. I can''t wait until this is all over." Remarked Alexander quietly as he eyed Lazuli, who flashed a faint smile before her expression returned to normal while he fixed his crotch with his back to Vanye and Vanimo. Hiding my erection to the best of my ability, I turned and glanced at Vanye, who looked ready to cut me down at any second, which was a little scary. "Right now? Do you want to attack right now? Don''t you think we should rest first?" Asked Alexander in surprise as he gazed at Vanye, who firmly shook her head while Lazuli reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Now is a good time to attack; they would not be expecting people who had fled to suddenly come back attacking; besides, unlike before, there will be two people helping you, Alex." Remarked Lazuli, her words surprising both Vanye and Alexander as they turned to look at her. "I wasn''t expecting that." "Neither was I." Said Alexander and Vanye, respectively, as they stared at Alexander, who sighed while hesitantly nodding. "Alright, I can''t argue against that logic. Grab my body-Oh n-not there, Lazuli!" Said Alexander with a shrug of his shoulders while outstretching his hands, prompting Vanye to grab his shoulder, Vanimo to hold his hand, and Lazuli to grab his erection. "It''s fine, just teleport us." Said Lazuli calmly as she continued to boldly grab Alexander''s cock through his clothes while staring at Vanye, causing Vanimo to blush. "Why are you looking?" "Because you suddenly just grabbed his crotch." Said Lazuli and Vanye, respectively, the former suspiciously eyeing the latter, who was faintly blushing. ''This is so embarrassing!'' Thought Alexander as he pretended not to exist while visualizing the mercenary encampment. Chapter 262: Mass Killing! As I tried to ignore Lazuli''s power move, I used [Mass Teleport], which teleported us from the remains of Vanye and Vanimo''s cabin to the edge of the clearing where the Mercenary encampment was. This time, we didn''t appear twenty feet in the air. "Woah, you really must''ve given those Mercenaries hell after we left; look at all the destruction you caused." Remarked Vanimo in slight surprise as he glanced at the Mercenary encampment in the distance, noticing the damages it had sustained. "It was more like the other way around, but I''ll take the compliment." Muttered Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Vanimo before shaking his head, only to shift his focus to Vanye, who started to walk forward. "Woah, there, Vanye; I know you want your revenge, but you''ll die going in there just like that." Added Alexander with a slight frown as he grabbed Vanye''s wrist, stopping her, which only served to annoy her. "I know what I''m doing; I''ve been a part of the Yemen Mercenaries for nearly forty years." Stated Vanye with a frown as she eyed Alexander before turning around and yanking her arm out of his grasp, causing him to roll his eyes. "Haa, why must she be so hard-headed? She reminds me of Talis and Yuki; actually, Yuki isn''t that hard-headed. Speaking of Talis, where the hell is she?" Remarked Alexander softly as he rubbed his face while glancing at Vanye''s back, raising his head to the sky, prompting Lazuli to nod in agreement. "No, but Yuki is terrifying. Also, Talis, she¡­ Something quite spectacular has happened to her." Replied Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, only for her to raise an eyebrow in surprise, garnering his attention. "Hmm, how do you know? Oh, did you also put a piece of yourself in her body like you did me?" Asked Alexander in slight confusion as he looked at Lazuli, who faintly nodded while opening her mouth, only for Vanimo to break their conversation. "Um, I-I don''t mean to be rude, but will you assist, Vanye? I-I''m getting slightly worried about her." Asked Vanimo softly as he glanced between Alexander and Lazuli, prompting them to both look at the Mercenary encampment, which Vanye had already invaded. Clicking my tongue at Vanye, I grumbled under my breath while summoning both Trina and Zartha from my body; we so easily could''ve just sneaked into the encampment, killed Boss, and then fled, but now, we''re going to have to fight everyone. "Lazuli, can you dear and remove the woman from the tower? She is very annoying; also, you don''t need to kill her; just knock her out or something." Asked Alexander lightly as he pointed Trina at the tower in the middle of the encampment, where an elven woman was firing arrows at Vanye. "Killing them will ensure less future problems." "Haa, yeah¡­ You''re not wrong." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, the latter deeply sighing while reluctantly nodding in agreeance. Kissing Lazuli on the cheek, I gave her a nice slap on the butt before suddenly pushing off the ground, dashing towards the encampment as I strengthened my body with mana while also using [Strength Augment] and [Speed Augument], further increasing my both my strength and speed. Reaching the entrance of the encampment, I narrowed my eyes at Vanye, who was holding her ground despite being heavily outnumbered, though I could tell the archers and mages attacking from afar were proving to be a problem for her. ''Well, Lazuli will probably deal with them; let me help Vanye.'' Thought Alexander as he glanced at the group of mercenaries surrounding Vanye before sprinting towards them. "What the!? T-The human has re-" Yelled a Mercenary as he turned and glanced at Alexander, who smacked him with the back of his sword, knocking him unconscious. The man''s yell did serve for the mercenaries to notice me, but it made no difference as I simply carved a path towards Vanye, knocking every mercenary I came across into unconscious, though some did require more hits than others.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Once I reached the middle beside Vanye, I was forced to narrowly dodge her sword that would''ve otherwise sliced my arm, causing me to grunt in annoyance as I glared at her. "Really? You knew that it was me; I''m the only freaking human within a twenty-mile radius." Said Alexander in annoyance as he eyed Vanye while blocking several sword attacks before pushing his attackers back. "Sorry." Muttered Vanye softly as she side-glanced Alexander while continuing her revenge, her blade drawing with nearly every swing. Snorting, I shook my head while swinging my blades, knocking one unconscious, though mainly to block arrows from penetrating my body. "Why aren''t you killing them?" Asked Vanye with a frown as she glanced at Alexander, noticing one of his enemies falling unconscious. "Because we can handle the risk of them waking up several minutes later." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanye before shaking his head, causing her to scoff while she shifted her focus to the battle at hand. ''Master, they''ve all seen your blood. Are you really going to allow them to live?'' Asked Zartha coldly with a raised eyebrow as she looked at the sky, watching the battle through Alexander''s eyes. ''I live on a completely different continent; I''m confident I will be fine.'' Replied Alexander calmly as he used his armor to block a sword before kicking his attacker in the chest, pushing him back while following up with Trina to the side of his head, knocking another mercenary unconscious. ''Master, as Mythical artifacts that have lived for thousands of years and have been wielded by over a hundred different people, all kinds of magic exist out there. If the right person has your blood, finding you won''t be an issue at all; killing them can and will save you a lot of future problems.'' Stated Trina in a rare case of seriousness, her words prompting Zartha to nod in agreement while Alexander tightly clenched his weapons in frustration. "Heh, at this rate, I''m just going to turn into a serial killer." Muttered Alexander in anger as he spun his blades before swiping them through the air, launching a [Void Slash], killing several in front of him. ''You''d rather become that than let someone kill Yuki, Michelle, Talis, Lazuli, or Chloe because of you, would you not?'' Asked Zartha calmly as she folded her arms, seemingly already knowing the question to her words. "Tsk fucking annoying. I wish I had known being an Adventurer would result in me killing so much; I would''ve re-thought my decision¡­ I''m too deep into it now." Muttered Alexander in frustration as he sliced his sword upwards, cutting an unfortunate man in half vertically. Since it seemed like we''d end up killing everyone, I completely ignored any defense; there was no point in preventing them from injuring me if they already knew about my blood. Pushin off the ground, I lunged into the fray, wildly swinging my swords as I killed at least one Mercenary every time, though my high kill count didn''t come without consequences, a few arrows pierced my body, and several swords ended up stabbing the places where my armor didn''t fully protect. However, other than pain, which wasn''t that big of a deal, it did nothing to me; it didn''t slow me down, nor did it weaken me; I was practically unstoppable. "YES!" Yelled a mercenary in glee when an arrow suddenly pierced Alexander''s neck, stopping him, only for him to yank it out while his wound rapidly healed to the naked eye, terrifying everyone. Taking advantage of their fear, I lunged forth and killed them; having thinned out the mercenaries by quite a lot, I raised my head, taking a fireball directly to the face and burning my skin, though by the time the smoke cleared, most of my face had already healed, and the mage that had attacked was now being run through by Lazuli''s limb, which was now a sword. While giving Lazuli an appreciative look, from behind me, I saw Boss charging toward Vanye, who was completely unaware; leaping towards her, I extended my arm and placed Trina right underneath her feet, only to fling her into the air towards Boss. "You go and deal with Boss; I''ll take care of the rest of these Mercenaries!" Stated Alexander as he glanced at Vanye while turning his focus to the several mercenaries attacking him, prompting him to block their attacks with his armor and body before retaliating. With Vanye heading to deal with the leader of the Yemen mercenaries, I stayed behind, fighting the remaining mercenaries that we''d yet to kill, but from how things were continuing, they wouldn''t last much longer. "I-I''m out!" Stated a mercenary in fear as he turned around and ran, causing Alexander to bite his lip, only to appear behind him, decapitating him. Killing so many people didn''t feel good, though killing someone who was actively fleeing felt much worse; sighing to myself, I suppressed the uncomfortable feeling and spent the next minute killing everyone else who was still alive, and although several of them tried to flee, none made it very far, after all, it wasn''t going to be easy to escape from someone who access to space mana. Stabbing Trina and Zartha into the ground, I gazed at all the corpses surrounding me, only to sigh deeply in both frustration and sadness. "Do you want a hug?" Asked Lazuli lightly as she approached Alexander, who wryly smiled before nodding. "Yeah, but let''s save it for later." Replied Alexander softly as he glanced at Lazuli before gesturing to the fight in the distance. Chapter 263: Godly Lightning With every single mercenary having been taken care of by either me, Lazuli, or Vanye, the two of us headed towards the only remaining fight amidst the destroyed and deserted encampment; when we arrived, we saw Vanye fighting against Boss, seemingly at a disadvantage, though neither of us stepped in to help. Lazuli didn''t really like Vanye, so I doubted she would willingly help, and I could tell this was something she wanted to overcome by herself, so although slightly reluctantly, I stood at a distance and quietly watched the battle play out. "She''s one amazing swordsman; she makes me look like an amateur at best." Muttered Alexander lightly as he folded his arms while gazing at Vaney, watching in awe as her katana gracefully sliced through the air, leaving not an ounce of motion wasted in her deadly attacks. "Hmm, I''d still rather fight against her than you¡­ Killing you would be far too difficult." Said Lazuli indifferently as she looked at Vanye before glancing at Alexander, who faintly chuckled while wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You''ve nearly killed me already, so I appreciate you not wanting to do it again." "I was aiming for Yuki. Though I suppose it is good you took the attack, there is a good chance she would''ve died." Remarked Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as he gently kissed her cheek while the latter calmly glanced at him. Shaking my head at Lazuli''s words, I suddenly sensed an eruption of mana, causing me to close my mouth as I shifted my focus to Vanye, who was engulfed in reddish-black mana that covered her figure, destroying everything it touched, even her golden prosthetics were slowly being destroyed; the only thing that remained intact was the sword within her hands as the mana coalesced around the blade. ''Yeah, her sword is most definitely of the Mythical rank.'' Thought Alexander as he used [Heroes Gaze] and narrowed his eyes at Vanye''s sword. //////////////////// Name: Bor -o Vanye Rank: Mythical Description: ??? //////////////////// Since the sword was a Mythical rank, I couldn''t completely analyze it, but I mainly just wanted to check its rank, so I was satisfied, though its name was rather weird, if I''m being honest. "Bor -o Vanye. Huh, weird name." Muttered Alexander softly as he rubbed his chin while gazing at the sword cutting through the air, turning everything it touched into dust. Despite Vanye''s transformation, although she had taken the advantage, Boss wasn''t so easily defeated, and so the battle continued to wage on; every swipe of Vanye''s blade either destroyed part of his axe, or left a shallow gash on his body, which only worsened from the residue mana that remained. Despite Boss being stronger, this ability of Vanye''s was slowly giving her the edge, allowing her attacks to grow fiercer while forcing Boss to be more defensive, which only progressively got worse for him given that, unlike me, he wasn''t able to deflect Vanye''s swords. "Vanye''s going to win." Said Lazuli blandly as she clicked her tongue while watching the battle, only for Alexander to shake his head with furrowed brows. "Maybe. She''s draining her mana; she won''t last like this; if Boss can hold out for a little bit longer, she''ll be walking sheep for him." Said Alexander softly with a deep frown as he narrowed his eyes while Lazuli''s eyes shone enthusiastically. "Besides, the clouds up above are doing something weird." Added Alexander lightly as he summoned Zartha into his hand while staring at the dark clouds that blanketed the entire sky, lightning dancing about through the sea of clouds. Seeing the flow of atmospheric mana surging towards the dark clouds, I leaped into the air, using [Air Step] to practically float high above Vanye as I awaited the lightning bolt that, yet the moment I arrived, the mana vastly increased in intensity while the clouds began to rapidly rotate, creating a powerful storm from absolutely nowhere.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ''What the hell!? Why does the world hate me as well?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he struggled to stay floating in place, the powerful wind constantly pushing him. However, the appearance of the storm was the least of my worries as I could see a massive lightning bolt snaking through the clouds, visibly growing in size and density, causing me to gulp since I was able to clearly make out the sheer amount of mana stored within that bolt of lightning. ''Heh, l-let alone Vanye or I, t-that could probably wipe out this entire forest. W-What God have I angered? I-I''m just living my life.'' Thought Alexander fearfully as he nervously gulped while gazing at the bright blue lightning bolt that was full of mana, causing him to grip his other sword. "~Move!~ ~Or face the punishment in her stead!~" Said a beautiful voice befitting a goddess, though the fury and hatred oozing from its every word was impossible to miss. Hearing that same familiar voice from when I first encountered Vanye, I looked around, hoping to find where that heavenly voice came from, yet no matter where I looked, I ended up empty-handed, causing me to click my tongue as I continuously kicked the air, staying afloat while eyeing the massive lightning bolt that was seemingly frozen in place directly above me, just waiting for it''s destructive might to be unleashed. "~MOVE!~" Stated the heavenly voice intensely while the storm grew again, causing Alexander to barely stay in place despite trying his hardest. "I-I don''t know w-who you are, M-Miss Goddess, b-but can we perhaps talk things through¡­. Because I-I''m not moving. M-My heart led me to her, s-so she''s important to me, e-even if I don''t know it yet." Stated Alexander firmly as he was constantly getting knocked off course by the powerful wind which was uprooting various trees throughout the forest. Although fearful of that lightning bolt hovering directly above me, I stood firm in my decision; after all, I couldn''t let that thing drop; not only would it kill Vanye, but Lazuli and Vanimo would be caught in the explosion. However, the lack of response from my words only served to unnerve me as I prepared to try and redirect the attack to somewhere else because there was no way in hell I could block that behemoth of a lightning bolt. ''You won''t be able to redirect either, Master. That lightning bolt carries Divinity, and not just a little.'' Said Zartha coldly with a solemn expression as she and Trina gazed at Alexander, who wryly smiled though his expression remained firm. Just as I was waiting for the attack, all of a sudden, the storm vanished, and the massive lightning bolt that loomed over my head like a guillotine all but disappeared as if it never existed in the first place. Tilting my head in confusion, I gazed up at the sky, hoping my mind wasn''t playing tricks on me, but after a few moments, I released a sigh of relief while falling out of the sky. "I don''t know what the fuck just happened, but I don''t think I''ve ever been so frightened in my life. The amount of mana in that lightning bolt, even Master paled in comparison to what I saw." Muttered Alexander softly as he landed on the ground while quickly backing away front the fight, returning to where he was previously standing beside Lazuli. "What was that?" "Haa, I''ve got no fucking clue. The anger of a Goddess? I''m only grateful she can reasoned with; otherwise, we would''ve all died." Remarked Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter shook head in confusion, occasionally glancing up at the sky, seemingly expecting to see a lightning bolt. ''Great, I''m going to have nightmares now.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he absorbed his swords back into his body while nervously chuckling to himself, only for a faint blue aura and lightning to surround him. Pushing against the ground, I used every skill I had to enhance my physical attributes as I speedily dashed towards Vanye, who was about to die as she had just collapsed from running out of mana. "DIE!" Stated Boss with an eager expression as he violently swung his damaged axe down to Vanye, intending to bisect her, though just before he could, he was violently kicked in the stomach. Pushing Boss backward, I turned and glanced at Vanye, who was fine, causing me to sigh in relief as I leaned down to help her back up. "You okay?" Asked Alexander softly as he grabbed Vanye''s hands, helping her onto her feet while she shook her head before groaning in pain. "Yeah, I expected as much; running out of mana isn''t a good feeling." Added Alexander as he nodded in understanding while remembering when he injured himself from completely draining his mana. "Hmph, I''ll kill you as well, human!" Stated Boss as he wiped the blood from his mouth while lunging towards Alexander and Vanye. Before I could set Vanye down behind me, she suddenly touched my chest, engulfing me in her reddish-black mana. It wasn''t harmful¡ªwell, no more harmful than it already was¡ªbut it was fine as long as she wasn''t actively trying to harm me. My healing barely offset its constant damage. "K-Kill him." Muttered Vanye weakly as she collapsed onto the ground, causing Alexander to nod while shifting his focus to Boss. Dashing forward, I narrowly evaded a swing of his axe before using [Blink] to appear right behind him, causing him to swing behind him, prompting me to further open my eyes, combining [Blink] and [Heroes Gaze] as we swapped positions. Since it was essentially the same as using [Teleport], I was able to do it on the spot without any prior practice, though this new move caught Boss unprepared, and by the time he managed to turn around, I had already stabbed Zartha, who was covered mana, through his chest, directly in his heart. Chapter 264: Peaceful Aftermath Staring at Boss, I didn''t even need to remove my sword from his chest as the miasma quickly spread to the rest of his body, slowly turning him into dust that was carried off into the wind; it didn''t even take a full minute before he had mostly vanished, only the bottom half of his legs remained. ''Freaky.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gazed at Boss''s legs while lowering his sword and plopping onto the ground. With the battle finally reaching its end, I lay sprawled on the ground in a star, using this chance to peacefully regain my mana after using that skill since it had consumed roughly an eighth of my mana reserves, and considering I had less than half from before we had even arrived because I didn''t get chance to rest the first time, I was pretty low on mana. ''All this just help a woman I''m trying to court; what was that word woman used in my past life? Am I a simp?'' Thought Alexander with a wry smile as he gazed into the clear sky, only to release a deep sigh while slowly standing up. Standing up, I approached Vanye, who was lying on the ground, heavily wounded from her earlier battle with Boss; though, adding to the fact she was mana exhausted, it was impressive she was still conscious. "You''re not going to hate me for that as well, are you?" Asked Alexander lightly as he sat beside Vanye while lifting her head onto her lap, causing her to silently stare at him before eventually shaking her head. Feeling my face twitch as to why it took her so long to reply as if she was seriously thinking, I reached into my space pouch and grabbed a vial of ichor before feeding it to Vanye, whose wounds began to rapidly heal while some color returned to her pale face; however, while my ichor could head wounds and break curses, it couldn''t recover mana, so there was nothing to do there, though at least she was no longer in pain, just really exhausted. "Thanks." "Anytime." Said Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as they gazed at each other while the former flashed a faint smile. Removing Vanye''s helmet, I gazed at her beautiful face for the second time, and coupled with her smile, it was honestly hard to find a woman who could compete when it came to her beauty. ''Oh, I love Yuki, Michelle, Lazuli, Matser, Zartha, and Trina, but they even lack a little when compared to Vanye; the beauty of an Elf is unfair. Objectively speaking, of course! All my women are equally beautiful in my eyes.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he whistled in awe while gazing at the faintly smiling Vanye, her long red hair flowing in the end, enhancing the beauty of her red eyes. ''Eh, you love us, Master!?'' Remarked Trina with sparkling eyes as she clutched her hands together and gazed into the sky while Zartha raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I love you two, just not romantically like my woman; the love is familial¡­ Unless Zartha wants to tell me how I can get her a real body." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he closed his eyes and focused on his heart and brain, causing him to appear within Trina and Zartha''s personal dimension, standing directly opposite of them. "C''mon, Zartha; no need to keep the truth hidden from me. One of these days, I''ll find a way, and then the two of us will live happily ever after." Added Alexander with a cheeky smile as he picked Zartha up by her waist before spinning in a circle, prompting her to stare coldly at him in disgust. "It simply isn''t possible, Master; I''m the sword, and without me, the sword will cease to exist. Unless you wish to give up one of your precious swords, I can never have a physical body." Stated Zartha calmly despite her facial expression, causing Alexander to sigh as he gently set her down. "Damn, I really do love you two as swords¡­ But I must admit, I might love you better as a real woman; it''s so unfair that you have such a lascivious body, and it can''t be properly loved." Said Alexander softly with a playful smirk as he openly ogled Zartha''s voluptuous body that could rival Lily''s, only for Trina to suddenly get in between them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "What about me, Master?" Said Trina with an eager smile as she puffed out her near-non-existent chest, only for Alexander''s figure to suddenly vanish. ''Sorry Trina, you just look too much like a child; I would think you''re friends with Chloe.'' Said Alexander lightly as he opened his eyes, having returned to the real world while Trina pouted. Anyways, ignoring my pouting sword, I turned and glanced at Lazuli, who was approaching us with Vanimo beside her, who swiftly began running towards us, or mainly Vanye. "Vanye!" Yelled Vanimo with a happy smile as he leaped onto Vanye, causing her to exhale a sharp breath while suppressing her grunts. "I-I''m fine, Vanimo, no need to yell." Said Vanye softly as Vanimo tightly hugged her, preventing the use of her arms. Figuring the two siblings should have their little alone time, I gently laid Vanye on the ground and backed away, approaching Lazuli while we watched the two from a distance. "Would you like that hug now?" "Hmm, would you be opposed to a little something more than a hug?" Asked Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter faintly smirked while pointing to an undamaged tent. Grabbing Lazuli''s hand before she could respond, I led us to the empty tent, which had a few beds in it, unironically perfect for what we were about to do. "Let me ser-" Said Lazuli as she lowered her knees only for Alexander to toss her onto the bed while he dropped to his knees. Pulling Lazuli close to me, I pulled her pants down and spread her legs as I took a whiff of her leaking womanhood before practically stuffing my face into her crotch. "Since you''re always using your mouth, let me return the favor." Said Alexander with a smirk as he gripped Lazuli''s thighs while lapping her dripping vagina, causing her to softly moan in pleasure, quickly filling the tent with a womanly smell. ___ ___ After pleasuring Lazuli for thirty or so minutes, we eventually regrouped with the V siblings and promptly left the encampment, though not without burning everything; after all, I had no idea where my blood had spilled, so it was best to just leave no trace, of anything. Currently, the four of us were walking through the forest, heading away from the burnt camp, which had been reduced to ashes. "Well, that was an eventful last couple of days." Said Alexander lightly as he walked beside Vanye and Vanimo, his arm wrapped around Lazuli''s shoulders, pulling her slightly into his embrace. "That is one to put it, Alex." Said Vanye calmly as she side-glanced at Alexander, who chuckled before nodding in agreement. "Well, at least in the end, everything turned out okay¡­ For us, at least." Remarked Vanimo lightly with an awkward smile as he rubbed his head, only for Vanye to frown. "What about our house?" "O-Oh, I-I forgot about that. Um, a-at least we still have each other? Besides, if you think about it, losing that house is a small price to pay for you being freed of that curse." Said Vanye and Vanimo, respectively, as the latter sheepishly smiled, only for the former to sigh at his optimistic words. "I can help rebuild if you want since I know Vanye will end up doing all the heavy lifting; I can''t let a beautiful woman like her do all the manual labor by herself." Stated Alexander as he glanced between Vanye and Vanimo, only to wink at the former, causing her to stare blankly at him. "Ho, it''s very bold of you to flirt with my sister while another woman hugs your side, Alex." Said Vanimo with a faint smirk as he looked at Alexander, who confidently smiled in response. "I can''t expect to have a woman fall in love with me if she thinks I''m hiding her from my other woman." Remarked Alexander with a smile and a confident gaze as he glanced at Vanimo before winking at Vanye. "Ho, you hear that, Vanye; what must you say for yourself? I personally think Alex has shown himself to be a rather respectful and upstanding man." Asked Vanimo as he glanced at Vanye while winking at Alexander, who gave him a thumbs up. "Are you being serious, Vanimo?" "W-What? I-it''s the first time I''ve ever seen a man show a romantic interest in you; they all lose interest in you when they know about your body. I didn''t want the chance to slip away." Stated Vane and Vanimo, respectively, as the former narrowed her eyes at the latter, who firmly stood his ground. "It would be best to let the chance slip away." Said Lazuli lightly as she emotionlessly glanced at Vanye, who snorted before glancing at Alexander, prompting him to flick his shoulder-length white hair behind him. "I''ve no interest in a romantic relationship, not until I''ve cured my Vanimo''s curse; that was the whole reason why I was a part of the Yemen mercenaries." Stated Vanye as she shook her head, her words causing Alexander to grin as he pointed at Vanimo. "Oh, his curse has long since been lifted; remember that drink you all had when I cocked dinner? That was my blood. Ever since then, the curse that plagued Vanimo has been broken." Stated Alexander proudly as he glanced between Vanye and Vanimo, his words causing them to widen their faces while she intently stared at him. Chapter 265: Parting Ways "Is that everything?" Asked Vanimo softly as he looked between Vanye, Lazuli, and Alexander, prompting them to nod while exiting from the brunt rubble. "Yes, I don''t see anything else that survived the fire." Replied Alexander with a nod as he carried a sack over his shoulder while scanning the pile of brunt rubble with his eyes, using [Heroes Gaze] to search for anything salvageable. Exiting the pile of brunt rubble, which was previously the sibling''s home, I grabbed the sack from Lazuli and approached Vanimo, who I then handed them to, prompting him to search through them. "Haa, so little stuff, huh?" Muttered Vanimo, slightly depressed as he closed the sack before faintly sighing to himself. "Sorry." Said Alexander lightly as he patted Vanimo''s shoulder, causing him to wryly smile before shaking his head. "Oh, I can''t blame everything on you, Alex, though; unfortunately, it seems like my magazines didn''t survive the fire." Remarked Vanimo with a shake of his head as he glanced at Alexander before lowering his head, only for Vanye to suddenly drop another sack right at his feet. "Vanimo, what are these?" Asked Vanye sternly as she narrowed her eyes behind her golden helmet while dropping multiple magazines onto the ground, each cover containing a beautiful yet nude woman. Raising my eyebrow at the magazines, I glanced at Vanimo before leaning down and grabbing one of the magazines. "U-Um, w-what do you mean? I-I don''t know what these are, Vanye." Said Vanimo nervously as he closed his eyes, refusing to look at either Vanye or the magazines. "Oh, damn, there are some freaky stuff in here, alright. Master and slave roleplay? Bondage? Rape roleplay? Exhibitionism? I don''t know who this belongs to, but one of you two is definitely a closet freak." Remarked Alexander lightly as he flipped through the magazines'' pages alongside Lazuli before shifting his focus between Vanimo and Vanye. "I''ve been solely focused on removing Vanimo''s curse for the past thirty-five or so years; I didn''t have time to revel in sexual pleasure, though it seemed someone was able to." Stated Vanye with a deep gaze as she leaned towards Vanimo, who awkwardly coughed while refusing to glance at Vanye. "Ugh, f-fine, i-it belongs to me, alright!? What, I-I can''t lust after women now, Vanye? Just because I don''t look like one doesn''t mean I''m not a man! I''ve got lust!" Stated Vanimo defensively as he threw his arms up into the air while glaring at Vanye, who was slightly taken aback by his outburst, only to awkwardly cough, "Hmm, I-I guess you''re right, Vanimo. I-I just wasn''t expecting that you, of all people, would interested in such EXTREME sexual pleasures." Said Vanye softly as she stepped backward and glanced at Vanimo, who scoffed before averting his gaze with a faint blush. "I-It didn''t start out like that; at first, just looking at a nude woman was more than enough, b-but as the years went on, I slowly delved deeper into the world of sex." Replied Vanimo softly with a faint blush as he glanced at Vanye, who nodded, only to cough afterward, changing the topic. "A-Anyways, this was everything I gathered." Said Vanye as she pointed to her sack, causing Vanimo to nod while he tossed his magazines into the sack, causing her face to twitch though she remained silent. "Hmm, I''m really a fan of the others, though Bondage doesn''t seem that bad. I wonder if Michelle would be interested." Said Alexander quietly as he handed the magazine to Vanimo while rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Why not Yuki?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who rolled his eyes before scoffing. "You''ve seen how Yuki and I make love; in some way or another, I almost always end up on the bottom while she''s doing most of the moving. I highly doubt she''d be interested in Bondage." Replied Alexander with a shake of his head as he glanced at Lazuli, who raised an eyebrow before nodding in agreement.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Seeing Vanye pick up the three sacks, I frowned slightly and reached into my chest pocket, grabbing my spare space pouch, which I tend to use solely for quests or dungeon diving, and handed it to Vanye, who just gave me a look. "It''s a space pouch; you''ve never seen one before?" "I know what they are, but why are you giving me one?" Asked Alexander and Vanye, respectively, as the former raised an eyebrow while the latter looked slightly confused. "So you don''t have to carry around three sacks; I would love to carry them for you, but we''ve got our own things to do." Remarked Alexander lightly as he stepped forward, grabbing the sacks from Vanye''s hands before stuffing them into the space pouch. "They''re expensive, though; even the smallest one cost five gold coins, and you clearly don''t have the smallest one." Said Vanye lightly as she glanced at the space pouch before looking at Alexander, who nodded in understanding only to toss the pouch to her. "Oh, I see now. Don''t worry, Vanye, you''re only borrowing it from me. After all, you think I''ve stopped trying to court you? I''m only stopping once I''ve finally made you my wife." Stated Alexander confidently with a smirk as he winked at Vanye, who nodded before shaking her head. "It is unlikely." "Maybe, but unlikely still means it''s possible." Remarked Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the latter smirked before reaching down and kissing the former''s hand, prompting her to flash a small smile. "Tastes like dust and flowers, weird combination." Said Alexander lightly as he licked his lips with a confused expression, his words causing Vanye to frown while Vanimo chuckled. "I''m surprised she didn''t taste like a dired-up old woman." Muttered Lazuli lightly, her words prompting Vanye to narrow her eyes. "I''m an Elf; 50 is only a tenth of our average lifespan." "50 is still 50. I, on the other hand, am a ripe 22." Stated Vanye and Lazuli, respectively, as the latter faintly smirked while proudly raising her head, irritating the former. Clearing my thoughts, I broke apart the two''s arguments and successfully grabbed their attention. "So, where are you two going now? Or do you plan to stay here and rebuild?" Asked Alexander curiously as he gazed between Vanimo and Vanye, prompting them to look at each other. "Um, no clue. We''re no longer being held down by anything, whether it be my curse or Vanye''s, so we could go anywhere we wanted to." Said Vanimo lightly with a pondering expression as he scratched his head, only for his eyes to widen as he grabbed Vanye''s waist, shaking her. "Let''s do that, Vanye! Let us journey around Asckbon! That way, we can visit many unique and different places while also searching for where to settle down." Added Vanimo with a large grin as he stared at Vanye with hope-filled eyes, making it nearly impossible for her to refuse. "A-Are you sure? Your curse may be broken, but you''re still small; a journey may be exhausting for you." Said Vanye lightly as she looked at Vanimo, who nodded while flexing his muscles, prompting Alexander to suppress a laugh. "I may still be small, but I''m growing! I used to be 5''3, but now, in only a few days, I''m 5''4! I''ve grown a full inch in merely a few days! Not only that, but I''ve also gotten a little bit stronger as well." Stated Vanimo excitedly as he looked at Vanye while tapping the top of his head, his words causing her to sigh before nodding. "Since that''s the case, I suppose that''s what we''ll do, as I have no better idea." Said Vanye lightly as she glanced at Vanimo, who raised his arms in victory. "Hehe, well, before then, you might want to stock up on supplies from the nearest town or city." Said Alexander lightly while gesturing toward the city where he and Vanimo met. "Good point, Alex. C''mon, let''s get moving!" Said Vanimo in excitement as he grabbed Vanye''s hand while leading the way, only to stop a few moments later. "Are you two not coming?" Asked Vanimo lightly as he turned before glancing at Alexander and Lazuli. "Our destination isn''t that way; we''re heading to the Dryad Kingdom." Replied Alexander lightly, his words causing Vanimo''s excitement to somewhat dissipate. "S-So, this is goodbye then?" "No, we''ll see each other again. I haven''t given up courting your beautiful sister." Remarked Vanimo and Alexander, respectively as the latter approached them while glancing at Vanye, who opted to ignore his words. I was about to try to shake hands with Vanimo, but instead, he hugged me, and it wasn''t the manly type of hug either. "I-I''ll see you later, Vanimo." "Yep, I''ll see you soon." Said Alexander and Vanimo, respectively, as the former awkwardly reciprocated the hug. Once Vanimo stopped hugging me, he did the same to Lazuli while I attempted to hug Vanye, who simply outstretched her hand, causing me to pout. "C''mon, I can''t at least get a hug?" Asked Alexander as he shook Vanye''s hands, causing her to playfully eye him. "You can hug me next time." Replied Vanye calmly, her beautiful voice causing Alexander to begrudgingly nod. "I was hoping for something a little bit more than a hug, but so be it; I suppose I must take things slow with such a long-lived species." Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanye, who faintly smirked before glancing at Lazuli. The two women entered a staring contest, and only after a few moments did they finally stop. "Seeya later!" "Bye!" Said Alexander and Vanimo, respectively, as they waved their hands while walking away. Chapter 394: Kaido Arrives! "I must admit, that is quite a fleet we''ve managed to gather." "I will, reluctantly, agree with you on that, Freyja. I was expecting pirates to be too afraid to join us, though it seems I was mistaken." Remarked Freyja and Sebas, respectively, as they stood at the back of the fortress, overlooking the tens of ships following them from a distance. "Well, Marines are the enemy of pirates in general, so by default, pirates should join sides with us¡­ At least most pirates." Said Scar lightly with a yawn as he stretched his arms before wrapping one across Freyja''s shoulders, prompting her to lean into his embrace. "I suppose you''re not wrong. However, I do wonder how many of them will survive, as I''ve no doubt this will be a war like no other." Muttered Sebas with a nod as he glanced at Scar before shifting his focus back to the fleet of pirate ships, each one flying the Frenzy Pirates jolly roger above their own. "Hmph, I estimate none." Said Mael as he raised his head, gazing at the trio before focusing back on the newspaper in his hands, only for Freyja to nod in agreement. "That''s a safe bet, in my opinion. How much does this fleet bolster our forces by?" Asked Freyja as she rubbed her chin before glancing at Sebas with a curious expression. "Excluding the Giants, our forces have quadrupled! We have a total of roughly 24,000 pirates, which is by far the most we''ve ever had, though it''s still on the smaller end when compared to other Emperors of the Sea." Replied Sebas lightly as he stroked his bearded chin, his words slightly surprising Scar and Freyja before they nodded. "So with the Giants, we''ll have under 40,000 men? Huh, that''s not bad, not bad at all, especially when you consider how powerful some of those Giants are. If we were fighting the marines from two years ago when Whitebeard attacked, they would stand no chance." Stated Scar with a raised eyebrow as he eyed every single pirate ship, searching for anyone powerful, only to click his tongue. "Hoho, you''re not wrong there, Scar. However, the Marines we''re dealing with will not only be stronger, but they will most likely receive direct assistance in the form of powerful reinforcements from the World Government. While I would be surprised, I wouldn''t put it past Redhaired to join the Marines in this war. We destroyed one of their territories, kidnapped nearly every citizen from another, and defeated them in battle when they sought their revenge." Remarked Sebad solemnly while narrowing his eyes as he placed his hands behind his back while everyone listening slightly widened their eyes in surprise. "Huh, I didn''t even think about that." Muttered Diddy lightly with a thoughtful expression as he hung upside on a nearby pole from his tail. "Heh, and you have the audacity to call yourself smart." Said Freyja mockingly as she eyed Diddy with a smirk, causing him to growl in annoyance. "Hmph, I never claimed to be smart; I merely claimed not to be dumb; there is a difference. Besides, I don''t need to be smart to defeat you, so it doesn''t really matter, does it?" Remarked Diddy with a scoff as he side-glanced Freyja, who rolled her eyes before huffing in annoyance while snuggling into Scar''s embrace. "Anyways, I don''t care if Shanks joins the Marines; actually, as a matter of fact, I hope he does; that will make things that much more interesting." Added Diddy with a feral grin as he licked his fangs, his words not surprising anyone. "Well, if that''s the case, I call dibs on fighting him; if not, I''m taking my battle to that magma boy, whatever his name was." Said Freyja lightly as she glanced at everyone while boldly stroking Scar''s cock within his pants, uncaring for their annoyed looks. "Haa, what happened to the elegant and graceful Freyja I first met?" "She was once elegant and graceful? Hmph, impossible." Remarked Sebas and Mael, respectively, as they glanced at Freyja, who scoffed at their words. "Yeah, the hell are you referring to, Sebas? I don''t recall a single time Freyja has ever behaved elegantly or gracefully; the only thing I can think of is when she used to prepare my food back on Karate Island. Then again, she was doing it with the sole hopes of me dying from the poison I consumed, so I don''t know if that counts." Said Diddy with a confused expression as he glanced at Sebas before glancing at Freyja, who shot him a hateful look before releasing a torrent of demonic flames his way.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Tsk, and nothing I ever did work, did it? I was just inadvertently making you stronger. So fucking annoying. C''mon Scar, lay down, we''re fucking." Said Freyja in slight anger as she eyed Diddy, who leaped out of the way before shifting her focus to Scar, pushing him onto the ground while stripping her clothes. "Ugh, great, just when I walked up here!" Said Trenza in annoyance as she glanced at Freyja and Scar before turning around, grumbling under her breath while walking away. "~Ahhh~ yes, s-so deep!" Yelled Freyla lustfully as she aggressively rocked her hips on Scar''s cock, causing her butt and breasts to bounce everywhere, making it hard for any man to avert their eyes. "I''m leaving." "Hmph, so am I." Said Sebas and Mael, respectively, in annoyance as they left Freyja and Scar, though not without taking several glances. With Freyja and Scar having sex in the wide open, I merely grunted before leaving the area as I landed beside my hammock since I intended to continue perfecting that technique of mine despite it being more of a waste of time right now, but I wasn''t able to spend even five minutes on it before I heard familiar laughter. "WORORORO!" Said Kaido loudly as his massive, draconic figure was obscured by the dark clouds above that sparked with lighting. Snapping my eyes open, I raised my head and eyed the clouds, only to grin as I saw the massive shadow Kaido''s body made, causing me to smile as I leaped off of the hammock while rapidly propelling myself into the sky. "HAHAHAHA!!" Yelled Diddy loudly with joy as he swung his bo-staff, creating a powerful gust of wind that parted the dark clouds, revealing Kaido in his beast form. "KONG!" "KAIDO!" Yelled Kaido and Diddy, respectively, as they surged their haki at each other, causing the remaining clouds to be dispersed while the water below turned turbulent and aggressive. Halfway through our little greeting, Kaido rapidly transformed into his awakened human-beast form; spreading his wings, draconic wings, he held his kanabo in hand while flapping his wings, darting right for me. Laughing in joy, I clenched Naga-sa and lunged for Kaido, my speed increasing rapidly as I neared him. "THUNDER BAGUA!!" Yelled Diddy and Kaido simultaneously as their weapons collided, creating a massive explosion from the sheer might of their raw strength, something no other beings had. We pushed against each other with all our might, yet even while in his awakened form, I could still match his raw strength, showing just how much stronger I''d gotten since our last fight. However, in the end, neither could overpower the other, so we simply pushed each other a few meters away. Summoning Nimbus, I expanded it so it could serve as ground, prompting Kaido and I to land on it while eyeing each other, "Worororo, Kong!" "Hahaha, Kaido!" Said Kaido and Kong, respectively, with massive grins as they aggressively hit each other in the face, only to laugh afterward. "Hahahaha, I didn''t think you''d be joining; eager to destroy the Marines as well!?" Exclaimed Diddy with a grin as he sat down and reached into Nimbus, only to grab a barrel of alcohol. "Worororo, rather than that, I''m more excited for the powerful opponents I''ll get to fight! I couldn''t miss this chance when I knew about it!" Replied Kaido with a feral grin as he laughed while grabbing the cup Diddy handed him. "Hehehe, with you here, it''ll be even better! REIJU!" Stated Diddy with a grin as he loudly yelled, causing Reiju to appear several seconds later. "Yes, Captain?" Asked Reiju curiously as she landed on Nimbus while glancing between Diddy and Kaido, only for him to point at the barrel. "Pour us some drinks!" Ordered Diddy, his words causing Reiju to raise an eyebrow before nodding with a faint sigh. "You know, I technically used to be a Princess." Muttered Reiju softly as she uncorked the barrel, pouring Diddy and Kaido alcohol. Taking a big gulp, I released a sigh of satisfaction; alcohol wasn''t my favorite, but the one Queen made was excellent, and I couldn''t be mad with it at all. ''However, its effects have lessened.'' Mused Diddy lightly as he downed his cup before outstretching his hand, prompting Reiju to pour him another glass. "So, did you bring your whole crew?" Asked Diddy curiously as she glanced at Kaido, who nodded with a grin while Reiju refilled his cup. "Wororo, they''re roughly a day out but should arrive before we raid Marineford. Roughly 22,000 men strong." Replied Kaido with a smirk, his words causing Diddy to raise an eyebrow before smiling. "Hehehe, with the addition of your crew, our numbers almost doubled! 46,000 men! Plus, the 13,500-ish Giants! That''s nearly 60,000 men!" Said Diddy with a ferocious expression as he licked his fangs in excitement. "Hehehe, we''re going to give the Marines hell!" Muttered Diddy with a smirk, one that Kaido nodded in agreement with. Chapter 266: Adventures of Talis! While Alexander and Lazuli parted ways from new friends, let us rewind time slightly and shift our focus to our fluffy bird that flew off in a random direction all by herself just moments after arriving at Asckbon. ___ ___ "I''m bored." Muttered Talis softly as she chirped into the air while calmly perched atop a tall tree, gazing at the endless forest down below. I think it''s been almost a week since we arrived here; I flew off before Alex and Lazuli even actually managed to make landfall, so I''ve got no clue where they are or what they''re doing; however, knowing Alex, he was probably mating with Lazuli, he tends to do that a lot with either Yuki or Michelle as well. ''I''m still confused about why he enjoys mating so much; it''s not even that pleasurable.'' Thought Talis in confusion as she stretched her wings before entering a random nest she had stolen from another bird, though it was slightly small for her. Snuggling into the poorly built and slightly uncomfortable nest, I closed my eyes and rested for a few minutes, but I should''ve known better since by the time I opened my eyes again, it was already nighttime, with the full moon high in the sky. "Ah, t-that was quick." Said Talis lightly as she stood up and exited the nest, only to spread her wings while yawning. Shaking my body to get rid of whatever leaves and sticks were stuck in my feathers, I leaped off the branch and flapped my wings, soaring through the sky at a somewhat moderate speed, simply enjoying the freedom of what it means to be a bird. ''Ahh, this is life. To fly; this is how I was meant to live.'' Thought Talis lightly as she flew through the air, her long wing-span allowing her to glide across the sky effortlessly. While enjoying myself, I heard a familiar caw in the distance, causing me to open my eyes as I looked in the distance, only to see a Windeagle flying below, causing me to loudly chirp, successfully grabbing its attention. Once it noticed me, it began to yell at me aggressively, cawing profanities my way, though I ignored them all and simply shook my feathery butt, which seemed to anger it as the mindless Windeagle fell for my provocation. ''Heh, not only are you guys slow, but stupid as well; I would''ve killed myself if I were a Windeagle.'' Thought Talis lightly as she chuckled to herself before flapping her wings, increasing her speed while the Windeagle chased behind her. The Windeagle continued to chase behind for several miles, but despite only moving at what I considered a mere warm-up, it was clearly struggling to keep up with me. Windeagles were supposed to be some of the fastest birds of the sky, and many years ago, they were incredibly fast; the only way I was able to escape them was by flying low to the ground and using my agility to dart around the many obstacles, which they had trouble to do given their large size. ''However, now, I''ve gotten so much faster, it''s not even that fun anymore.'' Mused Talis with a slight shake of her head as she glanced at the Windeagle behind her before softly chirping. While it''s true a Windeagle could still rip me to shreds without too much of a problem if it ever managed to get ahold of me¡­ It would never manage to get ahold of me, so it was a pointless concern. "Well, I might as well kick it up a notch; I won''t get any faster by flying so slow." Said Talis lightly as she chirped in response before flapping her wings, creating a powerful gust of air from the aftershock while she more than doubled her speed, leaving the exhausted Windeagle far behind. Speedily flying through the air, I continued to increase my speed, eventually breaking what Alex called the sound barrier and entering supersonic, which I don''t know what exactly means, but I like the name; it sounds fast. However, this was merely the beginning, as I started to push my speed to the absolute limit, causing the trees below me to enter my vision and then vanish just a second later.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Once I was flapping my wings as hard as possible and moving as fast as I could, I used my control over wind-mana to move the air from in front of me, causing any draft I was experiencing to vanish, though that wasn''t all as I also focused a circulating wind vortex around my wings, further increasing my speed, and without any draft to slow me down, I entered my max speed. I had no way of accurately testing what my max speed was by myself; I based it purely on how I felt about it. Given how fast I was moving, I was quite satisfied with myself, but I wanted more; I wanted to go faster! I couldn''t proudly call myself Queen of the Skies if this was my top-speed. My goal was to fly so fast that nothing could keep up with me! Not Alex, Lazuli, a Dragon, or any other flying creature; I didn''t even want air or space and time to keep up with me. I wanted to be so fast, where I was alone, in a place where no one else could reach! However, while I was dreaming of achieving what I desired, I felt a sharp pain in my left wing, causing me to chirp aggressively as I quickly slowed down while simply using my wings to glide to a nearby tree. Perching myself atop a branch, I looked to my left, checking for any wounds; I couldn''t see anything, which only annoyed me, but I quickly returned to a good mood afterward. "Annoying, but I managed to beat my last record, so it''s worth it! I won''t reach greatness without hard work or something like what Alex said!" Stated Talis proudly as she raised her head in the air and loudly chirped. Reaching into the little pouch I had strapped to my body, I grabbed a vial of Alex''s blood and was about to drink it, only to stop myself at the last second. ''Hmm, I should probably save this just in case; I''m not with Alex, so I can''t get a quick refill.'' Thought Talis lightly as she glanced at the vial in her talons before sighing and closing the lid with her wing. The pain in my wing wasn''t that bad, and it would probably heal after a night''s rest; the only problem was, it was the middle of the night, and I was not tired. Sighing to myself, I plopped onto the branch and spent the next several minutes just resting; having flown that fast and hard always leaves them exhausted afterward, and I could use the respite to refill some of my mana. However, while I was resting, I suddenly inhaled a weird yet strongly alluring scent that caused me to snap my eyes open. ''Hmm, w-what is this scent?'' Thought Talis in confusion and curiosity as she deeply inhaled the air before looking to her left, which was the direction where the scent originated. Unable to contain my curiosity, I left my branch and took to the skies, slowly flying in the direction of where the scent came from. The closer I got, the stronger the scent became, though, along the way, I began to hear roars and howls of various beasts. Flying with caution, when I finally arrived near where the scent originated from, I came across a large clearing, and in the middle of it was a flower with a thick stem, causing me to tilt my head. However, surrounding the floor were tens of beasts, each seemingly drawn by the alluring scent, just like me, though they were all fighting each other. At first, I thought the scent was making them fight each other, so I prepared to quickly leave, though as I stayed to watch, I began to notice that when new beasts arrived, they didn''t immediately fight; instead, they all lunged towards the flower, which prompted the other beasts that were fighting to stop them, creating an endless cycle. ''So it is the flower.'' Thought Talis lightly as she rubbed her chin while staring at the flower, her mind wandering with various plans. Since I was already here, I figured I might as well steal the flower from all the other beasts; with a flap of my wings, I dived towards the flower, quickly reaching the middle of the clearing as I grabbed the stem of the flower with my talons, yet when I tried to fly into the air, I happened to take more than just the floor. ''What the the hell?'' Mused Talis in confusion as she gazed at the bloody red plant that emerged from the ground. Although confused, I continued to fly away from the beasts before they could catch up to me. My wing may hurt a little, but so long as I didn''t push myself, I didn''t even notice it. After a few minutes, I found a tall tree and perched myself at the very top, setting the plant beside me. "Should I wait for Alex? He could probably make something delicious with this?" Muttered Talis lightly as she looked at the bloody red plant, which seemed to emit an ominous glow, only for her stomach to growl. ''Welp, that answers my question.'' Thought Talis lightly as she bent down and consumed the plant, flower, and all. "Hmm, delicious." Said Talis with a satisfied expression as she laid back down on the branch. Chapter 267: New Husband!? (Note: Picture of Talis in discord) ___ ___ Slowly awakening at the sound of whatever annoying beast was roaring nearby, I opened my eyes. My vision was slightly blurry from the deep sleep, which prompted me to rub my eyes with my wings. While doing so, I noticed the pain in my left wing had vanished. "Huh, I wonder how long I slept for? I must not have realized I was that tired." Remarked Talis lightly, her soft voice echoing in the air while she yawned afterward, only for her to suddenly freeze. Quickly grasping my beak, my eyes widened in shock when I didn''t feel that familiar beak of mine; it was gone, yet not completely. I still had a mouth; it was just molded into something different, something I knew I just couldn''t quite put my wing on it. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and sat upright, preparing to speak once more, though before I could, my eyes nearly popped out of my skull as I stared at my fluffy, feather body, only it was gone. In the place of my majestic, fluffy, and feathery body, I saw the featherless skin of my body that now greatly resembled that of Lazuli''s or Michelle''s. "W-WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME!?" Yelled Talis in confusion and terror as she aggressively flapped her wings while gazing at her new body. Thanks to all of my aggressive movements, I ended up falling off the branch I was sitting on. To my surprise, despite this body of mine being brand new, I was able to perfectly control it as I effortlessly flew through the air. While this was surprising, it was quickly brushed aside by the more pressing matter, such as why my body had suddenly changed. "I-I need to find a lake!" Stated Yalis urgently as she flapped her wings, causing her to break the sound barrier, speedily flying through the sky while leaving behind a faint trail. As I flew through the sky, I quickly noticed my eyes were much better than before; I''ve always been proud of my eyes, despite how inferior they were to Alex''s, but now, despite moving at supersonic speeds, everything was clear, I could see everything with vivid clarity, it was no more but a passing blur. ''H-Have I also gotten faster? I''m barely even trying right now; it feels like I''m casually flying.'' Thought Talis as she gazed at her significantly larger wings, which allowed her to soar through the air at supersonic speeds with ease. After a few more moments, I found a small lake, prompting me to close my wings as I dived toward the lake; when I arrived underneath the canopy of the forest, I swiftly spread my wings, bringing my momentum to an immediate halt, I gently landed on the edge of the lake and leaned over, gazing at my reflection in the water. I didn''t really understand the beauty standards of humans as I saw Alex as a normal person, but it seemed like he was pretty good-looking amongst his kind; however, for some reason, I found myself to be completely beautiful. "Woah, I''m sexy." Muttered Talis softly as she gently rubbed her face with feathery wings while staring at her beautiful face. Maybe it was because of all the flying I did close to the sun, but my skin was darker¡ªnot nearly as dark as Alex''s; it was more like a tan, similar to when Michelle would stay out in the sun for too long. I had a thick black line connecting my chin to my eyes and long blonde hair with two thick strands of red hair. Although I had cried about my featherless body just a few moments ago, once I took a good look at myself, I realized I still had a decent amount of feathers on my body; besides my wings, my shoulders and neck were covered in feather and same for the top half of my legs, the bottom half was were my massive talons lied. Turning around, I looked behind me, and other than my feathery tail, nothing interesting was going on on my backside; however, as for my body itself, I seemed to take inspiration from Yuki as I was somewhat muscular, though that wasn''t all I had taken from her. "Why is my chest so massive? Isn''t it going to get in the way of me flying? I wish they were smaller." Muttered Talis in slight annoyance as she rubbed her large and firm breasts that could make a man drool, only to sigh.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I also had a pretty big butt like Michelle, but that wouldn''t get in the way of my flying, so I didn''t really mind. After observing my transformation for a few more minutes, I figured I should return to Alex and Lazuli as quickly as possible. While this didn''t seem bad and felt good, I didn''t know anything about what was happening. "It must''ve been that plant; I wonder, would any of the other beasts have undergone this transformation if they had eaten it?" Said Talis softly as she leaped into the air before flapping her wings, causing her to soar speedily through the air, effortlessly breaking the sound barrier. ___ ___ "Hahaha, this is amazing!" Yelled Talis joyfully as she flew through the air with a contagious smile. Unfortunately, no one was there to share her happiness with. It''s been days since my transformation, and while at first I was confused and a little scared, this ended up being the greatest thing that''s ever happened to me! I was faster, stronger, and more agile than I was as just a bird! It was amazing; I couldn''t get enough of it; matter of fact, ever since I left that lake, I hadn''t taken a moment of rest; I felt like I could continue flying for weeks if I wished. "Urgh,b-but my stomach says otherwise." Muttered Talis as she suddenly grabbed her growling stomach, causing her to wince in pain while falling through the sky. ''I guess I should find something to eat.'' Thought Talis as she rubbed her stomach before spreading her wings and diving downwards, falling through thick clouds since she was so high. Arriving near the forest beneath me, I slowed my descent and casually flew around, searching for any prey I could eat, though it seemed I was in luck as I spotted smoke off in the distance, probably from a campfire. "I hope it''s Alex and Lazuli!" Said Talis with a smile as she dashed towards the smoke, quickly arriving. Unfortunately, considering there was a lack of moaning and grunts, it wasn''t Alex and Lazuli, but that was fine; either way, I still lowered myself to where the camp was after checking for anyone, though surprisingly, there wasn''t a soul. "Hmm, weird." Muttered Talis lightly as she gently landed in the middle of the camp, searching for food. Although there was no meat, as I had wished, I found some berries and other things, which caused me to sit down as I ate them. "Ahh, that bath felt good; now I feel clean." Said Vanimo in a deep voice as he shook his long, lustrous hair while approaching the camp, only to freeze when he spotted Talis. "Eh, e-excuse me, miss, but that''s our food." Remarked Vanimo softly as he approached Talis, who snapped her head at him, only for her eyes to widen while her mouth was wide agape. The moment my eyes landed on this Elf, my heart rate rapidly increased, and my body heated up, especially around my core. The only time I felt like this was during the month of Chloe, and although it was close, it was still two weeks away. ''Mate!'' Thought Talis with a gaze of desire as she dropped whatever she was holding and swiftly embraced Vanimo in her wings. "You''re my mate!" Stated Talis sternly with a soft gaze as she raised her head and looked into Vanimo''s eyes. "U-Um, i-i''m your what?" Asked Vanimo with a wry expression as he looked at Talis, who was overpowering him and preventing him from moving. "You''re my mate! O-Or what did Yuki call him? Husband? You''re my Husband!" Declared Talis sternly as she eyed Vanimo before snuggling into his body, rubbing her scent all over him while he tilted his head in confusion. As I was rubbing my scent onto my husband, proclaiming him as my mate, I was suddenly forced to push him away while I flapped my wings, lunging forward as I narrowly dodged a sword from cutting my wings off. "Release him!" Stated Vanye sternly as she glared at Talis while her body dripped with water, clearly having just emerged from the nearby river. "W-Wait, sis-" "Don''t move! I''ll kill this stupid woman! He''s my mate!" Said Vanimo and Talis, respectively, as the latter interrupted the former while flapping her wings, creating gusts of wind that rapidly grew in power, managing to uproot the nearby trees. Using my wind mana, I flapped my wings towards the woman trying to steal my mate, knocking her away, though she regained her balance and pushed off the tree before lunging towards me while launching a reddish-black arc of miasma towards me, causing me to dodge to the left as I flew towards her. Reaching her, I slashed my talons at her, hoping I''d wound her, but she blocked it with her sword before suddenly leaping into the air while positioning her sword behind her shoulder. Though suddenly, she lunged toward me while rapidly swinging her sword, prompting me to flap my wings as I dodged her attacks, which was easy since she looked so slow in my eyes. Evading her blade, I twisted in the air and struck her with my talons, knocking her out of her little flurry of attacks while she landed in the distance. "Someone weak like you will never touch my Husband!" Stated Talis firmly as she glared at Vanye, who froze before tilting her head to the side. "H-Husband?" Asked Vanye as she glanced at Vanimo, who awkwardly raised his shoulders in confusion." Chapter 268: Invading The Dryad Terriorty!? "Hmm, what do you think Talis is doing? She''s been gone for nearly two weeks as of now." Asked Alexander lightly with a curious expression as he rubbed his chin before glancing at Lazuli, who merely raised an eyebrow. "I do not know. Though if I had to guess, she is most likely flying." Replied Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander before staring off into the distance, causing him to nod in agreement. "Yeah, you''re probably right; she really enjoys flying." Muttered Alexander softly as he placed his hands behind his back and nodded, only for silence to engulf the two while they walked alongside a dirt path. It''s been a few days since we parted from the siblings, and right now, Lazuli and I are heading to our destination to fulfill our, mainly my, reason for coming to Asckbon in the first place. We''ve been running most of the time, so we''re not too far away from exiting Elf territory, at least according to Lazuli, but we''re taking it easy right now, enjoying the beauty of the forest. ''And the beauty of my woman.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smile as he briefly slowed down, trailing just behind Lazuli, whom he ogled with a loving gaze. Anyway, while taking this chance to appreciate the sexy view of my lover''s behind, we eventually ended up running once again after a few more minutes. We weren''t holding back, either, so we were dashing through the forest, covering what I could only assume was miles within a minute. Coupled with the fact that neither of us could feel physical exhaustion, let''s just say it was easy for us to travel long distances. ___ ___ Slowing down to a casual walk, Lazuli and I exited the forest and stepped into what looked like an empty line through the middle of the forest. It was as if someone had removed all the trees with a hundred-foot radius in a straight line, and considering how I couldn''t see the end from the other side, it was safe to say this spanned quite the distance. "If this doesn''t look like the border between the Elf and Dryad territory, then I''m blind." Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli while walking through the empty, silent clearing, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. "It is. Once we cross the barrier before us, we will officially enter the Dryad territory." Said Lazuli lightly with a nod as she gestured in front of her. Just as I was about to ask ''what barrier'', my eyes landed on precisely what Lazuli was referring to; surrounding the forest on the other side of this clearing, the tree''s branches were interlocked with each other, creating a barrier of thorns that prevented entry into their territory. I''m sure if this happened anywhere else, I''d be wholly impressed, but considering this was on the Dryad''s territory, it wasn''t all that shocking to me. "Hmm, I know the trees are tall, but couldn''t we just leap over the barrier?" Muttered Alexander lightly as he tilted his head while gazing at the thorny barrier surrounding the forest, only for him to shrug his shoulders. While my idea sounded interesting, it seemed Lazuli knew what to do as she approached the thorny barrier, her body morphing into that of her elven counterpart, causing me to whistle. ''Man, I''ve hit the serious jackpot with Lazuli; I just know roleplaying will be crazy good with her.'' Thought Alexander eagerly as he nefariously rubbed his hands while eyeing Lazuli, only for his eyes to widen slightly. Although Lazuli did nothing, once she neared the barrier, the interlocked branches gave way and allowed her passage before they locked themselves back together. "Oh, it''s that easy? I was seriously overcomplicating things." Said Alexander softly as he rubbed his head while approaching the barrier, but it never opened for him. Standing in front of the barrier, I poked the motionless branches before looking through the gaps and eyeing Lazuli, who was staring right back at me.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "The barrier will create a passageway for nearly every species except for two." Remarked Lazuli lightly as she looked at Alexander, whose face twitched in annoyance. "Oh, let me guess. Humans and Demons." Said Alexander blandly as he looked at Lazuli, who calmly nodded, causing him to groan while rubbing my head. "Welp, looks like I''m leaping over this thing. Unless¡­" Added Alexander softly as he looked at the barrier, only for him to faintly smirk while narrowing his eyes. Trying something new, I approached one of the trees and placed my hand on it as I attempted to speak with it. To my surprise, at first, it wouldn''t respond, which caused me to frown as that had never happened before; however, after a moment, I realized why it refused to respond. ''Oh, there is magic preventing it from doing so. Hmm, what if I just¡­'' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he closed his eyes while carefully infusing his mana through the tree, causing it to ever so faintly shudder. This turned out to be way more difficult than initially expected; controlling my mana wasn''t the problem; it was controlling it within another living being''s body filled with mana which was the problem. However, after what felt like five stressful hours, I finally managed to break the magic that was preventing me from communicating with the tree. "F-Finally!" Stated Alexander in joy as he snapped his eyes open while raising his arms into the air, only for his expression to freeze. Watching the entire barrier that lined the edge of the forest crumble to pieces, I blankly looked at Lazuli, who was giving me a calm expression, which wasn''t helping me at all. "I-I just wanted to make a small hole¡­ I didn''t know that was going to happen." Said Alexander weakly as he lowered his arms and averted his gaze, causing Lazuli to silently nod. ''Master, you should seriously leave; whoever created that spell noticed you breaking it and is probably on their way as we speak to investigate.'' Said Zartha sternly as she eyed Alexander while Trina nodded in agreement, her cute little head bobbing back and forth. Taking Zartha''s warning to heart, I quickly grabbed Lazuli''s arm and dashed into the Dryad territory, going so far as to use [Lightning Cloak] along with [Strength Augument] and [Speed Augument] after filling my body with mana, further enhancing my physical attributes, significantly increasing my speed as I dashed through the forest. ___ ___ Staring at the spot where the intruder broke my grand spell, I lowered myself to the ground and approached the exact tree, searching for clues as I felt some of their residue mana, yet I was slightly surprised by what I found. "There is hardly any mana. Whoever broke my grand spell needed little mana to do so." Muttered a man wearing a large greenish-black cloak that obscured his appearance while holding a tree-like staff in his hand. As the Grand Magister of the Kingdom, I was wholly confident in my spell that none could forcefully break it using conventional methods; however, there was a major weakness to it, something one of the princesses would''ve easily exploited. Yet, considering she has been the only one in thousands of years to be born with such a unique ability, I found it pointless to worry; besides, she was a Dryad; what need would she have to destroy my spell? "Is it her announcement that she has returned? No, I''ve met Princess Lavender; she doesn''t strike me as someone who would do such a thing. Who else could it have been then?" Muttered the Grand Magister as he tapped his staff while gazing at the tree in curiosity and confusion. Saving these thoughts for later, I tapped my staff onto the ground, causing an ethereal dome to envelop the surrounding area, turning everything colorless as I used [Rewind], rewinding time in this area to see exactly what happened. However, after two minutes, I began to feel the strain on my mana reserves, causing me to frown as I knew my limit was close; despite having mastered this spell decades ago, the exuberant mana cost to cast this spell was atrocious. Yet, just as I was about to give up, at the last few seconds, I was able to see the culprits, though I was forced to stop my spell as I neared mana exhaustion. "Two people, an Elf and a Human? A surprising duo." Muttered the Grand Magister with a frown as he looked at the faint silhouettes of Lazuli and Alexander before glancing in the direction he had run off into. "Hmm, a human in our territory will be easy to capture. I''ll relay this information back and stay here and re-cast my grand spell." Said the Grand Magister lightly as he reached into his pocket and sat down atop a small tree that suddenly emerged from the ground. ___ ___ "I''m pretty confident we just evaded something dangerous." Muttered Alexander softly as he speedily dashed through the forest with Lazuli in his arms while his heart rate slowed down. Shaking my head, I further upped my side as I wished to get away from whatever or whoever it was that my heart warned me off. ''I didn''t leave behind any evidence, did I? Ugh, I hope I didn''t.'' Thought Alexander softly as he looked at the sky before sighing to himself. Chapter 269: Capital City Of Dryad Kingdom After having fled from whatever danger I felt at the border between the Dryad and Elf territories, I eventually stopped running once my mana got just below the halfway point, figuring if someone was truly chasing behind us, they would''ve long since caught up to us by now. "Are we safe?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she removed herself from Alexander''s arms while landing on the ground and looking behind them, only for him to shrug his shoulders. "Haa, I don''t really know. I hope so, though." Replied Alexander lightly with a shake of his head as he sat down while leaning against a tree, his words causing Lazuli to furrow her brows. While Lazuli watched our surroundings, I used this opportunity to recuperate my lost mana by meditating, which was significantly faster than allowing it to refill passively on its own. I was never a fan of sitting in the same spot doing nothing, so it was pretty boring. However, Lazuli ended up sitting on my lap halfway through, which helped somewhat alleviate the boredom. "There doesn''t seem to be anyone chasing after us." Said Lazuli calmly, her words causing Alexander to nod while opening his eyes before standing up. "Well, that''s good, but I just realized something incredibly stupid. Humans and Demons aren''t allowed through the barrier, so how am I supposed to walk around this territory without being immediately spotted?" Remarked Alexander as he observed his surroundings before looking at Lazuli, who hummed to herself. "Hmm, I did not think about that." Muttered Lazuli lightly as she folded her arms while looking at Alexander, who rubbed his face. "Ugh, I really should''ve thought things through before breaking that spell." Said Alexander with a deep sigh as he raised his head, looking at the sky through the forest''s canopy. "What if you just cover your appearance?" Said Lazuli as she looked at Alexander, who nodded before spreading his arms. "Not trying to be an ass, but with what clothes, Lazuli; all I have on me is a few spare clothes which will make me stand out like a sore thumb if I try to use them, and my apron. I don''t have a cloak or anything." Replied Alexander blandly as he looked at Lazuli, who faintly nodded with a hum. "The Dryad Kingdom will have cities; I can enter one and acquire a cloak for you." "Now, that is a plan for which I have no smart remarks." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter calmly nodded, only for the former to point in every direction. "If that''s so, which way shall we go? Can your heart lead us?" Asked Lazuli as she looked at Alexander''s chest, prompting him to spin in a circle before suddenly stopping. "Um, this way¡­ I think." Said Alexander as he faced Northeast, his words prompting Lazuli to follow right beside him while they walked through the forest. ___ ___ Although it took several hours, we did find a dirt path, which was a sign we were walking in the correct direction. By the middle of the night, we had finally arrived near a city; it looked really calm, though it was night, so not many people were awake. Right now, I am awaiting Lazuli''s return, and thankfully, our Adventurer license works for both the Elf and Dryad territories; otherwise, Lazuli would have to sneak into the city. Speaking of Dryads, there were many, and most resembled Master, except none had horns similar to hers, which was weird, but maybe she was special¡­ More special than she already was. ''Well, she did say Dryads can''t normally speak to trees, so maybe those horns of hers were like antennas?'' Thought Alexander lightly as he sat on a branch and tapped his chin, only to shake his head.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. None of the Dryads I could see could compare to Elves in terms of average beauty, but I felt like that was to be expected; it wouldn''t be fair if both the Elves and Dryads were naturally beautiful. "Though I will say, I didn''t see a single Elf out of shape; some God must''ve blessed them with amazing physiques or something." Muttered Alexander with envy as he clicked his tongue while folding his arms. While letting my mind wander across various random things, I finally spotted Lazuli exiting the city after two more hours, causing me to sigh in relief as I leaped off the tree branch, landing on the ground directly beside the tree. "Took you long enough; what were you doing?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Lazuli, who tossed him his space pouch while approaching him. "I was gathering information; the Capital city is North, so we''ve been heading in the correct direction." Replied Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, who snapped his fingers before giving her a thumbs up. "Genius. See, this is why I knew you should''ve come with me." Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Lazuli while retrieving a black cloak from his pace pouch, only for her to raise an eyebrow. "I''m the one who decided to join you, Alex." "Ah, I love you as well, Lazuli." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the former tilted her head in confusion, only for a passionate kiss to clear her mind. "So, how do I look?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Lazuli, who shook her head. "I recommend removing your armor; you look too bulky." Replied Lazuli as she looked at Alexander, who clicked his tongue before doing just that. "How about now?" "Better." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the latter nodded, causing the former to smirk while removing his hood. "Alright, with this, let us head to the Capital City; I don''t want to spend any more time here than I have to." Added Alexander as he stretched before turning North, only for Lazuli to suddenly hug him from behind, stopping him. "It''s the night, Alex. Shouldn''t we wait until the morning before we start our journey?" Asked Lazuli with a faint smirk as she rubbed her body against Alexander''s back, causing his manhood to quickly harden. "Y-Yes, you''re right; how could I forget; let''s just make sure we''re deep enough in the forest where no one can hear you." Replied Alexander with a lustful grin as he picked up Lazuli and eagerly sprinted deeper into the forest. "Do you want me to transform back to normal¨C" "Whatever you like, I''ll be happy to make love to your Human or Elven appearance." Remarked Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter gazed downwards at the former, who with a faint smile while she undressed herself. ___ ___ After making love with Lazuli for the remainder of the night, getting her to scream in pleasure for hours while she proceeded to drain me of my seed, though when morning came, we reluctantly came to a stop and headed north, making our way toward the capital city, where the Royal family resided. It took us a few days to reach our destination, though we also took a few detours along the way, which mainly consisted of stopping by a city or two we happened to encounter; however, the good news was my cloak seemed to work perfectly, granted I didn''t enter through the normal way like everyone else, I sneaked through by teleporting myself into the city, an easy feat when I had eyes that could see through objects and walls. No one really seemed to care about my presence at all, which was perfect, though I think the fact I walked beside Lazuli, who looked like an Elf, helped. Speaking of Elves, there was surprisingly a decent amount of them here; I was expecting only to see a small number of them, but it was decently diverse between the two species, which wasn''t something I saw in the Elven Kingdom. "So that''s the Capital? Looks pretty big and heavily fortified." Remarked Alexander lightly as he stood far away atop a branch, his figure concealed by the thick and lush canopy. "Shall we enter?" Asked Lazuli curiously as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded before frowning. "Yes, but let''s wait until night; that should make teleporting into the city easier. However, I would like to add I''m going to meet the Royal Family alone, and this is not for discussion¡­ Understand?" Replied Alexander firmly as he glanced to his left, sternly eyeing Lazuli, who tilted her head in confusion before nodding. I wasn''t about to put Lazuli even more at risk than she already was for a personal desire of mine; she was very special, arguably more special than me if one really thought about what she meant. She was the combination of magic and technology, and it''s terrifying to consider what the people of this world could create once they managed to master technology as well. ''A magical nuclear warhead. Yeah, that''s beyond terrifying.'' Mused Alexander with a wry expression, only to shake his head. Of course, all that stuff would be invented hundreds of years into the future, most likely simply because magic was far more versatile, energy-efficient, and produced zero waste, but hey, it was definitely a possibility. "For now, let''s just wait until the sun sets." Said Alexander lightly as he leaned against the tree while Lazuli sat in his embrace, the two silently enjoying each other''s company. Chapter 270: Alexander, The Esteemed One While the two of us enjoyed each other''s presence, night eventually arrived, prompting us to separate our lips from each other as I adorned my cloak and prepared to teleport us into the city. Wrapping my arm around Lazuli''s waist, I used [Heroes Gaze], allowing me to clearly see the inside of the city, and once I found a nice, quiet alley, I used [Mass Teleport] in conjunction; however, instead of us suddenly appearing within the city, we slammed against an ethereal dome that surrounded the city, preventing us from entering. ''W-What the fuck!?'' Thought Alexander in pure confusion as he tightly held Lazuli while falling through the sky, gazing at the ethereal dome that receded. Although confused, I quickly teleported us right back to the tree where we had previously stood. "What happened?" Asked Lazuli in confusion as she glanced at Alexander, who furrowed his brows while rubbing his head. "I-I don''t know. Some kind of dome prevented us from entering the city¡­ Maybe it was some spell that disrupts the space within the city? Making it impossible to enter?" Replied Alexander slowly as he narrowed his eyes at the city, attempting to find the ethereal dome, yet he never managed to find it again. Whatever that dome was, I couldn''t find it, which led me to believe it only appeared when someone attempted to enter using teleportation, causing me to click my tongue. I could probably cut through the dome using my swords, but if they only appeared when teleporting, that would be a next-to-impossible feat. "Let''s wait here for a little bit; I want to see if someone was alerted from that." Said Alexander lightly as he folded his arms while standing beside Lazuli, who nodded in agreement. For the next ten or so minutes, we patiently watched the area where we had collided against the ethereal dome and one of the nearby entrances to the city, yet, in the end, I was worrying too much since nothing happened, not a soul had even walked remotely close to where we were stopped, let alone a guard or soldier. Sighing in relief, I leaned against the tree and rubbed my head; entering the city just got a whole lot harder; if they can stop people from teleporting within, they can probably also stop any other ways I could think of, except for entering normally. However, the problem with entering normally was that I doubted I could just enter so easily without at least showing my face, which would clearly reveal I''m a human. "Let us enter through the gate. I will handle your appearance." Said Lazuli calmly as she glanced at Alexander while leaping between branches, descending towards the ground. Trusting Lazuli, I followed behind her as we promptly exited the forest and approached the entrance gate, where a short line of only a few people existed. Getting in line right beside Lazuli, I glanced at her, expecting her to do something, yet she completely ignored me, causing my face to twitch as I sighed to myself; however, before I knew it, our turn to enter had already arrived. "ID''s out! Have your ID''s out!" Stated the guard loudly as he looked directly at Alexander, who flinched before quickly doing as told. Handing the IDs to the guard, he merely gave them a passing glance before shoving them into my chest, causing me to remain silent as I handed Lazuli her card. "T-That was fucking easy." Muttered Alexander with a slightly annoyed expression as he walked through the city streets while looking at Lazuli, who slowly nodded. "Yes, the change in your appearance was pointless." Said Lazuli softly as she glanced at Alexander''s face from underneath his hood, causing him to tilt his head. "W-Well, anyways, now that we''re in, we''ll wait until morning before I go and meet the Royal family and whatnot; it''ll seem much less suspicious." Said Alexander as he glanced at Lazuli, who silently nodded in agreement.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Grabbing Lazuli''s hand, I led us to an alley hidden behind two buildings, where we passionately kissed, though while I wanted to keep things to kissing, I should''ve known better about my woman. "Ugh, you can''t wiggle that sexy butt of yours and expect me NOT to ravage it." Said Alexander with a slight sigh as he pulled down Lazuli''s pants, revealing her beautiful elven butt and dripping-wet vagina Slapping my manhood onto her butt, I didn''t even bother giving her a few licks before sticking it into her tight hole as I was far too horny; I didn''t take myself for an exhibitionist, but I would be lying if this didn''t arouse me. "We can''t leave no evidence, so you''ll have to drink everything." "I always do." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the former plowed the latter''s tight hole while she nodded with a faint smirk, the sound and scent of their lovemaking spreading throughout the alley. ___ ___ Approaching the palace in the distance, I don''t know whether it was because I was afraid or because I was about to meet Master''s family, but I was getting a little nervous. ''Ugh, now that I think about it, I did just make love with another woman in their home, didn''t I?'' Mused Alexander with a deep sigh as he lowered his head in disappointment. Dispelling such thoughts, I shook my head and remained focused, which was easier said than done as I kept worrying about things. ''What if Master had an arranged marriage, and the person she was supposed to marry came to fight me? What about Master''s sister? What if she doesn''t like me?'' Thought Alexander nervously with a rapidly beating heat as he aimlessly walked towards the palace while the morning sun illuminated his body. Before I knew it, thanks to all of my worry, I had arrived just outside the palace, where several soldiers stood guard around the entrance. "Stop! This is Royal property! Turn back now, or we will be required to use force!" Stated the guard threateningly as he slowly approached Alexander with his hand on his sword while the several other guards prepared for combat. The man''s words snapped me out of my little daydream and prompted me to outstretch my hand, which was holding a golden medallion with a bright green leaf on it, causing the guard to freeze while his eyes widened in shock. "Royal medallion." Muttered one of the guards as his words prompted them to all respectfully bow. "I-I apologize for my rude behavior, esteemed one." Said the foremost guard as he deeply bowed and raised his head, looking at Alexander, whose appearance was obscured by his black cloak. "It''s fine." Said Alexander calmly as he cleared his throat, his words prompting the guards to stand upright. "May I know the reason for your arrival?" Asked the guard as he gestured to the gate, which the other guards opened, allowing Alexander entrance. "I''ve come on a mission from Princess Lavender''s orders to return an object and relay information." Replied Alexander as he glanced at the guard, whose eyes further widened before nodding. "I see, I see. Well, allow me to inform Queen Vestalis of your arrival; for now, she shall show you to the waiting lounge." Said the guard with a small smile as he motioned for a beautiful maid to approach them, prompting him to whisper into her ear before walking away after bowing once more. "Please follow me, Esteemed one." Said the maid as she bowed towards Alexander before turning around and entering the palace while he followed behind. As this was my first time in a palace, I was thoroughly flabbergasted at how beautiful, expensive, and luxurious everything was. The craziest thing was that almost every hallway was decorated. ''T-That single vase probably cost more than everything I''ve ever owned!'' Thought Alexander with a twitching expression as he stared at a whitish-blue colored vase placed on a wooden table that cost more than the vase. "Right this way, Esteemed one." Said the maid respectfully as she held open a door while slightly bowing, causing Alexander to cough in embarrassment from being caught. Entering the room, I sat down at the nearest seat and watched as the maid poured me some tea, which I drank, though I couldn''t help but wonder how expensive the tea cup was. ''Forget the teacup; what about the tea!?'' Thought Alexander with widened eyes as he looked at the teacup before quickly placing it down. "While waiting, do you require any services to ease your body from the long journey?" Asked the maid softly as she slowly undressed, causing Alexander to shake his head rapidly. "No! I-I''m good." Replied Alexander softly, his words causing the maid to nod as she adored her clothes while backing away. "Am I ugly? This is the seventh man who has refused my services." Muttered the maid quietly with a confused expression while Alexander pretended not to hear anything. ''Wow, that''s a surprise.'' Said Trina mockingly as she looked at Alexander'' who rolled his eyes. ''When have I ever lusted after a woman that wasn''t my own? ¡­ Don''t answer that.'' Remarked Alexander blandly as he folded his arms, only to awkwardly cough while Trina nodded in agreement. I had no idea what the Queen was doing, but it seemed to take longer than expected since it was nearly an hour before someone knocked on the door. "Queen Vestalis is ready for an audience." Stated the guard respectfully as he opened the door and looked at Alexander, who stood up with a nod. Chapter 271: Royal Family "Your Majesty." Said the guard respectfully as he kneeled before the throne while lowering his head, awaiting to be addressed by the Queen. "Haa, what are those Nobles doing for me to have so much work? Do I need to reassign them their positions?" Muttered Violet softly with a tired expression as she sighed in defeat while reading through a stack of papers. Although I complained about the Nobles, they did a lot of work for me, so I couldn''t be that upset; I just wish they did more so I didn''t have to spend hours sitting on my throne reading through papers. However, there was no fixing this problem now; all I could do was power through it and hopefully fix it sometime in the future. "Which will not happen; I''ve been complaining about this for the past 100 years." Said Violet softly as she flipped to the next paper, reading its contents while comivious to the patiently waiting guard. It took me nearly forty minutes before I finally finished reading, allowing me to toss it onto the tray beside me while I sighed in relief, only to rub my face in frustration. "Haa, managing a Kingdom is so stressful; my Grandaunt is so lucky she remained a Princess. Being Queen sucks." Remarked Violet with a deep sigh as she rubbed her in exhaustion, only to finally notice the kneeling guard, causing her to awkwardly cough. "How long have you been waiting?" "40 minutes, your Majesty." Said Violet and the guard, respectively, as the former''s expression violently twitched in annoyance. ''So you just watched me read and remained silent!? I could''ve used you as an excuse to further procrastinate!'' Thought Violet aggressively as she looked at the guard, who nervously gulped from her intense staring. "Hmph, speak." Said Violet as she cleared her throat and folded her arms, causing the guard to nod. "Someone possessing a royal medallion has just arrived, Your Majesty." Stated the guard, his words causing Violet to furrow her brows in confusion. "How come I''m only learning about this now? Anyone, whether it be my husband, brother, children, nieces, nephews, or even parents, must inform me if they''re giving someone a royal medallion." Asked Violet with a deep frown as she tapped the armrest while eyeing the guard, who remained silent. "Did they say anything else?" "They said they''ve come on a mission for Princess Lavender to return an object and relay information." Remarked Violet and the guard, respectively, as the latter nodded, his words causing the former''s eyes to widen. "Grandaunt!? First, the barrier surrounding our territory gets destroyed, and now this occurs. This can''t possibly be a coincidence. Who is this person?" Exclaimed Violet with a shocked expression as she looked at the guard with a somewhat eager expression. "T-They wear a cloak concealing all their features, but their voice is that of a man." Replied the guard, his word greatly dampening Violet''s enthusiasm, only for her to shake her head. "Hmm, it could still very well be Grandaunt; she''s a terrifyingly powerful Mage; changing her voice should be as easy as breathing for her." Muttered Violet hopefully as she tapped her chin with an enthusiastic expression. ''If it is Grandaunt, Grandmother will definitely wish to be there, but, ugh, I don''t like it when she moves around too much.'' Thought Violet with furrowed brows as she rubbed her head in annoyance. As much as I didn''t want to, I knew Grandmother would be thoroughly livid with me if she were to learn Grandaunt had returned and she wasn''t there to greet her; even if this weren''t Grandaunt, she would still be upset. With a sigh, I waved my hand, causing my shadow to darken as an inkly black figure emerged from my shadow before silently kneeling right beside me. "You heard him correct? Inform my family, tell them it''s urgent; I want them all within the Throne room within twenty minutes." Stated Violet firmly as she glanced at the inky black figure, who nodded before suddenly vanishing.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It''s been several decades since Grandaunt last visited, so everyone should be present to hear and possibly greet her. She was also the most senior among us, even slightly older than Grandmother, so out of respect, we should all be present. ''Besides, it would be nice if my children could meet their Great-Grandaunt; they''ve only heard tales about her, ones they don''t fully believe.'' Thought Violet with a faint smile as she rested her chin on her hands while reminiscing about Lavender. With news regarding Grandaunt, unsurprisingly, the first to arrive was Mother and Father as they entered the throne room; they walked slowly, but they were steady, clearly staying active in their later years now that they''d passed the thousand-mark threshold. When they neared me, they both bowed out of respect to the crown rather than to me personally. "We heard the news regarding Aunt and practically ran here, especially your mother; she''s always loved Aunt." Said Fathen with a small smile as he patted his chest and gestured to Aster, who brushed her long white hair behind her horns while faintly blushing. "Aunt would always spoil me as a child, telling tales of her adventures and bringing various items back whenever she visited." Said Aster softly as she glanced at Fathen while approaching Violet, who lightly chuckled with an understanding nod. "Though it''s been so long since she''s last visited, it''s been nearly a century; she usually doesn''t take so long to return home." Added Aster with furrowed brows and a skeptical gaze as she glanced at Violet, who shook her head in confusion. Before any of us could respond, my Uncle and both of my Aunts entered the throne room alongside their children, who were my cousins, amounting to a total of nine. "I heard Aunt has returned. Is it true?" Asked Iris with a stern expression, though the excitement that laced his voice was apparent to all, causing Aster to chuckle. "I do not know the specifics, Uncle; I''ve only received word that someone wearing a cloak with a man''s voice has arrived; they also possess a royal medallion¡­ The only missing is the one in Grandaunt''s possession." Replied Violet with a shake of her head as she watched Iris, her aunt, and their families bow before the throne. "Hmm? So it''s a man, not Aunt? If that''s so, why did you summon us all?" Asked Dahlia with a frown as she narrowed her eyes at Violet, causing Aster to furrow her brows though she remained silent. "Because Grandaunt ordered them specifically, that alone should warrant all of the Royal Family to gather in one place." Replied Violet softly as she stared at Dahlia, who clicked her tongue before remaining silent. Sighing at my Aunt, I greeted my cousins with a nod, and since I was on good terms with them, they all returned the gesture, with Peony going a little overboard and causing me to nearly chuckle. While waiting, the doors to the throne room were opened a few minutes later, and I was expecting it to be our children, though instead, it was Grandmother entering the room on a hovering chair while a personal attendant walked directly beside her. "Even Grandmother came?" "You know she wouldn''t miss anything regarding Grandaunt." Said Peony and Calla, respectively, as the former widened her eyes in shock while the latter softly shook his head. Grandmother was by far the oldest one among us as she has lived for over two thousand years, though I heard it was thanks to a very powerful potion Grandaunt gave her a long time ago that increased her life span; otherwise, she would''ve long since perished. However, even so, she''s reaching close to the end of her life; she can hardly move for more than a few minutes without feeling dizzy. "Mother, I don''t think you needed to come for this; the person Violet referred to wasn''t even Grandaunt." Said Dahlia respectfully as she looked at Azalea, who slowly raised her head while dismissively waving her hand. "It is regarding Lavender. I-I don''t care if she merely sent a note; I-I will attend. Also, it''s Queen Vestalis." Said Azalea hoarsely as she glanced at Dahila, whose expression twitched, before shifting her focus to Violet, only to aggressively cough. "Softly, Madam." Said China, the personal attendant, as she used her glowing hands to stop Azalea''s cough, soothing her pain. Once Grandmother neared the throne, the hovering chair lowered to the ground, allowing her to slowly stand up, refusing China''s assistance as she approached me before bowing to the crown atop my head. "T-That''s my physical e-exercise for the day." Said Azalea softly as she gently lowered herself back into the chair with China''s help, her words causing everyone to faint smile in amusement before sighing. "Where are my Great grandchildren?" Asked Azalea as she observed her surroundings, searching for several people but to no avail. "They haven''t arrived yet, Grandmother." Said Calla respectfully as he looked at Azalea, whose expression soured. "Tch, t-those foolish brats!" Yelled Azalea hoarsely in slight anger as she gripped her armrest, only for her to aggressively cough, prompting China to place a glowing hand on her arm. "Try not to get worked up, Mother. I''m sure Queen Vestalis will properly punish them." Said Iris lightly with a soft expression as he gently rubbed Azalea''s hand, soothing her fury. "Hmph, they better; otherwise, I''ll do it myself." Declared Azalea, her words causing everyone to fearfully gulp, having experienced her punishments before. Chapter 272: Lavenders Family Following behind the Maid, we walked through the hallway, heading towards who knows where, but I could only assume it was where the Queen was, so maybe the throne room or some other place I''ve no clue exists. ''Man, this castle is way too freaking big.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gently shook his head, having spent a few minutes merely walking to their destination. It shouldn''t take someone multiple minutes to reach another room in a place you live, but I suppose that''s just a lifestyle I''m not used to. ''Well, technically¡­'' Mused Alexander with a faint smirk, only to shake his head. While we were walking, three Dryads wearing fancy clothes and jewelry passed us, prompting the maid I was following to stop as she bowed toward them; not knowing what to do, I copied her actions and bowed as well. ''Hmm, they must be royalty. Ahh, family.'' Thought Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he gazed at three Dryads that disappeared behind a hallway, only to chuckle in amusement. Once we stopped bowing, we continued our leisure walk, taking the same path as those three Dryads, until we eventually arrived at a set of large double doors with a tree engraved between the two; green jewels were used to represent the leaves. "Queen Vestalis is just inside, Esteemed one." Said the Maid as she deeply bowed while gesturing to the double doors, prompting Alexander to nod. Taking a deep breath, I reached forward and pushed open the doors, which was much easier than I had anticipated, before entering what looked to be the throne room, though I momentarily froze when I saw how many people were waiting for me. Inwardly cursing, I closed the door behind me and began approaching the group in the distance, though if it weren''t for my trait, [Heart Of a Hero], I would definitely be nervously sweating, and the fact only my footsteps could be heard wasn''t helping. Along the way, I happened to use [Heroes Gaze], though what I saw caused me to wince; although it seemed like the people in front of me were the only ones, there were an extra fifty people hidden throughout the room, each one concealing themselves using magic. Of course, I couldn''t accurately judge their strength, but from how much mana I could see within their bodies, the weakest was comparable to the Boss of the Yemen Mercenaries, with multiple being much stronger. ''Especially the one hidden within the Queen Shadow¡­ She is extremely strong.'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression, only to sigh deeply, calming himself. Now that angering them was entirely out of the equation, not like I planned to do that in the first place, when I arrived close, I dropped to one knee and lowered my head. I actually had no idea if I was supposed to do that; I just copied what they did in movies from my past life, though seeing how none of their emotions changed, I was doing something right. "Y-You''re not L-Lavender." Said Azalea softly with a frown as she narrowed her eyes at Alexander, who wryly smiled while shaking his head. "I am not, um, M-Miss¡­" Replied Alexander respectfully as he turned and glanced at Azalea, only to slightly widen his eyes. I''m sure the average person wouldn''t have been able to notice it through her aged and weathered appearance, but I spotted it almost immediately; she looked nearly identical to Master; it was honestly crazy how similar the two looked. "You may stand, and if you could remove your hood." Said Violet softly as she coughed to grab Alexander''s attention, her words causing him to nod as he stood up while grabbing his hood. "Um, please don''t attack me." Said Alexander softly, his words slightly confusing everyone, only for their eyes to slightly widen in surprise as he revealed his face. "A human?" Said Violet in surprise as she gazed at Alexander, who awkwardly nodded before suddenly bowing.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Um, I would like to apologize for accidentally destroying the barrier surrounding the edge of your territory; I-I just intended to make a small opening, but that didn''t happen." Remarked Alexander apologetically as he bowed to Violet, who frowned, though before she could respond, the doors were suddenly opened. "Hmph, to think the culprit would come right to the heart of our Kingdom." Said the Grandmage with furrowed brows as he eyed Alexander while approaching him, his sudden intrusion causing Violet to sigh. "I apologize for the interruption, Queen Vestalis, but when I sensed the culprit''s mana signature within the Palace, I had to find it. I needed to meet the person who destroyed my Grandspell." Said the Grandmage as he bowed towards Queen Violet before eyeing Alexander, who awkwardly rubbed his head. "So, how did you do it? How did you break my Grandspell? It should''ve been impossible for anyone except Princess Lavender." Asked the Grandmage as he eyed Alexander, who raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Um, I just spoke to it? C-Can you not do that?" Replied Alexander in confusion as he looked at the Grandmage, his words shocking them all. "H-He can speak to life!?" "O-Only Aunt could do that!" "D-Do you think she might''ve taught him?" Remarked Iris, Dahlia, and Aster, respectively, as they stared at Alexander in shock. "Hmm, I knew it, though for my speculation to be confirmed is still surprising." Muttered the Grandmage lightly as he rubbed his chin while glancing at Alexander in shock, prompting him to tilt his head in confusion. "Y-You can really speak t-to life?" Asked Azalea hoarsely as she looked at Alexander, who nodded, causing her to softly smile. "Now, while this is shocking information, I do not appreciate you barging in here and interrupting me, Scarloc." Said Violet lightly as she glanced at Alexander before eyeing the Grandmage known as Scarloc, causing him to nod while he backed away. "I was told you had come to return some items and relay information regarding Grandaunt?" Asked Violet as she eyed Alexander, who nodded and grabbed his space pouch before outstretching his hand toward her. "Yes, Master had some items, and I figured it would be best to return them to her family." Replied Alexander softly as he looked at Violet, only for Scarloc to nearly interrupt him, though he managed to wait until he finished speaking. "Master!? Are you perhaps Princess Lavender''s disciple!?" Exclaimed Scarloc with widened eyes as he looked at Alexander, who calmly nodded, causing Azalea to be thoroughly shocked as well. "Scarloc, if you interrupt again, I will have to ask you to leave." Said Violet sternly as she eyed Scarloc, who nodded before remaining silent. "S-So, a-after all that talk about not wanting a d-disciple, she ends up g-getting one anyways." Remarked Azalea between a few coughs as she gazed at Alexander, her eyes noticeably softening while everyone remained rather calm, not fully understanding how shocking such a revelation was. "Y-Young man, w-what is your name?" Asked Azalea as she floated towards Alexander, who awkwardly smiled. "I''m sure we can ask that, Mother¨C" Dahlia lightly as she glanced at Azalea, who gestured her to be silent while her focus remained solely on Alexander, who nervously gulped. "My name? I-It''s Alexander¡­ Vestalis." Replied Alexander softly as he looked at Azalea before averting his gaze, though even so, his voice varied a hint of pride. "I''m confused now." Said Aster softly as she looked at Alexander, while everyone nodded in agreement, completely shocked by what was just spoken. "Alexander Vestalis? You had taken Lavender''s last name." Said Azalea softly as she gazed at Alexander, who nodded, noticing the varying gazes directed his way. "Um, I would like to say I took Master''s last name before discovering she was a Princess." Remarked Alexander lightly, his words causing everyone to glance at Scarloc, who nodded. "He speaks the truth, though, at the end of the day, Princess Lavender''s status as a Princess pales in comparison to her status as an SS-Class Adventurer." Stated Scarloc, his words causing many to furrow their brows, yet none refuted him. "Since everyone loves to keep speaking, I suppose you might as well inform us what Grandaunt wished to say." Said Violet in slight annoyance as she dismissively waved her hands, causing Alexander to sigh deeply. There was no way to lighten the blow I was about to say, so all I could do was say it how it was. "Master is dead." Stated Alexander softly, his words ominously echoing throughout the silent throne room. "W-W-W-What?" Asked Azalea softly with a frozen expression as she and everyone else intensely gazed at Alexander as if they were trying to bore holes into his body. "Six, nearly seven years ago, Master drew her last breath. A Mythical poison was the cause of her death, and unfortunately, I haven''t discovered the one responsible for it as of yet." Declared Alexander, his words causing Azalea to slowly look at Scarloc, who had his head down. "Scarloc, is he lying?" Asked Azalea, her voice sounding surprisingly clear as she eyed Scarloc. "No, Madam, he is telling the truth." Replied Scarloc softly as he refused to raise his head, causing Azalea to softly nod. The woman didn''t utter another word and simply hovered out of the throne room, which had been engulfed with silence. "I''m sorry." Said Alexander softly as he lowered his head, though his words helped little to soothe their rampant emotions. Chapter 273: Forced Stay? After a long and uncomfortable amount of silence, Queen Vestalis finally opened her mouth, though only after forcefully suppressing most of her emotions. "You say the one responsible for Grandaunt''s death, but she was a powerful Adventure that frequented Dungeons; how do you know that the poison wasn''t from a monster within said dungeon?" Asked Violet softly with an indifferent gaze as she looked at Alexander, prompting everyone to do the same, while several wiped their tears, attempting to remain professional. "It''s difficult to explain¡­ I have no physical or even solid information to further justify my statement. As a matter of fact, Master had told me nothing regarding her inevitable death, not until two weeks before her passing, and during that time, she refused to elaborate on how she was poisoned." Replied Alexander softly as he raised his head and looked at Violet with an awkward expression, his words causing her and everyone else to furrow their brows. "I suppose you''ll just have to trust the words of a stranger who was more hurt at Lavender''s death than all of you combined." Added Alexander with a wry smile as he gazed at everyone, prompting Violet to glance at Scarloc, who shook his head. "He''s telling the truth, Queen, but it matters not since, to us, it''s merely a belief¡­ A belief he genuinely believes in, but a belief nonetheless." Replied Scarloc lightly as he glanced at Violet, who gently nodded before shifting her focus back to Alexander. "Since you''ve relayed your information, what items have you come to return?" Asked Violet with a raised eyebrow as she calmly looked at Alexander, who could clearly see her hidden emotions deep within her eyes. "Y-Yes, everything she''s mentioned belonging to her younger days is in this space pouch¡­ Including this object." Replied Alexander as he gestured to the pouch in his hand before reaching into it, only to retrieve a staff, which shocked everyone. "A-Aunts staff!?" Exclaimed Dahlia in shock as she gazed at the Staff of Ethos within Alexander''s hands. "Master had mentioned this staff was a family heirloom received from Goddess Eywa for doing something long ago; I figured it would only be right to return the object she initially stole. I''m also no Mage." Remarked Alexander lightly as he carelessly swung the staff around, causing everyone''s eyes to twitch at his behavior While twirling Masters staff, it suddenly vanished from my hands, causing me to furrow my brows in confusion as I looked around, only to see Scarloc holding her staff as if it were a precious item while approaching Queen Vestalis''s throne. ''Well, I suppose it is considered a precious item. I would''ve liked to use it at least once or twice, though.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a slight pout as he eyed Scarloc, only to shrug his shoulders. "The Staff of Ethos, Queen Vestalis." Said Scarloc softly as he dropped to one knee just before Violet''s throne, prompting her to lean forward and grab it. "Just as I remember¡­" Muttered Violet with an ever so faint smile as she held the Staff of Ethos within her hand and pointed it to the sky. After a few more moments of admiring the staff, Queen Vestalis handed it back to Scarloc, who promptly stood up. "Store it where it belongs; that pedestal has been empty for far too long." "At least we know it was put to excellent use." Stated Violet and Scarloc, respectively, as the latter nodded before turning around and walking away from the throne. While walking past me, Scarloc didn''t say anything, but he did give a slight nod, which I could only assume was of gratitude. However, before I could think about it further, Queen Vestalis cleared her throat, grabbing my attention as I looked at her. "On behalf of the entire Kingdom, we appreciate the act of returning The Staff of Ethos to us¡­ Its value trancends mere coins." Declared Violet solemnly as she looked at Alexander with gratitude while everyone nodded in agreement.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "You''re welcome, but it''s not that big of a deal; I was never going to sell it or anything. It''s my late Master''s weapon, after all, nor would I ever use it¡­ Well, other than maybe playing around with it a little bit." Replied Alexander lightly as he looked at Violet before dismissively waving his hand, only to sheepishly smile. "Anyways, since I''ve fulfilled my duty, I''ll be taking my leave as I am not supposed to be here in the first place; besides, I''m sure you all will need some to process Masters passing, and I would want to possibly interrupt." Declared Alexander softly with a slight bow as he glanced at Violet before gazing at everyone else. "Oh, I almost forgot this." Added Alexander as he reached into his pocket, grabbing the medallion of the royal family before outstretching his hand., only to furrow his brows in confusion. "Um, can I just set it on the ground? Or do I hand it to one of you?" Asked Alexander in slight confusion as he gazed at everyone, only for three men and two women to suddenly walk past him. "Ah, perfect, here you go, Sir." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he handed the medallion to the oldest man in the group, prompting him to furrow his brows in pure confusion. "Um, I''m sorry I''m late, dear, I was grabbing our children¡­ Did I miss something? Why is a human handing me a medallion of our family?" Asked the man in confusion as he gazed at Violet, who suppressed her amusement while shaking her head. "While it was a short, it was a pleasure, Queen Vestalis." Stated Alexander as he bowed again before turning around and walking away, further confusing the man while Violet sighed before raising her hand. "Stop, Alexander." Ordered Violet, her words causing Alexander to do as told while he turned to gaze at her in confusion. "I can''t allow Grandaunt''s disciple to just leave like that; stay with us for some time." Added Violet lightly as she looked at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. I would honestly like to refuse her request; I have nothing against the royal family; it''s just I''d like to return home as soon as possible. I''m beginning to miss my muscular teddy bear and adorable yet plump lovers. However, I could tell she wasn''t really asking me; it was more like she was telling me to stay, and I couldn''t refuse her words, so with a slight sigh, I nodded. "If you are okay with having a human within your palace, Queen Vestalis." Said Alexander with a somewhat forced smile as he nodded while gazing at Violet, who faintly smiled. "Your race hardly matters; us Dryads have been isolated from the rest of the world for so long, most of us haven''t ever seen a human in the flesh." Remarked Violet lightly as she dismissively waved his hand, only to shift her focus to the group that had just walked into the throne room. "Since my children wish to ignore my summons, Amaryllis, show Alexander to the room he shall be staying in." Added Violet sternly, her words causing the shortest one among them to click her tongue before scoffing. "Never mind, I change my mind. Instead, I''ll have your Brother do it and eliminate your allowance." "N-NO! I-I Apologize, Mother; I-I''ll show him to the guest rooms." Stated Violet and Amaryllis, respectively, as the latter quickly shook her head before dashing to Alexander with a large, friendly smile. "Follow me, Alexander; I shall show you to your room!" Said Amaryllis with a lovely voice as she looked at Alexander, whose eyes had been drawn to her bouncing chest, only to nod. "Thank you, Princess Amaryllis." Said Alexander with a friendly smile as he slightly bowed to Amaryllis, who nodded before walking past him, only for his eyes to suddenly widen. "Oh, I almost forgot, I didn''t travel alone¨C" "They can stay as well." Said Alexander and Amaryllis, respectively, as he glanced at her while she nodded in agreement without even letting him finish speaking. Following Amaryllis, we exited the throne room, with me behaving like a gentleman and opening the door, though just as they closed, her joyful excitement promptly vanished. "Haa, thank goodness, I can''t have my allowance vanish given how low it is now." Muttered Amaryllis softly as she sighed in relief before shaking her head, only to glance at Alexander, who was staring at her, causing her to frown. "Can you not stare at me like that?" Ordered Amaryllis with a slight frown as she folded her arms and eyed Alexander, who apologetically nodded. "Sorry, I was just surprised by how similar you and Master looked." "Master?" Said Alexander and Amaryllis, respectively, as the latter raised her brows in confusion. "Ah, Princess Lavender, your Great-Grandaunt. She''s my Master." Replied Alexander, his words slightly surprising her before she flicked her hair behind her pointy ears. "Oh, her. I''m always getting compared to her, saying I look just like her and whatnot; it''s a little annoying. After all, if anything, I''m more beautiful¡­ Wouldn''t you agree?" Remarked Amaryllis with a click of her tongue as she folded her arms with a look of annoyance only to glance at Alexander, who quickly averted his gaze. "I-I already have a lover, and I wouldn''t feel right if I complimented another woman no matter how beautiful they looked." Stated Alexander quickly, his fast thinking causing Amaryllis to raise an eyebrow before shaking her head. "Whatever, it doesn''t matter whether you agree or not. Anyways, let''s get your partner and then find your guest room¡­ Wherever it''s at." Said Amaryllis lightly as she ignored Alexander while walking past him down the hallway. Chapter 274: Returning The Carousel "Ugh, finally, we found it." Muttered Amaryllis lightly as she opened a door, revealing the entrance to a large, luxurious, single-bedroom, only to turn and glance at Alexander and Lazuli. "Thank you very much, Princess Amaryllis." Said Alexander with a smile as he and Lazuli both slightly bowed towards Amaryllis, who dismissively waved her hand. "I would''ve never bothered if Mother had threatened to remove my allowance. Anyway, a maid will be assigned to you shortly, so try not to leave until she arrives." Said Amaryllis as she looked at Alexander, before turning around and walking off into the distance, leaving him and Lazuli to their own devices. "Considering your Relationship with your Master, she is your Great-Grandniece¡­ So why are you gazing at her with lust?" Asked Lazuli blandly as she stood beside Alexander while staring directly at him, prompting him to avert his gaze away from Amaryllis''s plump butt and meaty thighs. "Hmm, what are you talking about, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander in slight confusion as he tilted his head while looking at Lazuli, who furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes. Lazuli just silently stared at me for several seconds before she eventually shook her head, while muttering a few words. "I wasn''t mistaken, was I?" Muttered Lazuli quietly with a thoughtful expression as she folded her arms and gazed at Amaryllis''s figure while Alexander inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. ''Damn, that was close; how did she even catch me? I wasn''t even staring at Amaryllis; I had merely glanced at her; it hadn''t even lasted two seconds!'' Thought Alexander nervously as he refused to even look in Amaryllis''s general direction now, lest he get mistaken for gazing at her. "Anyway, let''s enter our room; I could use a bath¡­ I hope this room has its own bathroom." Stated Alexander lightly as he gestured towards Lazuli to enter the room, which she did, prompting him to follow right behind her while closing the door. ''Haa, our Master is such a creep¡­ Gazing at his Great-Grandniece with lust, I pity that young woman.'' Said Trina sorrowfully as she clasped her hands while shaking her head, causing Alexander''s face to twitch though he continued to ignore her. Ignoring my stupid sword, I took off my cloak and tossed it onto the ground, only to approach one of the three doors this room had to offer; considering one of the doors led to the outside, I had a fifty-fifty chance I''d pick the one leading to a bathroom. "Wow, that''s a fucking huge closest, alright." Said Alexander softly as he gazed at the massive walk-in closest, which was currently empty. ''I''m sure Michelle would love this; hell, even Yuki would appreciate this.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he gazed at the closest, only to close the door while approaching the third and final door. Opening the door, unsurprisingly, I was met with a large bathroom, which contained a shower, a bathtub that looked like a hot tub, a toilet, and a sink; however, even so, the bathroom was even bigger than the closest. "Ooo, Lazuli, come take a bath with me. We can tell everyone back home we bathed in a castle!" Said Alexander with a faint smile as he gazed at Lazuli, who was sitting on a chair, only to immediately begin stripping his clothes. Tossing my shirt and pants onto the ground, I removed my underwear, freeing my sem-erect manhood, though just as I was about to enter the bathroom, our door was suddenly opened. "I forget to say¨C" Said Amaryllis lightly as she opened the door, only to freeze when she spotted Alexander, whose manhood grew to full erection at the sight of her. "N-N-N-Nevermind." Added Amaryllis with a blush so deep her cheeks looked as if they were painted red. While uncontrollably stammering, Amaryllis closed the door, only for her to open it again as she peeked inside, glancing at my manhood for a few more seconds before finally closing it again for good.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Now, while awkward and slightly embarrassed, I''ve been seen naked by enough women that it didn''t really bother me that much; if anything, I was more concerned with her reaction than anything. "Why did she act like that was her first time ever seeing a naked man? She''s like 62." Asked Alexander in confusion as he turned and glanced at Lazuli, who was silently staring at him, causing him to tilt his head. "You got fully erect when she walked in, Alex." Said Lazuli solemnly as she eyed Alexander, who blankly looked at her before rolling his eyes and turning around, entering the bath. "Are you coming or not?" "I''m coming." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the latter nodded and approached the bathroom while stripping herself of clothes. ___ ___ After taking a bath, in which we did nothing other than passionately make out, as I didn''t really feel comfortable making love in Lavender''s home, for the rest of the day, we lazily laid on the bed while snuggling into each other''s embrace. Oh, and the maid from before, who initially tried to relieve me of my ''stress'', had been assigned to us, but since we didn''t plan on going anywhere today, we never needed her services. "I thought you said you wouldn''t partake in any sexual activities, Alex. What is this then?" Asked Lazuli softly as she gazed down at Alexander, who was face first within her crotch, doing his best to pleasure with his mouth. "I specifically said make love, and besides, you''re looking far too sexy for me to just leave you be." Replied Alexander with a faint smirk as he winked at Lazuli, only to further spread her legs while further pushing his tongue deeper into her vagina, causing her to faintly moan. Grinning at Lazuli''s moans, unfortunately, we were interrupted by knocking on the door, causing me to frown, though she simply wrapped her legs around my head as if urging me to continue. "Yes?" Asked Lazuli blandly as she glanced at the door while Alexander continued to pleasure her, causing her to faintly smirk. "Queen Vestalis has requested you join the royal family for supper." Said the maid softly, her words surprising Alexander as he momentarily stopped, only for Lazuli to squeeze her legs, forcing him to start once more. "We shall be there, then." Replied Lazuli lightly, suppressing a pleasure-filled moan as she squirted her juices, prompting Alexander to greedily drink it all. "Welp, that was fun, but it looks like it''s time for me to eat something other than you." Remarked Alexander with a faint smirk as he stood up and glanced at Lazuli, who nodded in slight annoyance, causing him to chuckle. Since the Queen herself had requested us, we couldn''t keep her waiting, and so, after wearing the fanciest looking clothes I had, which were pale in comparison to what the butlers wore, though as for Lazuli, she looked more than beautiful enough. Exiting our room, the maid quickly led us through the palace, which was akin to a maze, and after a few minutes, we arrived at a set of double doors, which were about to be opened by a pair of guards standing on either side, though before they could, I beat them to it and opened the doors myself. ''Hmph, only I get the privilege of holding the door open for my woman.'' Thought Alexander pridefully as he held the door open for Lazuli while the guards gave him a slightly weird look. However, since Amaryllis and one of her brothers were approaching me, I was forced to hold the door open for the two of them, though I noticed Amaryllis deeply blushed when she spotted me, and although she tried to hide it, she took a few glances at my crotch. Pretending as if I had never seen that happen, I closed the doors and approached Lazuli, who was already sitting down at the long table; bowing to everyone, I sat beside Lazuli, and seeing how no one was speaking, we did the same, and remained silent. After several minutes of waiting, a couple of people finally entered and sat down, which prompted Queen Vestalis to nod as everyone suddenly began speaking, causing me to tilt my head at such a weird custom. ''Well, every custom is going to be a little weird.'' Thought Alexander lightly with a shrug of his shoulders as he and Lazuli silently listened to the gossiping royal family. While everyone was talking, the doors were opened again, and this time, the old lady on the hover chair, Azalea, from before entered, along with the person who tended to her needs, China, I think her name was. Most didn''t notice Azalea since they were speaking, but the older ones did and remained silent as she approached me. Seeing her approach me, I stood up and pushed the chair beside me away, earning me a silent thank you from China while the older woman lowered her hovering chair until it was right beside me. "Um, I don''t mean to come off as rude, but¡­ You''re Master''s little sister, aren''t you?" Asked Alexander softly as he gazed at Azalea, who was slightly taken aback by his words, only to suddenly nod, causing him to smile. "Heh, I figured; you and her look practically Identical, though, between you and me, I think I find Master to be slightly more beautiful." Added Alexander with a faint smile, his words causing Azalea to smile lightly. "I-I always t-thought s-so a-as well." Said Azalea lightly, her words causing Alexander to smile, only for him to suddenly remove a carousel from his space pouch. "Master would spend some time working on it at night, so it should operate now¡­ Hopefully. I would''ve placed it within the space pouch along with the rest of her stuff, but I felt like I should hand it to you personally." Stated Alexander softly as he gazed at Azalea, who held the carousel in her shaky hands with an expression of disbelief. Chapter 275: Master, Mother, & Wife "Um, are you fine, Madam?" Asked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Azalea, who was shedding tears while staring at the carousel in her hands, which she had yet to activate. Azalea was most likely fine; if I had to guess, she must be reminiscing her past with Lavender, which I also do sometimes; I just no longer cry¡­ Usually. "Y-Yes, A-Alexander. I-I''m just s-surprised and happy¡­ T-To think, a-after so long, L-Lavender still had this." Replied Azalea softly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she inspected the carousel while Alexander watched with a slight smile. While Azalea continued to observe the carousel within her hands, the doors were once again opened, though this time, several servants pushing carts full of trays entered, and the smell they brought was rather appetizing. "Quiet." Said Violet sternly as she narrowed her eyes while eyeing everyone at the table, causing the room to quickly descend into silence. The servants stopped at different spots beside the long table and began unloading the trays onto the dining table, placing a few of them directly in front of us as well; once they finished, they promptly turned around and exited the room one by one, and when they all left, only then did we began speaking once more. "Thank you, Goddess Eywa." Said everyone respectfully as they clasped their hands and bowed their heads. Glancing at the royal family, I turned and looked at Lazuli, who had already lifted the cover off her plate, only for her to promptly cover it once more when she saw the food. Rubbing my face, I wanted to tell her to at least eat some of it so she didn''t seem disrespectful, but before I could, Violet suddenly called me. "So, Alexander, do you mind answering some questions for us?" Asked Violet lightly as she removed her cover and grabbed her utensils while raising her head and glancing at Alexander, who was doing the same. "Not at all, Queen Violet." Replied Alexander with a faint smile as he took a bite, only to nod in agreement while enjoying the delicious yet vegan food. "Your relationship with Grandaunt, could you go more into detail?" Asked Violet curiously as she looked at Alexander, who nodded and cleared his throat. "Master found me when I was a newborn and has been taking care of me ever since her unfortunate passing; so although she''s my Master, she''s also like a Mother to me as well." Stated Alexander lightly with a bitter-sweet smile as he looked at the ceiling before shifting his focus back to Violet, who nodded before snapping her fingers. "If that''s so, do you mind explaining this?" Asked Violet as she gestured to her right, where two servants held a long white wedding dress that had clearly been ripped in several places, along with a brown and green tux in the same condition as the dress. "Eh, isn''t that the outfits you and Father wore when you got married?" Asked Amaryllis with a raised eyebrow as she looked at the outfits before shifting her focus to Violet and his husband, prompting them to both nod. "Yes, it is, but these outfits were within the space pouch Alexander had handed to us. So, that can only mean a few things¡­ Grandaunt happened to get married to an unknown man, or¡­ Alexander here isn''t telling us the whole truth about his relationship with Grandaunt." Replied Violet with a nod as she glanced at Amaryllis before narrowing her eyes and eyeing Alexander, her words snapping Azalea out of her daze. "Lavender got married, t-to who!?" Exclaimed Azalea loudly as she looked at Violet before glancing at the marriage outfits, only for her eyes to widen while finally settling on Alexander, who had focused on his food. "Mhm, this food is absolutely splendid." Said Alexander with a smile as he stuffed his mouth full of food, only for Iris to grunt. "Hmph, it is rude to ignore the Queen''s words, let alone the act of lying to her." Said Iris firmly as he folded his arms and eyed Alexander, who wryly smiled before lowering his head and sighing. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "W-Well, you see, when Master passed away, I-I didn''t only lose my teacher and Mother, but also my, um, first wife." Said Alexander awkwardly as he winced towards the end while avoiding eye contact, though his words shocked Azalea and the older generations. "I suspected, but still¡­ I don''t really like it." Muttered Dahlia with wide eyes and a slight frown as she folded her arms while eyeing Alexander. "Was it an official marriage?" Asked Camellia, Violet''s sister, her words causing Alexander to awkwardly shake his head while several sighed in relief. "The first marriage wasn''t official, as you can see; Master and I got very¡­ Unhinged towards the end. However, a few days later, we had an official marriage ceremony, and a miniature statue of Goddess Eywa''s likeness was watching over us." Added Alexander, his words causing everyone to groan while Violet sighed deeply. "Wait, if that is true, wouldn''t technically make him our¡­ Uncle-in-law?" Asked Aster with an uncomfortable expression as she glanced at Alexander, only for Azalea to suddenly laugh with joy. "Hahahaha, so you''re my Brother-in-law?" Asked Azalea with a smile as she looked at Alexander while heartily laughing, causing him to nod awkwardly. "I mean, technically, yes, but by that same logic, I''m also your nephew since Lavender is also a mother to me." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at Azalea, who dismissively waved her hand, ignoring his words. "Since you''re not blood-related, your marriage status comes first." Stated Azalea with a faint smile, causing Alexander to nod while shrugging his shoulders, deciding not to argue with her. "Hmph, this is highly unprofessional of Aunt to marry a young man she raised her own disciple." Said Dahlia with a frown as she scoffed while glancing at Alexander, who sighed with a nod. "That is why I didn''t say anything." Said Alexander softly, though his words hardly seemed to phase Dahlia as she rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Our opinion on the subject matters not; what''s done is done, and Grandaunt has left us; we couldn''t reprimand her if we wished. Though I strongly feel none of us would dare do such a thing anyway." Remarked Violet lightly as she waved her hand, ending the topic while causing Dahlia to scoff before descending into silence. "Um, if you all don''t mind, may I ask a small question?" Asked Alexander lightly, his words causing everyone to raise an eyebrow before Violet nodded. "Depending on what it is, we may or may not answer it." Said Violet, her words causing Alexander to nod as he took a final bite and finished his food. "I was told by Master that you all dislike humans, but that doesn''t really seem to be the case. You all have been treating me rather well." Said Alexander curiously as he gazed at everyone, his words causing them to look at each other. "That is true; while we''re not as bad as the Elves, we''re not exactly a fan of you humans or Demons. The main reason we''ve been treating you well is because you held a royal medallion and revealed yourself to be Grandaunt''s disciple, and now you''ve also turned out to be her husband. Whether we like it or not, you''re officially family." Said Violet firmly as she eyed Alexander, only for Aster to open her mouth and voice her thoughts. "However, I don''t know about the others, but I will say you''re very appealing, Alexander. I don''t know what it is, but you''re quickly growing on me." Stated Aster softly with a faint smile as she looked at Alexander, who smiled in return. "Speaking of this, who is the woman beside you?" Asked Dahlia as she eyed Lazuli, who hadn''t touched her food since the beginning. "Oh, she''s my lover; her name is Lazuli." Replied Alexander proudly as he looked at Lazuli while everyone subtly frowned at his words. "Polygamy is frowned upon in this kingdom, but I suppose it must be fine where you come from." Said Iris lightly with a solemn expression as he looked at Lazuli and Alexander, who raised an eyebrow only to nod in understanding while glancing at Violet. "Oh, I see. Well, if it weren''t for them, I would probably still be depressed from Master''s death." "Them?" Said Alexander and Amaryllis, respectively, as the former nodded while reaching into his pocket, revealing a photo. "Oh, my wife and other lover are back home in the Mezcla continent. My wife is an Oni, and my lover is an Elf; I intend to marry them both when we return home, so I''m actually really eager to do so." Remarked Alexander with a joyful expression as he showed Amaryllis the photo of Michelle and Yuki. "Eh, where is the Oni?" Asked Amaryllis in confusion as she squinted her eyes, unable to spot Yuki''s figure, only seeing a large blue background. "Oh, was my finger covering her again?" Muttered Alexander softly as he moved his fingers, revealing Yuki''s face, causing Amaryllis''s eyes to slightly widened. "She''s huge." "Yeah, I know, but that just gives me more of her to love, so I''m not complaining." Stated Amaryllis and Alexander, respectively, as the latter stored the photo back into his pocket with a smile, only to awkwardly cough. "S-Sorry about that; I-I tend to get carried away whenever I speak about my women." Added Alexander while sheepishly rubbing his head as he gazed at everyone, who either ignored him or calmly nodded, seemingly unbothered. "Can you speak about L-Lavender?" Asked Azalea as she looked at Alexander, whose eyes shone brightly. "Can I? I would love to; just don''t blame me when I speak too much." Said Alexander with an eager smile as he mischeviously looked at Azalea, who chuckled with a smirk. "Heh, try me." Said Azalea provokingly, her words prompting Alexander to grin as he didn''t hesitate and began speaking about Lavender. Chapter 276: New Clothes "¡­ Then Lavender would practically force me to drink the potions she made, which is freaking insane! I mean, what woman makes their own disciple drink their untested potions? I know they must be tested, but why couldn''t she test them on herself?" Remarked Alexander with a slight frown as he clicked his tongue and shook his head while glancing at Azalea, who was fast asleep in her chair. "E-Excuse me, sir, but Madam Azalea has long since fallen asleep¡­ You''ve been speaking to me only." Said China softly with a twitching expression as she glanced at Alexander, who stopped speaking before glancing at Azalea, only to smirk victoriously. "Heh, what did I tell her? I could speak about Master for hours! Ain''t that right, Lazuli." Said Alexander with a smirk as he proudly raised his head, only to glance at Lazuli, who was sitting beside him. Surprisingly, Lazuli, who was supposed to be sitting right beside me, was nowhere to be seen; tilting my head confusion, I raised my head and looked around, only to realize everyone else was missing as well; the only ones that remained were me, Azalea and China. ''I really do get carried away whenever I speak of Lavender.'' Thought Alexander softly with a slightly proud expression as he awkwardly rubbed his head. Glancing at China, I was about to ask if she wanted to stay and listen, but before I could, she was already pushing Azalea out of the room, leaving me alone in the dining room. "Haa, well, I guess I should return to my room." Muttered Alexander sadly as he stood up and slowly walked out of the dining room, while following the path he had used to get there. After a few minutes, I finally returned to my room, though I saw Lazuli lying in bed through the walls, so I made sure to be quiet when I opened and closed the door; with her still asleep, I removed my clothes and entered the bed with her to snuggle. However, just as I wrapped my arms around Lazuli, I felt the sun''s warmth hit the back of my head, causing me to turn and look out the window, only to see the sun rising from beyond the horizon. ''Are you kidding me? I was talking about Lavender for THAT long?'' Thought Alexander with a twitching expression as he stared at the sun through the window, only to turn around when he felt movement within his arms. "Good Morning, Alex." Said Lazuli softly as she glanced at Alexander with a smile before kissing his cheek, causing him to close his eyes and sigh. ''I was going to say something, Master, but then Sistser stopped me since she thought it would''ve been funny¡­ And I agreed.'' Said Trina with a faint smile as she ran away from Zartha, who was chasing her through their private dimension, running across the crystal clear water. Ignoring Trina and Zartha, I firmly wrapped my arms around Lazuli, and forced her into my embrace while resting my head on the pillow as I closed my eyes, drifting to sleep. "Next time, do not spend so long speaking about Lavender." "Hmph, No." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the former attempted to advise him, though the latter promptly refused with a firm voice befitting of no room for negotiation. ___ ___ After I woke up from my short nap with Lazuli still surprisingly in my arms, we may have gotten slightly intimate with each other, though while doing so, our maid had brought us some clothes. "I''m coming!" Said Alexander as he struggled to get his pants on over his erection while approaching the door while Lazuli covered herself with the blankets. Once I got my pants on correctly, I opened the door, expecting to see our maid holding some clothes just as she said, but while I did see our maid, she wasn''t alone. "Ah, Princess Amaryllis, how can I help?" Asked Alexander with a friendly smile as he leaned against his door and gazed downwards at Amaryllis, who was staring at his muscular upper body. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "N-Nothing, I-I just figured I would help you from further embarrassing yourself with your appearance." Said Amaryllis softly before handing Alexander a space pouch, her eyes constantly glancing at his poorly hidden erection, causing her to gulp. "My appearance? Is there something wrong with how I look?" Asked Alexander as he titled his head in confusion while grabbing the space pouch out of Amaryllis''s hand. "Not at all." Muttered Amaryllis softly as she gazed at Alexander, only for her to faintly blush while clearing her throat. "I-I mean, there is nothing wrong with your human appearance, b-but your clothes, on the other hand, are like those of a commoner." Added Amaryllis quickly as she looked at Alexander, who furrowed his brows at her words. "Eh, really? I really liked those clothes, though." Asked Alexander as he looked at Amaryllis in slight surprise, prompting her to nod. "Well, I suppose they do look a bit ugly when compared to your dress." Added Alexander with a soft sigh as he looked at Amaryllis before reluctantly nodding in agreement. "T-Thank you." Said Amaryllis with a faint smile as she looked at Alexander, who hesitantly nodded. ''I mean, I guess that was a compliment.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he shrugged his shoulder, forgetting about the whole ordeal. "Anyways, thank you very much, Princess; you really had no need to go out of your way and do this. I''m sure you had more important or fun things you could''ve been doing instead." Remarked Alexander respectfully as he slightly bowed to Amaryllis while smiling, causing her to smile back. "I-It''s no problem, really, I just happened to visit my brother''s room cause I needed to speak with him, and then I remembered about your clothes and decided to steal a few outfits from his closet." Said Amaryllis with a faint smile as she dismissively waved her hand while Alexander''s expression twitched. "Um, are you sure I can wear these then? Actually, I doubt I''ll even fit them; your brother is a bit smaller than me." Asked Alexander softly as he looked at Amaryllis, who nodded with a faint smile, completely disregarding his worries. "You will be fine, and as for them fitting, I thought they would, but now that I''ve gotten a closer look at your muscular body, I''m also having doubts." Replied Amaryllis softly as she stared intensely at Alexander''s body, her eyes wandering over every inch, only for her to shake her head, snapping herself out of it. "Anyways, I would like to see you in them, b-because I went through the effort and all, so I wouldn''t want my t-time to have been wasted." Added Amaryllis as she waved at Alexander before turning around and walking away, prompting him to spend several seconds ''appreciating'' her plump butt. "Hmph, E-Esteemed one, that is the Princess; please be mindful of your gaze." Said the maid firmly as she looked at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Oh, no, I wasn''t looking at her like that; I was seeing which way she would turn." Replied Alexander calmly as he glanced at the maid, who seemed to be convinced at his calm and confident response. "Hmm, I see. I apologize for suddenly accusing you, Esteemed one." Said the maid apologetically as she bowed to Alexander, who merely nodded before closing the door, only for Lazuli to be seen standing right beside him with nothing but socks on. "You can fool the maid, but not me, Alex." Said Lazuli firmly as she eyed Alexander, who awkwardly coughed while averting his gaze. "I do not know what you''re speaking of. Anyway, I must try on these clothes as the Princess herself gave them to me. Excuse me." Remarked Alexander lightly as he held the space pouch in Lazuli''s face while entering the bathroom, causing her to furrow her brows. ___ ___ "This Palace is big for no freaking reason." Muttered Alexander softly as he walked through the halls alongside Lazuli, the two wearing a vastly different outfit from earlier. "A lot of things happen within the Palace; it isn''t solely where the Royal family lives." Said the maid softly as she looked at Alexander, who couldn''t refuse her words It''s been several hours since morning, and regarding my clothes, I must admit, Princess Amaryllis picked out some nice freaking clothes; of course, they didn''t fit; her brother, while decently tall, was like a twig compared to me, his physique was akin to an Elf''s, and that wasn''t really a compliment. Thankfully for me, I simply used [Expand] to make the clothes slightly bigger to the point where I was actually able to wear them without them constricting my every movement. There was also a pair of clothes in there for Lazuli, surprisingly, and when she first wore them, she looked too sexy; I nearly made love to her right then and there. Even now, I try not to look at her since I''ll one hundred percent get an erection, and given how tight these clothes were, just a tiny bit of arousal will be noticeable. ''Ah, god damn, she''s a freaking model!'' Thought Alexander with a gulp as he glanced at Lazuli, who walked confidently with grace, causing his lust to soar quickly. Tearing my eyes away from the amazing sight of Lazuli, I walked the rest of the way towards Madam Azalea''s room with a hunched back, doing my best to conceal my crotch. ''Tsk, such a pain in the ass¡­ I should punch Lily next time I see her.'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he garnered weird looks from every passerby while Lazuli faintly smirked with a proud expression. Chapter 277: Potion of life (Not Really) Thankfully, the distance to Azalea''s room was quite long, so by the time we arrived, I was able to stand straight once more as my crotch had calmed down, though it meant I was pretty much unable to glance at Lazuli for the time being. "Madam Azalea''s room." Said the maid as she lightly bowed to Alexander and Lazuli while gesturing to the door, prompting him to knock. After waiting a few moments, China opened the door, and with a faint smile, she slightly bowed before inviting us into the room. Lazuli and I entered the room while our maid stood outside, doing who knows what to pass the time. "Woah, this room makes our look tiny." Muttered Alexander in awe as he observed the massive room alongside Lazuli before shifting his focus to China, who stood before them. "Madam Azalea has difficulty breathing, so she tends to stay within this room where the air is purified; it also has everything she would need to live." Remarked China softly as she glanced at Alexander before turning around and walking towards a door in the distance, causing him and Lazuli to follow. ''Difficulty breathing? Well, I guess she was coughing a lot yesterday.'' Mused Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he scratched his chin before shrugging his shoulders while further observing the room. I noticed a few pictures of Master throughout the room, which caused me to smile, especially the one where she seemed to be holding a younger version of herself in the air, causing me to smile as she had such a large smile. ''... Yet someone took that beautiful smile away from me.'' Thought Alexander with narrowed eyes as he stared at the picture while anger began to bubble within him, only for him to close his eyes. Dispelling such thoughts, I took a moment to calm myself as I shook my head and opened my eyes, only to see Azalea lying on a bed in a much smaller room. "Alexander has arrived, Madam Azalea." Said China softly with a slight bow as she looked at Azalea, who raised her head while dismissively waving her hand. "Thank you, China." Said Azalea softly in a somewhat hoarse voice as she glanced at China, only for her eyes to soften when she looked at Alexander, who strode into the room with a proud expression. "I hope all my talking didn''t keep you up for too long, Madam Azalea; sleep is probably critical for you, given your condition." Said Alexander with a prideful grin, one that caused Azalea to frown as she folded her arms in annoyance. "Hmph, I will admit, I wasn''t expecting you to speak about Lavender for so long and with such enthusiasm, but if it weren''t because I was an old woman on my deathbed, things would''ve been different." Stated Azalea in annoyance as she eyed Alexander, though a faint smile couldn''t help but grace her face. "Ho, so you''re saying you think you could speak more about Lavender than me if you had your youth?" "Think? I know I could. You may have been my sister''s disciple, son, and lover, but I''ve known her for centuries; your knowledge doesn''t hold a candle to mine, boy." Remarked Alexander and Azalea, respectively, as the former sported a sly smirk while the latter responded in kind, smiling confidently without fear. "Alright then, since you believe so, let''s partake in a little fun; how about a bet? Whoever wins has to do one thing the other person says; that sounds interesting, doesn''t it?" Asked Alexander with a grin as he stared at Azalea, who raised an eyebrow before smiling, baring her white teeth in excitement "A bet? I completely agree! I may be old, but I''m not cowardly." Stated Azalea with a smirk as she looked at Alexander before outstretching her hand, prompting him to grasp it. Shaking hands with Azalaea, locking in our deal, I saw her enthusiasm slowly vanish while she leaned back against the headboard of her bed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Haa, I would love to, but like I said, Alexander, my condition is holding me back; my mind is more than capable, but my body is not." Said Azalea sadly with a sigh, only for Alexander to chuckle, annoying her. "Don''t tell me you''re laughing at me. It''s rather rude to laugh at an old woman''s predicament." Added Azalea with a slight frown as she eyed Alexander, who continued to laugh without restraint. "Hahaha, of course, I''m laughing at you! Don''t you realize what your sister was? Or maybe you just never knew." Remarked Alexander with a grin as he provokingly eyed Azalea, who furrowed her brows in confusion, only for her to widen her eyes in shock. "Alchemist." Muttered Azalea softly with a shocked expression as she gazed at Alexander in disbelief, only for him to remove a vial of golden liquid from his space pouch. "Master spent a lot of time within her office during alchemy. Honestly, I think she might''ve spent more time doing alchemy than actually spending it with me¡­ And yes, I''m definitely jealous." Said Alexander softly as he held the small vial while China faintly chuckled at his words. "However, before she passed, she managed to make this; I don''t know exactly what it is, but she claimed it was some kind of life potion. Seeing as how I''ve yet to even hit my prime, I saw no point in taking it for myself, and now that I''ve met you, I see no person more qualified to have it." Added Alexander softly with a sad smile as he handed the vial to Azalea, who slowly grasped it with a slightly trembling hand. "Madam Azalea, may I inspect it before you consume it?" Asked China softly as she slightly bowed towards Azalea, who hesitated before eventually handing it to her, causing Alexander to be overdramatic. "Haa, so you don''t trust me? I can''t believe this, China, and after all those hours I spent talking with you." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at China before looking away, acting offended by her words. "I won''t quite say I trust you, but I do not believe you wish to harm the royal family; however, after listening to you speak about Madam Lavender and all of the aftereffects of her potions, I''m worried this one will have one as well." Remarked China softly with a shake of her head, only for her to wryly smile while shifting her focus to the vial, causing Alexander to fold his arms and nod. "I can''t argue against that, but I doubt you''ll find anything." Said Alexander softly as he nodded in agreement while glancing at China, only for her eyes to suddenly widen in shock. "W-What the hell!?" Exclaimed China loudly, her words surprising both Alexander and Azalea, though for different reasons. "Eh, is something the matter, China?" "Y-You actually managed to inspect it!?" Remarked Azalea and Alexander, respectively, as they stated in China in shock, only for her to quickly uncork it while handing it to the former. "Madam Azalea, quickly drink it!" Said China solemnly as she practically forced it into Azalea''s mouth, though she barely managed to stop her. "I-I can drink it without any help!" Said Azalea as she grasped the vial out of China''s hands, eyeing her in annoyance. After a moment of looking at the vial of my ichor, Azalea poured it into her mouth, drinking everything in a single gulp; although at first, nothing seemed to happen on the outside, with [Heroes Gaze], I was able to see all the changes happening within her. A few moments later, the changes to her outer appearance finally began to take place; her brownish skin, similar to Lavender during her last few days, quickly receded and returned to its previous bright green, indicating a strong and healthy Dryad, while the wrinkles were also swiftly dispatched of. Her cloudly eyes regained their light, and her hair regained its reddish luster back while the rest of her body, including her face, began filling out, adding muscle and fat to places where they no longer existed. In a matter of a minute, Azalea, who looked like she was moments away from dying, now looked like a young woman in her mid-twenties. ''Heh, she truly looks just like Lavender; damn, she''s hot.'' Mused Alexander lightly with a faint smile as he gazed at Azalea, who was gazing at her hands and arms. "So young¨C" Muttered Azalea, who quickly stopped and grabbed her throat, marveling at her enchanting voice. "C-Congratulations Azalea." Said China with a large smile as she wiped her tears, prompting Azalea to raise her head and glance at her. Azalea didn''t say anything and silently gazed at China before suddenly lifting the blanket off her, causing me to quickly focus on her face because someone wasn''t wearing any pants or underwear. ''I want to say something, but I''ve got no room to talk; I''m still accustomed to Master''s habits.'' Thought Alexander softly as he glanced at his feet before looking at his crotch, only to shake his head. On the bright side, this habit wasn''t specific to Master; it seemed every Dryad had this habit, so I surprisingly felt pretty comfortable here. "I-I can walk again?" Said Azalea in surprise as she effortlessly walked through her room, only for her to leap into the air, hit her head on the ceiling, and fall to the ground. Chapter 278: Detective China "May I ask where you acquired that potion from, Alexander?" Asked China softly as she stood beside Alexander and Lazuli, the three watching as Azalea ran around her room, abusing her new body. "Eh? It''s Master''s; she gave it to me before passing away." Replied Alexander lightly as he glanced at China, who shifted her focus, gazing at him with a knowing look. "Princess Lavender has visited Madam Azalea a few times; why would she not have gifted her that potion earlier?" Asked China as she eyed Alexander with skepticism, causing him to rub his head before shrugging his shoulders. "I don''t know. She must have made it when she didn''t visit; that''s the only way it makes sense." Remarked Alexander as he glanced at China before shifting his focus to Azalea, who was now leaping over objects, testing the limits of her rejuvenated body. "With all due respect to Princess Lavender, she is incapable of making a Mythical potion, not when a poison of the same rank has poisoned her." Stated China firmly as she narrowed her eyes at Alexander, who was beginning to get slightly annoyed. "I don''t know; what do you want me to say? I take pride in my knowledge of Master, but I don''t know everything about her; besides, there was a short period of time between her last visit here and when she got poisoned. She could''ve made it then; that''s very well possible." Said Alexander as he defensively raised his hands into the air while looking at China, who shook her head, causing his expression to twitch. "If so, why didn''t she immediately return to give such a potion to her dear sister?" Asked China calmly as she eyed Alexander, who clicked his tongue while grumbling under his breath. "Tsk, okay, you got me; Master didn''t make it. Are you happy now? I''m not telling you where I got it from, though, so don''t even bother wasting your time." Remarked Alexander in annoyance as he stared at China with a bland expression, prompting Lazuli''s blue eyes to take on a reddish hue. "Shall we kill her now?" Asked Lazuli solemnly as she eyed China, surprising both her and Alexander. "What?" "Huh?" Asked Alexander and China, respectively, as they both looked at Lazuli, who suddenly smirked while her reddish eyes regained their beautiful blue. "It is a joke." Said Lazuli with a faint, proud smirk as she looked between Alexander and China, both of them glancing at each other in confusion. "Was she really joking?" "Um, I-I can''t really tell. B-But, at least she''s beautiful." Remarked China and Alexander, respectively, as the former glanced at Lazuli before gazing at the latter, who awkwardly coughed while wryly smiling. After that terrible-timed joke, China promptly distanced herself from us by taking a few steps, not that I really blamed her. "So, um, you won''t say anything about the potion, right? I don''t want people to think I have more of those potions; I''m sure you know how dangerous it is for me if word gets out I had a potion like that on me." Asked Alexander softly as he stepped closer to China, who raised an eyebrow before faintly smirking. "Ho, but you do have more, don''t you?" Replied China with a confident expression as he eyed Alexander, who tilted his head in confusion. "No offense, but what fool would willingly offer something so immensely valuable like that potion to someone he had just met yesterday¡­ Unless said person has access to more, much more. I understand Madam Azalea is your Master''s sister, and you greatly respect, value, and love Princess Lavender, but why would you give such a potion to Madam Azalea and not your own lovers?" Added China lightly as she looked at Alexander, who just silently stood there, unable to respond. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ''Fuck me, she got a point.'' Thought Alexander as he stared at China, who gazed back at him. Since China so easily caught me, all I could really do now was refuse her claims, I mean, I couldn''t agree to have more Mythical potions. "No. I do not have anymore." Stated Alexander firmly as he folded his arms and closed his eyes, causing China to nod softly while backing away. "I see; you must be a fool amongst fools, then." "Yep, I''m pretty foolish; after all, what idiot would sneak into a kingdom that dislikes humans?" Remarked China and Alexander, respectively, as the two calmly stood beside each other, watching Azalea parkour throughout her room. "Your secret is safe with me." Said China with a faint smile after a moment of silence, her words causing Alexander to glance skeptically at her with a raised eyebrow. "Honestly, I don''t really care for much of the other royal family. They''re nice, but I''ve probably spent no more than a few hours with them ever since I became Madam Azalea''s caretaker; they hold next to no emotional value within my heart. If anything, I care more for you than I do any of the royal family." Stated China calmly as she glanced at Azalea before glancing at Alexander with a faint smile while Lazuli narrowed her eyes. "Oh, you''re making me blush, China. Maybe after this, we can go on a date or something. What you say?" Asked Alexander with a faint smirk as he leaned against the wall while his entire body covered China, only for Lazuli to squeeze in between them. "Alex is mine." Stated Lazuli sternly while glazing at China, who chuckled in amusement before backing away. "No worries. Relationships aren''t my thing anymore; I''ve already had my heart crushed once, and I couldn''t bear the thought of it ever happening again." Said China softly as she scooted away from Alexander and Lazuli, only for a loud bang suddenly grabbing everyone''s attention. Turning around, we all glanced at Azalea, who was lying on the ground, breathing heavily while holding her head, a sight that caused me to suppress a laugh while China sighed before approaching her. "Haa, so reckless, Madam Azalea; I advised you to start slowly." Said China softly as she kneeled before Azalea and prepared to heal her head, only for her to be stopped. "No, it''s fine. I like the pain; it makes me feel alive." Said Azalea with a smile as she pushed away China''s hand while slowly standing up, causing her to reluctantly sigh. "Have you gotten all that energy out of your system now? Because I''ve been waiting to beat you on that bet." Asked Alexander curiously as he approached Azalea with a provocative smirk, causing her to grin. Without another word, Azalea sat down, prompting me to do the same as I sat directly beside her, eyeing her with an excited yet fearless gaze. "You start first." Said Alexander with a smirk, his words causing Azalea to clear her throat as she promptly opened her mouth. "Lavender was the first person to hold me, did you know? During my birth, a mistake occurred, and I was nearly dropped, yet she managed to catch me before I hit the ground¡­" Said Azalea with a smile as she spoke of her very first encounter with Lavender all while Alexander enthusiastically listened with bated breaths. ___ ___ "Must we stay and listen?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at China, who raised an eyebrow before pointing to the left. "There is a chess board. Would you like to play?" Replied China curiously, her words causing Lazuli to nod after some thought, prompting the two of them to leave Azalea and Alexander alone. ___ ___ A week has passed by since I first arrived. I''ve spent my time here much longer than I would''ve liked, but with Azalea telling me stories of Lavender, I couldn''t bring myself to leave, and I stayed to listen to everything she had to offer. Oh, and regarding the bet? I obviously lost. There was no way in hell I would win against Azalea, though I was fine with that; so long as I learned more about Master, it was a victory for me. However, as of right now, I had just finished my daily training; after all, I couldn''t allow myself to get rusty. Taking advantage of the fact I was technically royalty, I used these specialized training facilities that were capable of mimicking environments, and it was a freaking amazing experience; I felt myself improve slightly every time I used it. "Hehe, looking sexy as usual, Lazu- You''re not Lazuli." Said Alexander with a smile as he opened the door to his room, gazing at the human-shaped bump underneath the covers before he yanked them off the bed. Sleeping on my bed was Amaryllis. Ever since the first day, she''s been pretty interested in me, at first I thought it was simply because I was a human and I came from somewhere far away, but I''m pretty confident she''s got some type of crush on me. Of course, I never brought it up, nor do I intend to, but I will not lie: I got a pretty considerable ego boost when I found out that a Princess had a crush on me. Anyway, leaving Amaryllis alone, I entered the bathroom, locking the door this time so she wouldn''t peek. I then removed my clothes and hopped into the bath. "Haa, I need to leave soon." Muttered Alexander softly as he stared at the ceiling while enjoying the soothing water. Chapter 279: Last Day Since Lazuli was somewhere doing who knows what, the bath was relatively quick, and after only ten minutes, I was already drying off and putting on my clothes; though while doing so, someone had somehow managed to open the door, which I had locked, and was peeking on me as I got dressed. ''Yep, I really need to leave soon.'' Thought Alexander softly with a twitching expression as he pulled up his pants, concealing his private places before putting on a shirt. Shaking my head, I let my hair hang down crazily rather than tie it up into a ponytail or bun like usual so it could dry properly. Once I was finished, I used [Blink] and appeared behind Amaryllis, who was now looking into the bathroom in confusion. "Where did he go?" Muttered Amaryllis in confusion as she further opened the door, sticking her whole head through the gap, only for Alexander to gently tap her shoulders, startling her. "Behind you." Said Alexander blandly as he folded his arms while watching Amaryllis quickly distance herself before turning around, causing her to sigh in relief. "D-Do not startle me like that again, A-Alex." Said Amaryllis softly as she placed a hand atop her chest while staring at Alexander in slight annoyance. "Sure, I won''t. But only if you tell me how you managed to open a LOCKED door." Asked Alexander lightly as he looked at Amaryllis with narrowed eyes, causing her to raise an eyebrow before holding up a small branch with a single leaf. "As a Princess, I have the authority to open all doors in the palace, minus the Throne Room, my parent''s room, and my sibling''s room." Replied Amaryllis as she sported a slightly proud expression while looking at Alexander before placing the branch back into her cleavage, where it was then promptly hidden within her ample bust. ''How the hell do women do that? Michell and Yuki do the same thing; it''s like their own personal pocket dimension.'' Thought Alexander in both confusion and awe as he looked at Amaryllis while scratching his head. "So, it doesn''t bother you at all that you were caught being a pervert?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Amaryllis before turning around and walking away, prompting her to closely follow. "Um, no. Not really. I won''t be punished after all." Replied Amaryllis softly as she tapped her chin with a curious gaze before shaking her head, causing Alexander''s expression to constantly twitch. ''I would expect a Princess of all people to have shame, but I guess I was mistaken.'' Thought Alexander wryly as he glanced at Amaryllis, who began to awkwardly fidget while constantly glancing at him. "Yes? You clearly want to say something." Remarked Alexander lightly as he looked at Amaryllis, who faintly blushed in embarrassment before clearing her throat. "So um, t-there is this super fancy restaurant that I enjoy visiting, a-and I w-would l-like to s-show you t-today." Said Amaryllis shyly as she averted her gaze away from Alexander, to embarrassed to look him in the eyes. ''Ah, a perfect place to end her little crush on me; I couldn''t ask for anything better.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he glanced at Amaryllis before nodding with a faint smile. "Sounds great, Amaryllis. When will we leave?" Asked Alexander with a somewhat enthusiastic smile, causing Amaryllis''s eyes to light up joyfully. "Tonight! An hour before the sun sets!" Replied Amaryllis quickly as she looked at Alexander before sprinting in another direction. Watching Amaryllis run in that was a little funny, though I couldn''t help but wince when she face-planted onto the ground after tripping on her dress. "P-Princess, are you alright?" Asked a butler as he knelt before Amaryllis, intending to help her, only for her to push him out of the way. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "O-Out of the way!" Said Amaryllis sternly as she pushed the butler onto the ground while continuing to sprint down the hall, this time holding her dress. Rubbing my head, I shrugged my shoulders and decided not to think about anything as I continued to walk leisurely while using [Hereos Gaze] to search for Lazuli throughout the palace. Of course, by using my eyes, I happened to see a decent amount of things I should''ve never seen, but eventually, after some time, I saw Lazuli walking down the hall alongside Iris. ''The hell are they doing together?'' Thought Alexander in confusion as he navigated through the palace, closing the distance between him, Lazuli, and Iris. "Yo, Lazuli, Sir Iris." Said Alexander as he waved at the two while approaching them, causing them to end their conversation. "I appreciate your guidance, Sir Iris." "To teach someone so talented, the pleasure is mine. Remember, if being an Adventurer doesn''t work out, you''ll always have a position as a Vice-warden here, Lazuli." Stated Lazuli and Iris, respectively, as the former slightly bowed while the latter faintly smiled amidst his solemn expression. Tilting my head in confusion, I glanced between the two, only for Iris to suddenly grab my shoulder. "You have an amazing woman; cherish her." Said Iris sternly as he eyed Alexander, who hesitantly nodded in confusion, prompting him to continue walking. "W-What the hell did I miss?" Asked Alexander in pure confusion as he looked at Lazuli, who surprisingly seemed to be in a good mood, given her smile. "Sir Iris is the Royal Executioner. He was teaching me how to properly torture someone in the Royal Dungeon." Replied Lazuli with a soft smile as she approached Alexander before leaning into his embrace, prompting him to wrap his arm around her shoulder while raising an eyebrow. "Why were you¨C You know what, never mind. Ignorance is bliss." Remarked Alexander as he quickly shook his head while walking through the hallway, only for Lazuli to respond. "In case we were required to extract information from future enemies, knowing how to torture someone can prove to be a useful asset. Also, I know you don''t like to hurt people, so I figured it would be best to learn it on your behalf. It''s the least I could do to repay what you''ve done for me." Stated Lazuli softly with a loving expression as she snuggled into Alexander''s embrace, only for him to suddenly pick her up. Holding Lazuli in my arms, I opened a random door, which happened to lead into the laundry room, where clothes were being washed with magic, similar to a washing machine, just on a much larger scale; however, I paid them no head as my focus was solely on Lazuli. "I love you¡­ I love you, Lazuli." Said Alexander softly as he passionately kissed Lazuli while holding her up by her butt, prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist and reciprocate his kissing. "I love you, Alex." Muttered Lazuli softly with a lovely smile as the two passionately kissed, their lips only ever separating for a breath of air. ___ ___ After spending the rest of the day making out with Lazuli, I was running through the palace to meet up with Amaryllis as I was already a few minutes late; though that''s not my fault, it''s Lazuli''s for saying such words. ''Oh, the moment we leave this kingdom, I''m making sweet SWEET love to her!'' Thought Alexander with a firm gaze, causing his sem-erect cock to twitch in response. Shaking my head, dispelling such thoughts before my crotch became obvious, I eventually exited the palace, where I saw a beautiful, wooden carriage drawn by¡­ "Unicorns? Awesome." Muttered Alexander with a surprised expression as he gazed at the four unicorns, only to shake his head while approaching the carriage. "Princess Amaryllis, Sir Alexander has arrived." Said a guard respectfully as he knocked on the door of the royal carriage. "Hmph, open it." Said Amaryllis in slight annoyance, prompting the guard to nod as he opened the carriage, allowing Alexander entrance. Nodding to the guard, I entered the carriage, which was even more beautiful on the inside, before looking at Amaryllis, only to gulp a little when I saw her. ''Master, she is technically your Great-Grandniece.'' Said Zartha coldly, with a raised eyebrow as she gazed upwards at the sky, causing Alexander to scoff. Ignoring Zartha, I took my time appreciating Amaryllis''s beauty; she was wearing a blackish dress with a purple accent and was absolutely gorgeous. I wasn''t romantically interested in her, but my goodness, I was already jealous of her future husband. "You look¡­ Absolutely stunning, Princess." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at Amaryllis, whose bad mood completely vanished at his compliment. "Really? My maid said it was risky to wear such dark clothes. I also didn''t know if the black would match the purple, but I wanted the purple because of your eyes¡­" Asked Amaryllis with a slight blush as she quickly ranted about her decision making process, causing Alexander to nod while he quietly listened. "Oh, trust me, after living so long with Master, I know just how well black compliments a Dryad''s green skin." Said Alexander with a faint smile, his words causing Amaryllis to frown slightly while folding her arms. "Tsk, take us to our destination." Ordered Amaryllis sternly as she glanced at Alexander before closing her eyes, causing his expression to twitch. ''The heck did I do?'' Thought Alexander with a confused expression. Chapter 280: Stairs Of Terror! With Amaryllis upset with me for no apparent reason, the beginning half of the ride was relatively quiet. Eventually, she started talking to me, explaining things about some of the stores we passed by while the Unicorns pulled the carriage through the city''s streets. Since it was my first time leaving the city during my one-week stay, I was engrossed in observing the city and whatnot, not to mention this place interested me since it was where Master grew up, and there were few things I enjoyed more than learned about Master''s past. "Treant Sushi, the restaurant has delicious food, and I usually go there for my birthday. I would visit it more often, but being a Dryad and all, our bodies aren''t good at processing meat, so anything more than a few bites of fish and I''ll feel sick for the rest of the day." Remarked Amaryllis with a faint smile as she gazed out the window before glancing at Alexander, who nodded while faintly smiling. "Yep, I know all about that. Though I pity you Dryads, you''re missing out on many great foods: steak, chicken, lamb, pork, etc. If I were suddenly unable to eat any form of meat, I''d go insane." Said Alexander with a shake of his head and a gaze of pity as he looked at Amaryllis, who dismissively waved her hand. "Ah, I tried steak when I was younger, and I must admit, it was absolutely delicious, but the pain and sickness that soon followed afterward was not worth it." Said Amaryllis softly as she looked at Alexander while subconsciously shivering, causing him to laugh at her previous misfortune. "Speaking of younger, how old are you, Amaryllis? You look like you could be the same age as me, but I know Dryads live significantly longer than humans." Asked Alexander curiously as he plopped onto his side, laying across the seats of the carriage while glancing at Amaryllis. "My age? I think I''m 83. I tend to forget¡­ Hmm, maybe 84?" Replied Amaryllis softly as she rubbed her chin with a thoughtful expression while glancing at Alexander, who smirked in amusement. ''Well, if I were that long-lived, I too would probably forget my age.'' Mused Alexander lightly as he looked at Amaryllis before shaking his head. ''If that''s so, how old are you currently, Master?'' ''I''m 23, Trina.'' Remarked Trina and Alexander, respectively, as the latter proudly grinned, only for the former to deeply sigh. ''Master¡­ You''re 24.'' Said Zartha coldly while suppressing a laugh, her words causing Alexander to narrow his eyes in confusion before clicking his tongue. ''Shit¡­ You''re right, I am 24. How the hell did I forget my age?'' Thought Alexander in slight embarrassment as he scratched his cheek, listening to his swords laugh. ''Maybe it was all the love-making your horny self does on the daily, Master?'' Said Trina lightly as she folded her arms and stared at the sky, causing Alexander to roll his eyes while ignoring them. "Princess Amaryllis, we''ve arrived at the Treasure Trove Restaurant." Said the guard from outside the carriage as he knocked on the door, snapping Amaryllis out of her little daze. Sitting upright, I stood up and stretched a little before opening the door and hopping out of the carriage, though; while I wasn''t royalty or nobility, I had some semblance of etiquette as I outstretched my hand towards Amaryllis while slightly bowing. "Why thank you, Sir Alex." Said Amaryllis with a lovely smile as she grasped Alexander''s hand while stepping down the carriage, causing Alexander to faintly chuckle. "Anyway, you lead the way, Princess; I have no clue where we''re going." Remarked Alexander lightly as he released Amaryllis''s hand while gesturing forward, causing her to nod as she approached the three-story building. Following Amaryllis, we entered this three-story wooden and stone building; of course, I held the door open for her; however, once inside, we were greeted with a whole entourage of people bowing toward us, or I should say toward Amaryllis. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Princess Amaryllis! To see you visit so soon and with a guest this time, how can we be of service?" Asked the frontmost man, who was surprisingly an Elf. "The usual, Solomon. However, make sure you add some form of meat to Sir Alex''s dish. Come." Ordered Amaryllis firmly as she glanced at Solomon before turning to the left and gesturing to Alexander. "Am I supposed to carry you up the stairs?" Asked Alexander curiously as he stood beside Amaryllis, gazing at a flight of stairs. "C-Can you?" Asked Amaryllis in a somewhat shaky voice as she tightly grabbed Alexander''s clothes, causing him to furrow his brows in confusion before nodding. I don''t know what had overcome Amaryllis, but she was clearly filled with fear, so I didn''t think this was some ploy on her end; bending down, I carefully picked up Amaryllis into a princess carry and began walking up the stairs. However, the moment I did so, she tightly closed her eyes and stuffed her face into my chest; not only that but with every step, her body would faintly tremble. ''Is she afraid of stairs? That can''t be; there are several flights of stairs in the Palace¡­ Granted, I''ve never seen her use them, but still.'' Thought Alexander with a confused yet curious expression as he looked at Amaryllis. Using the language of the trees, I transferred some of my emotions to her, calming her down somewhat as her body stopped trembling with every step, but the fear plaguing her heart was intense. "Um, which floor?" "T-Three." Said Alexander and Amaryllis, respectively, as the latter quickly responded with a shaky and fearful voice. Practically sprinting up the last two flights of stairs, I arrived at the top but didn''t quite set Amaryllis down since she was still terrified. Only after entering the room where we would be dining, which had an amazing city view, did I finally set her down. "Are you okay?" Asked Alexander softly as he looked at Amaryllis, who faintly nodded while keeping her head down. Pulling out a chair for her, I had her sit down while I sat beside her rather than opposite the table; however, my worries were a little excessive since, after a few minutes, she seemed to finally return to normal. "I-I''m sorry, Alex. T-That was an incredibly shameful display as a princess." Said Amaryllis apologetically as she wiped a few tears while facing Alexander, who dismissively waved his hands. "It''s fine; I''m not bothered by it. I''d be more annoyed if I caught you peeking at me while I''m trying to get dressed." Remarked Alexander calmly as he glanced at Amaryllis while eating the already-prepared appetizer. After a few more minutes of silence while we waited for our food, Amaryllis again took the opportunity to speak. "Y-You''re not going to ask about it?" "About what?" Asked Amaryllis and Alexander, respectively, as the former skeptically looked at the latter, who was munching on honey biscuits. "A-About why I couldn''t walk up those stairs?" Said Amaryllis with narrowed eyes as she eyed Alexander, who nodded. "Oh yeah, sorry, these biscuits are so delicious I completely forgot about that. So, what''s the deal with you and stairs?" Remarked Alexander with an awkward expression as he rubbed his head while Amaryllis blankly stared at him. "Haa, well, to be honest, I didn''t really want to talk about it, but I was surprised you didn''t ask about it, and now that I brought it up, I kind of have to tell you." Muttered Amaryllis softly in defeat as she lowered her head and deeply sighed. "When I was young, really young, I used to love running up and down stairs, but one day, I happened to slip and fall. I broke my arms, a leg, my spine, and my head; since this happened in a deserted part of the palace, I wasn''t found for nearly ten minutes, and by then, I-I was already considered dead." Said Amaryllis softly as she tightly gripped her arms, while faintly trembling in fear, prompting Alexander to touch her shoulder as he transferred his emotions to her. "E-Ever since then, those painful memories resurface and haunt me whenever I''m near stairs." Added Amaryllis fearfully as she wiped a few tears, only to shake her head. "Y-You don''t think it''s silly, do you?" "After hearing the reason why? Not at all." Said Amaryllis and Alexander, respectively, as the latter raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "If it makes you feel any better, I was afraid of sleeping when younger; I wouldn''t be able to fall asleep unless I was with Master." Said Alexander slightly as he glanced at Amaryllis, only for his expression to suddenly stiffen when he saw a faint smile. "Oh, so you found that funny, Princess?" Asked Alexander with narrowed eyes as he practically pushed his face into her while she shook her head. "N-No, I-I''m sorry, I-I didn''t mean to smile." Replied Amaryllis firmly as she shook her head, yet the smile only grew. "Oh, really? Why don''t you look at me then, Princess?" Asked Alexander as he glared at Amaryllis, who took a deep breath before facing him. "Hahahahaha." Said Amaryllis after several seconds as she burst into laughter, causing Alexander to softly shake his head with a faint smile. ''Still, this is unbelievable.'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he glanced at the laughing Amaryllis. Chapter 281: Leaving The Kingdom! While Amaryllis was laughing at the cost of my misfortune past, I observed the room to pass the time as I waited for her to regain some level of control, but it ended up taking much longer than I expected. "Princess, I can assure you it is not THAT funny." Said Alexander blandly with a deep sigh as he took bites of the appetizer while glancing at Amaryllis, who had started crying from laughing so hard. My words fell on deaf ears as she continued to laugh, though, from the sounds of things, she was finally beginning to calm down, which helped to ease the annoyance slightly. After another minute, Amaryllis had finally stopped laughing and was wiping her tears with a handkerchief, though whenever she glanced at me, a chuckle would escape her lips. "Haa, have you laughed enough?" Asked Alexander as she stared at Amaryllis, who quickly covered her mouth, suppressing her laughter before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I would like to apologize, Alex, for my insensitive behavior." Said Amaryllis apologetically as she lightly bowed toward Alexander, who rolled his eyes while dismissively nodding. "It''s fine, I don''t really care. Though, no way in hell am I actually believing you''re apologetic." Remarked Alexander lightly as he shook his head while glancing at Amaryllis, who was biting her lip, using pain to suppress her laughter. "S-So, what were we speaking of before, Alex?" Asked Amaryllis lightly as she brushed her hair behind her ears while glancing at Alex with a fond smile, causing him to shrug his shoulders. "I don''t know, someone spent nearly five minutes laughing, and I forgot." Replied Alexander while eyeing Amaryllis, who pouted in embarrassment though she didn''t attempt to refute him. In the end, neither of us managed to remember what we were talking about before this; I actually did remember, but I didn''t think it would be a good idea to bring up the topic of stairs around Amaryllis, not after I just sacrificed myself to make her forget about it. However, thankfully, we were saved from the growing awkwardness as the doors slowly opened, allowing a beautiful Dryad woman wearing a suit to enter while pushing a cart. ''Not all women can pull off suits, but when they do, damn, do they look good.'' Thought Alexander as he watched the Dryad woman, appreciating her beauty while she approached them. While dreaming of Yuki, Michelle, and Lazuli wearing a suit, the woman had unloaded several plates of food onto the table and was now walking away. ''Master, don''t you dare¨C And he looked.'' Said Trina firmly as she narrowed her eyes at Alexander, only to lower her head in defeat while sighing. ''Damn, she''s wearing that suit good.'' Mused Alexander with a faint smile as he looked at the Dryad, only for the doors to close, leaving him alone with Amaryllis. "Did you like her?" Asked Amaryllis with a frown as she eyed Alexander, who glanced at her with a raised eyebrow before shaking her head. "No, I just thought she looked really beautiful in that suit; after all, not every woman can pull that off. Why, you ask?" Replied Alexander lightly as he grabbed a handkerchief and copied Amaryllis, stuffing it into his shirt. "You were staring at her for a rather long time." Said Amaryllis calmly as she eyed Alexander, who shrugged his shoulders while grabbing his utensils. "It''s not every day you see a woman in a suit." "Hmm, I suppose that is true." Remarked Alexander and Amaryllis, respectively, as the former didn''t hesitate to dig into his food while the latter joined him. Unfortunately, after some thinking, I concluded none of my lovers had the correct body type to pull off a suit. Yuki was too muscular and voluptuous, Michelle was also too curvy, and Lazuli was the opposite; she was a little too short and lithe. Of course, that didn''t stop me from wanting to see them in suits; I personally just think they couldn''t correctly pull them off, though I dearly hoped I was wrong. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ''Hmm, Vanye, now she could definitely pull off a suit. Oh, what I wouldn''t do to see her sexy ass in a suit.'' Thought Alexander with a faint grin as he licked his lips while his imagination went wild. "What do you think of the food?" Asked Amaryllis lightly as she looked at Alexander, snapping him out of his trance while he nodded. "Great. It''s very flavorful, and I really like the hint of lemon." Replied Alexander with a faint smile as he cut his steak into smaller pieces while taking bites, causing Amaryllis to look in disgust before smiling. "Well, I''m glad you''re enjoying it." Said Amaryllis as she shook her head, averting her gaze away from Alexander''s food while focusing on her own. "When do you plan to leave? In a few weeks?" Asked Amaryllis curiously as she looked at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "No. tomorrow." "T-Tomorrow!?" Said Alexander and Amaryllis, respectively, as the latter loudly exclaimed in surprise. "Yes. I''ve been away from my family for nearly a month, and I''m starting to miss them; besides, I''ve also promised to marry my two lovers when I return, so I''m quite eager to leave." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he wiped his mouth while glancing at Amaryllis enthusiastically, causing her to furrow her brows. "Lover''s huh? How many women are you in a relationship with?" Asked Amaryllis softly as she shifted her focus to her food while side-glancing at Alexander. "Three, though I''m looking to make it four." Replied Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Amaryllis, only for him to wince a moment later. ''Are you freaking stupid, Alexander!?'' Thought Alexander with a twitched expression as he looked at the ceiling before glancing at Amaryllis, who was deeply blushing. "I-Is t-that s-so." Muttered Amaryllis with a faint smile, one that caused Alexander to sigh deeply. Deciding it was time to put my foot down, I took the final bite of my stake and looked at Amaryllis, whose blush only deepened when she caught sight of my face. "I do not like you, Amaryllis." Stated Alexander, his words causing the smiling Amaryllis to suddenly stiffen. "There is no point in denying it; I can see it clearer than day. You''re clearly romantically attracted to me, Princess, and while I feel really honored, someone as beautiful as you would be interested in me at all. I do not feel the same." Declared Alexander solemnly, his words causing Amaryllis to bite her lip while lowering her head. There was a long, awkward moment of silence, but eventually, Amaryllis started to move as she set her utensils down while removing her handkerchief. "I-I''m not really hungry anymore." Said Amaryllis softly as she stood up while swiftly approaching the entrance, prompting Alexander to follow right behind her. Opening the door for Amaryllis, I silently followed her and scooped her into my arms just before reaching the stairs, where I quickly leaped down the stair; reaching the bottom, I gently set her down, prompting her to weakly thank me while continuing to the exit, ignoring everyone and everything. "Princess." Said the guard respectfully as he opened the carriage door and deeply bowed. "R-Return home." Ordered Amaryllis lightly from within the carriage, causing the guard to nod before raising his head and glancing at Alexander, who closed the door for him. "I''ll walk." Said Alexander with an awkward smile, his words confusing the guard, though he simply nodded before pulling himself onto the front of the carriage and grabbing the reins. ''Haa, well, that went about as expected; though she should get over this quickly, I''m probably just a fleeting crush or whatever.'' Thought Alexander lightly as he rubbed his head while walking beside the carriage, garnering many looks from passing Dryads. ___ ___ "Thank you for your hospitality, Queen Vestalis. However, I must get going; I''ve got a family to return to." Said Alexander respectfully as he and Lazuli bowed to Violet, who nodded before waving her hand. "That isn''t really necessary since we''re technically family." Violet awkwardly as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded. Having already said my farewells to everyone else, we gave one final bow before turning around and leaving the throne room; Azalea wasn''t present; she''d promised me not to leave her room until I''d left the kingdom, which I hadn''t even asked of her to do, but it is much appreciated since it will save me from being questioned about the potion and what not. As for Amaryllis, I hadn''t seen her since yesterday. It''s unfortunate, but it is what it is; I did leave a note for her, so hopefully, she''ll read it. "You ready, Lazuli?" Asked Alexander with a faint smile as he tightly held Lazuli''s hands, causing her to lightly nod. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused on the barrier that surrounded the Dryad Kingdom; once I believed myself to be ready, I mobilized my mana and used [Mass Teleport], causing a weird sensation to envelope both Lazuli and I as we vanished from the palace. "Oh, I fucking love space mana!" Said Alexander loudly with a smile, his words prompting Lazuli to nod in agreement, only for him to suddenly lunge at her. "Now that we''re out of the Kingdom, we''re going to make sweet, sweet love." Said Alexander with a grin as he held Lazuli down while whispering into her ear, causing her to lustfully smile. "I''ve been waiting for you to ravish me." Said Lazuli seductively as she blew her hot breath into Alexander''s ear, causing him to seal her lips with his own while practically ripping her clothes off. Chapter 282: Friends!? "I think we may have spent a bit too much time making love." Said Lazuli softly as she glanced at Alexander, who was leaning against her for support while they walked through the forest. "H-How long did we waste?" "33 hours. Excluding the short breaks." Remarked Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the latter raised her head and glanced at the former, who shrugged his shoulder. "I-I don''t know. I enjoyed every second. It was also a good chance to eliminate some of our built-up lust." Stated Alexander lightly as he glanced at Lazuli in exhaustion, causing her to raise an eyebrow before eventually nodding in agreement. "I suppose that is correct, though you still seem more than raring to continue where we left off, Alex. Were those 33 hours not enough for you?" Asked Lazuli softly as she stealthily moved her hand to Alexander''s erection, only to grasp it through his clothes, causing him to gulp. "Ah, what can I say? I''ve always had a strong libido. Besides, you should expect me to be like this when I''m so close to you; do you know how much I''d love to push you against that tree and plow you from behind?" Remarked Alexander with a wry smile as he glanced at Lazuli, only to lean down, kissing her cheek while his hand firmly grasped her petite butt, causing her to faintly smile. "Though speaking of my libido, if it weren''t at least this strong, Yuki and Michelle would''ve drained me to death. I think Michelle has hit that middle-age point where women receive a sudden burst of libido; as for Yuki, well, it seems to be a sudden switch; it''s really weird. One second, she could be looking at me naked without a care in the world, and then two hours later, she would be ripping my clothes. I kind of like it, though." Added Alexander, his words causing Lazuli to constantly nod in agreement, only for her suspiciously raise an eyebrow, though she opted not to elaborate. "I need to apologize to Yuki and Michelle." Said Lazuli indifferently, her words slightly surprising Alexander as he looked at her in confusion. "Hmm, for what?" "For how I treated you all those years ago." Remarked Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the former raised an eyebrow while the latter lowered her head in shame. "During this journey, I''ve learned exactly how Yuki was feeling back then, and I realize that my apologies from back then were completely inadequate." Added Lazuli softly as she gazed down at her feet, thinking back to how Vanye treated Alexander, causing her blue eyes to flash red. Having recovered enough mana to walk on my own, I stopped leaning on Lazuli and scooped her into my arms as I passionately kissed her, getting a little bit of tongue action as well. "You''ve really grown, Lazuli, you know that?" Said Alexander proudly with a smile as he gazed down at Lazuli, who flashed a smile before averting her gaze while slightly blushing. "I would''ve never made it this far if it weren''t for everyone." Muttered Lazuli softly, words causing Alexander to silently nod before kissing her once more while playfully groping her butt. "I''m sure Soom would be even prouder than me to see how far his daughter has grown." Said Alexander with a faint smirk, causing Lazuli''s smile to vanish while she softly nodded in agreement. "You know, if you want revenge, I''ll be more than happy to assist you." Added Alexander solemnly, his words causing Lazuli to silently gaze at him before shaking his head. "I appreciate it, Alex, but I can''t further impact your family¡­ Besides, revenge is something personal¨C" Replied Lazuli with a sweet smile as she looked at Alexander, only for her to be interrupted as flesh hit against itself and resounded throughout the forest. "Why did you hit me?" Asked Lazuli in confusion as she rubbed her butt, causing Alexander to snort in annoyance. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Don''t say that again, ''Your family''. It''s OUR family. You''re a part of it as well; you''re just as important as Yuki, Michelle, Chloe, and Talis. If I hear those words leave your mouth again, it''ll be a different cheek I hit." Declared Alexander sternly in slight anger as he eyed Lazuli, who softly smiled before nodding while lowering her head. "I understand. I apologize, Alex." Muttered Lazuli softly as she leaned against Alexander''s embrace, causing him to nod while his stern expression vanished. "Though I understand if revenge is something you''d like to achieve on your own. I feel the exact same way about whoever killed Master; that anger and hatred have been simmering deep within my heart for years, so I know exactly how you feel." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Lazuli, only for him to narrow his eyes and furiously gnash his teeth while a gust of powerful wind blew through the forest as if his powerful emotions affected the world itself. "Anyways, I''m still a long way from that; Master was an SS-Class Adventurer and extremely powerful, so whoever poisoned her must''ve been, at the very least, somewhere near her strength¡­ Unless it was somewhere close to her." Added Alexander with a shake of his head and a faint smile, causing the powerful wind to abruptly end while Lazuli tilted her head in confusion. At my words, the image of the picture from the Master''s office in the Mage Guild flashed through my mind; though I didn''t concern myself with Simba, Marlin, or Lily, my focus was solely on the human who Kurama said has a massive crush on Master. I wasn''t a fool; throughout the years, I''ve heard Master drop hints or insinuate her party possibly may have had a falling out, especially when you consider someone had left her party; combined that with only Simba, Lily, and Marlin visiting Master during her final days and the fact those three refused to mention who or how she was poisoned¡­ It didn''t take a genius to put the strings together. Of course, since I didn''t have any solid evidence and this is based on gathering information through my context clues, I''m only suspicious of Kylo; however, until I find something that proves otherwise, he''s my prime suspect. ''Not to mention, I hated him with a passion the moment I looked at his picture; everything just adds up too perfectly.'' Thought Alexander with a deep gaze as he stared directly in front of him, only for him to take a deep breath, clearing his mind of such thoughts. "I love you, Lazuli." "Hm? I love you as well, Alex." Said Alexander and Lazuli, respectively, as the former tightly held the latter, who tilted her head in confusion before reciprocating. Just as I was about to lean in for a kiss, a powerful gust of wind suddenly bombarded us, uprooting several trees and nearly blowing Lazuli and me away. However, I used [Shrink] on the two of us, decreasing our surface area while keeping our weight the same. "Enemy attack?" Muttered Lazuli sternly as she exited Alexander''s embrace while her blue eyes took on a deep shade of red. Summoning Trina, I placed my back against Lazuli and quickly observed our surroundings, checking for who may have attacked us, only to hear faint flapping along with two voices. "Ah, careful! There were people there! You might''ve harmed them!" "Hmph, sorry." "C''mon, let''s go and apologize." The voices were Masculine and Feminine, indicating they were probably a man and a woman. From their words, it seemed like they didn''t intend to hit us; we had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, I didn''t drop my guard yet, just in case. With the flapping getting louder, I saw what looked to be something greatly resembling a Harpy carrying an Elf with long, flowing red hair in her talons appearing from beyond the canopy of trees. ''Tsk, damn, that''s definitely the sexiest male Elf I''ve seen.'' Thought Alexander lightly with slight envy as he gazed at the Elven man. Once they landed on the ground, I saw the Elf''s expression light up in joy as if he had just seen a long-lost friend. "Alex! Lazuli!" Tilting my head in confusion, the Elf man ran towards us while yelling our names, only for him to suddenly leap into my embrace. "Um, do I know you?" Asked with a weird look as he glanced at the Elf hugging his whole body. "Eh, I probably don''t look the same, but it''s me! Vanimo!" Stated Vanimo with a large smile as he raised his head and looked at Alexander, who widened his eyes in shock. While looking at this new Vanimo in complete shock, the harpy from before, who was also incredibly beautiful with her long, thick hair, beautiful brown, feathered wings, and toned muscular physique, suddenly wrapped her wings around both Vanimo and I. "Alex! Look, I''ve also changed!" Said Talis with a smile as she rubbed her cheek against Alexander''s while his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "T-TALIS!?" Exclaimed Alexander in disbelief as he gulped while gazing at Talis, who nodded with a proud smile. ''T-This is a hell of a crazy adventure.'' Thought Alexander in confusion and shock as he glanced between Vanimo and Talis Chapter 283: Lost Vanye "Wait. Let me clarify: a few days after Lazuli and I left, your body began experiencing rapid changes, and within a week, you went from that tiny little boy to now this male model?" Asked Alexander lightly as he looked at Vanimo, who raised an eyebrow before nodding with a smile while sitting opposite of him. "Ah, I wouldn''t go so far as to call myself a model, but yes, that''s what happened." Replied Vanimo softly as he rubbed his head before faintly smiling, causing Alexander to shift his expression to Vanye, who softly nodded in agreement. "The only reason I even began to experience these changes is because you broke the curse placed upon me; without you, I would''ve forever stayed as that little body that was commonly mistaken for a girl." Added Vanimo softly as he stood up and approached Alexander before embracing him in a hug, causing him to awkwardly reciprocate the gesture. "Thank you, Alex, truly. You don''t know how much this means to me." Muttered Vanimo softly as he tightly hugged Alexander, who gently patted his back with a faint smile. "You''re welcome, Vanimo; however, don''t start crying; you''re a man now; you wouldn''t want Vanye or Talis to think less of you, would you?" Said Alexander with a faint smile as he glanced at Vanimo, who faintly chuckled and nodded before wiping his tears. "Sorry, you''re right. I can''t cry over every little thing now; I''ve got a little sister and now a lover to protect!" Stated Vanimo sternly as he wiped his tears with a hardened gaze, causing Alexander to smile proudly. "Heh, that''s what I want to see, Vanimo." Said Alexander with a smirk as he patted Vanimo''s shoulder, only for him to shift his focus to Talis sitting beside Lazuli. "Now, I''d like to ask¡­ What the hell happened to you, Lazuli? Just last month, you were an adorable feathery bird, and now you''re, well¡­" Asked Alexander as he carefully looked at Talis, who tilted her head, only for Vanimo to pick up where he left off. "... Beautiful?" "Um, I was going to use a stronger word, but yeah, that''s the gist of it." Said Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as the former proudly raised his head while the latter hesitantly nodded before shifting his focus to Talis. "Oh, it''s really simple, Alex. About two weeks ago, I was flying through the forest and smelled something delicious, and since I was hungry, I followed the scent. When I arrived, I saw a red, pulsating fruit at the center of a clearing while numerous beasts fought each other surrounding it; however, since it was I, Talis, the Queen of the Skies, I swooped down and stole it from all of them." Stated Talis proudly as she puffed out her chest, causing Alexander to gulp while Vanimo clapped his hands, completely enthralled by her. "After I found a quiet place, I ate the fruit, went to sleep, and then I woke up looking like this." Added Talis as she stood up and spread her large wings while proudly raising her head to the sky, causing Alexander to rub his head. "Wait, you ate a red pulsating fruit? Oh, Talis, it seems I was mistaken¡­ You are stupid." Muttered Alexander with a raised eyebrow, only for him to sigh while shaking his head in disappointment. While I was coming to terms with how close Talis was to dying by eating some unknown fruit, Vanimo and her started to behave all lovey-dovey with each other, which I found to be a bit weird, seeing as how they didn''t know each other for long, but since I could tell they held a rather deep love for each other, I remained silent and simply observed them. "T-Talis and I will be right back." Said Vanimo with a slight smile and a faint blush as he glanced between Alexander, Vanye, and Lazuli while Talis dragged him off into the forest, the two quickly vanishing within the thick vegetation. "Are they going to do what I think?" "Yes. These past two weeks have been rather terrible for me. Do you know what it''s like listening to your brother having sex nearly every night? I''m barely able to get any sleep." Said Alexander and Vanye, respectively, as the latter vented her stored-up annoyance, causing the former to lightly nod. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "So they''re already that far into their relationship, huh? I''m a bit jealous of him; Talis is incredibly sexy now." Remarked Alexader softly as he looked in the direction that Vanimo and Talis walked off in while Lazuli and Vanye both looked at him. "I can make that jealousy vanish." Said Lazuli softly as she leaned into Alexander''s embrace and looked at Vanye with a faint, wicked smirk, causing her expression to twitch in annoyance. Before I could even refuse her advances, Lazuli stood up and began pulling me in the opposite direction of where Vanimo and Talis had entered the forest; at this point, it was a bit too late to stop her, so I just went with the flow and picked her up as I dashed deeper into the forest. "Let''s make this quick." Said Alexander sternly as he set Lazuli down and pushed her against a tree while she stuck out her butt, awaiting his cock. ___ ___ Although I told Lazuli to make it quick, we returned by nightfall, and it was a little awkward since one, Vanye was clearly annoyed with us, and two, we returned long after Vanimo and Talis despite initially only leaving a minute after them. "Um, I''ll make some food. Talis, go hunt for some food." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he cleared his throat and lit a flame atop his hand while Talis nodded. With Talis flying off to acquire us some food, I asked Vanimo and Lazuli to get some sticks and stones for the firepit, leaving just Vanye and I alone. ''Heh, all according to plan.'' Thought Alexander with a faint smirk as he looked at Vanye, who had her eyes closed. Using [Blink], I appeared sitting right beside her, causing her to open an eye and glance at me before promptly closing it, clearly annoyed with me. "I''ve asked about Vanimo and Talis, but what about you, Vanye; how are you? Have you been well?" Asked Alexander earnestly with a faint smile as he poked Vanye''s cheek, only for her to swiftly grab his finger while reddish-black mana surrounded her hand. "Okay, okay, sorry, I''ll stop." Said Alexander quickly, in slight pain, causing Vanye to snort as she released his finger, which had withered ever so slightly, though it was only a matter of time before it returned to normal. "Lost. Vanimo and I have nowhere to go, and I have nothing to strive for. For most of my life, I''ve been searching for a way to break Vanimo''s curse; never once have I thought about what I''d do afterward, and now that it''s happened, I''m feeling lost, unsure of myself." Said Vanye softly with a deep sigh as she lowered her head, causing Alexander to softly and in understanding. "I kind of know what you''re feeling." "Really?" Said Alexander and Vanye, respectively, as the latter skeptically glanced at the former, causing him to nod. "Yeah, I only say kind of because it lasted only a few days; it was after my Master died. Back then, she was my entire world, so I was left lost when she died, but I''d long since wished to be an adventurer, to follow in her footsteps and make her proud, so it didn''t take long for me to settle on my decision. From the looks of things, you weren''t as lucky as me." Replied Alexander with a nod as he looked into the sky with a faint smile, only to shake his head and glance at Vanye. "I would say I''m luckier¡­ I didn''t lose Vanimo." "Heh, that''s true." Remarked Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the latter smirked and nodded. "Anyway, other than being an ear for you to voice your concerns, I can''t really help you out; this is your life; after all, I can''t make decisions for you. Unfortunately, you must figure that out alone or with Vanimo." Stated Alexander softly as he playfully bumped Vanye, causing a faint smile to grace her face, only for her to sigh again. "Yeah, I know. It''s troubling, though." Said Vanye softly as she lowered her head, causing Alexander to nod before faintly smiling. "How about you stay with me?" "Hmm?" Asked Alexander and Vanye, respectively, as the latter stared at the former in confusion, causing him to shake his head. "I don''t mean just me unless it''s just you. I wouldn''t mind that." Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he nudged Vanye with his elbow while she blankly looked at him, causing him to cough awkwardly. "Anyway, I meant, why not stay with my family until you figure out what you wish to do? We live on the Mezcla continent, but traveling between the two continents isn''t that big of a problem; it''s a little time-consuming, but that''s all. Also, I personally think it''ll offer more opportunities for you given its sheer diversity; after all, who says you must use that sword? Maybe you can be a chef or something." Remarked Alexander with a smile as he looked at Vanye, who furrowed her brows at his words, seemingly contemplating, only to roll her eyes. "A chef? Don''t mock me; I''ve tasted your food, and if that''s what it takes to be a chef, then I might as well waste away the rest of my life doing nothing." Said Vanye, her words causing Alexander to chuckle as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Hehe, don''t worry, I''ll tell you my secrets." Said Alexander quietly, causing Vanye to faintly smile while shaking her head in amusement. "Ho, Vanye, what is this? Alex, with his arm wrapped over your shoulder? It seems like you do quite like him." Said Vanimo with a mischievous grin as he carried several sticks while looking at Vanye and Alexander. "Hmph, as if." Said Vanye with a scoff as she removed Alexander''s arm, folded her arms, and averted her gaze. Chapter 284: Leaving Asckbon After placating Vanye''s annoyance with some decent food, we all headed to sleep and awoke around sunrise, though surprisingly, the first one awake wasn''t me but Vanye. "Ah, good morning, beautiful." Said Alexander lightly as he stretched his arms and yawned while looking at Vanye, who blankly looked at him. "I''m not Lazuli." "I know. Anyway, I see you didn''t get much sleep." Remarked Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the latter plopped onto the log beside the former, who had bags under her eyes. "Hmph, don''t say that as if you weren''t part of the problem." "Well, what did you want me to do? I couldn''t get any sleep because of Vanimo and Talis, so Lazuli and I started to have some fun as well. We wouldn''t have done it if those two weren''t doing it first; I, at least, have some public decency." Added Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the latter snorted in annoyance while the former rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Vanye seemed to hardly care about my words as she scoffed before averting her gaze, though she couldn''t argue with the truth; Vanimo and Talis were loud last night and did not care for who listened in the slightest. "Heh, how about this, Vanye, I know of a way to get back at them¨C" Said Alexander with a faint smirk as he leaned towards Vanye, only for a blade emitting reddish-black mana to rest against his neck. "If you say you and I should have sex, I''m slicing your throat, Alex." Stated Vanye sternly as she glared at Alexander through the slits of her helmet, causing him to laugh while dismissively waving his hand. "Haha, I wasn''t going to say that¡­ Anymore. No, but seriously, why don''t you¡­" Replied Alexander with a wry smile as he awkwardly backed away from Vanye, who narrowed her eyes, only for him to shake his head while quietly whispering into her ear. "T-That''s t-too e-embarrassing, Alex!" Stated Vanye with a deep blush while looking at Alexander in embarrassment, causing him to shrug his shoulders while backing away. "Hey, I''m just giving suggestions, that''s all. I mean, you could yell really loud, but it won''t be the same. I will use the bathroom, so can you wake those two lovers up? I wish to return home as quickly as possible." Said Alexander as he stood up and walked backward while looking at Vanye before glancing at the tent where Talis and Vanimo were sleeping. ___ ___ "Wow, um, well, that was quick, to say the least." Said Vanimo lightly as he released Vanye''s hand and Talis''s wing while staring at the dirt pathway in the distance. "This place looks familiar." "This is where Alexander should''ve killed you." Said Vanye and Lazuli, respectively, as the former gazed at the surroundings, only for the latter to blandly glance at her, causing Vanimo to wryly smile. "S-So, this is where you and Alex met, Vanye? Awesome!" Said Vanimo with a smile as he stood between Vanye and Lazuli, separating the two and preventing any possible argument. "Hmph, as if he would be able to. No disrespect, but he is not strong enough to kill me." Remarked Vanye softly as she folded her arms and side-glanced Lazuli, who narrowed her eyes. "C-Can I get some h-help?" Asked Alexander weakly as he lay on the ground, exhausted from depleting his mana reserves, though everyone except Talis noticed him. "If Alex weren''t so nice, he would have easily killed you; did you think he was trying when he fought against you? He wasn''t trying to hurt you." "Tsk, and do you think I was truly trying when I fought him? His sword skills were sub-par at best; I did not need to try when facing someone like that." Stated Lazuli and Vanye, respectively, as they stepped forward, squishing Vanimo between their bodies while glaring into each other''s eyes, refusing to look away. "You don''t know Alex like I do. He would''ve ripped your head off with his bare hands." "And you don''t know me. I would''ve sliced him into a thousand different pieces before reducing him to ash." Said Lazuli and Vanye, respectively, as they approached even closer, practically suffocating Vanimo between the two. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Thanks to Talis helping me onto my feet and letting me use her as support, I approached the two woman arguing for no reason and lifted them into the air by the back of their collar before tossing them into the distance, which served to free Vanimo and stop their stupid argument. "Are you okay, Vanimo?" Asked Talis in concern as he Ignored Alexander and embraced Vanimo in a hug, placing his face directly into her ample chest, suffocating him once more. "C-Can you two stop it, please? We''re close to the town we initially arrived at. C-C''mon, let us get moving." Said Alexander sternly as he eyed Vanye and Lazuli, causing the two to glare at each other before averting their gaze with a scoff while following behind Alexander. With these two idiots finally falling in line, I leaned onto Lazuli for support and began walking while Vanye grabbed Vanimo''s hand, dragging him and Talis along for the ride. As for the lies Lazuli was so blatantly saying, well, I just pretended I never heard them; I had more important things to worry about anyway. ___ ___ "Tsk, stupid humans. Next!" Said the guard as he glanced at Alexander and Lazuli before scoffing and reluctantly allowing them entrance into the city alongside Vanimo and Vanye. "Is that how all Elves treat you two?" Asked Vanimo softly as he looked at Alexander and Lazuli, only to lower his head in shame when they both nodded. "Well, minus you two; neither of you cares that we''re human, but I''ve yet to come across another Elf similar to you." Said Alexander with a nod as he glanced at Vanimo, only to gently slap his back, cheering him up. "Don''t worry about it, though; having met your beautiful sister was more than worth all the discrimination I endured." Added Alexander with a smirk as he winked at Vanye, who rolled her eyes while Lazuli scoffed, quietly muttering under her breath. "What about me?" "Eh, yeah, you''re alright, I guess." Said Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as the latter shrugged his shoulders just as Talis swooped down from above, gracefully landing beside them. "Hey!" Said Vanimo with a pout as he folded his arms and eyed Alexander, who erupted into laughter. "Hahaha, c''mon, don''t be mad; it was funny." Said Alexander with a smirk as he nudged Vanimo, who refused to play along. "Hehe, anyway, now that we''re inside the city, Lazuli and I are going to find a ship to take us back to the Mezcla continent; I would teleport us like we''ve been doing, but I don''t think I''ve got enough mana to teleport myself to a whole other continent, let alone four other people. C''mon, sexy, you''re joining me." Said Alexander as he glanced at everyone while slowly drifting away from Vanye, Vanimo, and Talis, only to grab Lazuli''s hand at the last second, pulling her with him. "Oh, don''t forget to talk to Vanimo about what we talked about, Vanye; if you two are both interested, then by all means, you''re more than welcome." Added Alexander as he waved at the three while walking away with Lazuli pulled into his embrace, the two quickly flirting with each other. "I hope Vanimo is against it." Muttered Lazuli as she walked beside Alexander while her head rested against his chest causing him to roll his eyes. "Oh, c''mon, I know you dislike Vanye, but what did Vanimo ever do to you? He''s been nothing but nice, and speaking of nice, that''s a nice ass ship." Said Alexander lightly as he pinched Lazuli''s nose, causing her to look blankly at him while he gazed at a large, silverish-black ship in the distance. "Shall we go investigate?" "Hmm, we should, but I''m a little hungry, so let me taste you." Said Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the latter nodded in agreement, only to grasp the former''s small butt, causing her to faintly smirk while she clutched his crotch. Without a second of delay, I used [Mass Teleport] to teleport us out of the city as we appeared in a nearby forest, where Lazuli and I got down to business; her moans and my grunts quickly echoed throughout the forest. ___ ___ After the fun Lazuli and I had for an hour, we returned to the city and searched for available ships that would take us to the Mezcla continent, which weren''t too many since it seemed we came at an awkward time, but luckily, we did a decent one that would be leaving in three days, which was plenty of time for Vanye and Vanimo to make a decision. Speaking of their decision¡­ "Are you two sure? I''m paying for this trip, but if you wish to return to Asckbon, that''s coming out of your pockets." Asked Alexander seriously as he held two silver tickets while looking between Vanimo and Vanye, prompting them to both nod. "Yep! Talis''s home is with you, and I wouldn''t want to separate her from you all; besides, I''m also interested in meeting your family." Said Vanimo with a nod as he grabbed the silver ticket out of Alexander''s hand only for Talis to hug him. "After everything you did for us, I trust you enough." Said Vanye softly with a faint smile as she grabbed the final silver ticket out of Alexander''s hand, causing Vanimo to smirk as he nudged her shoulder. "Hehe, someone''s got a crush." Mutted Vanimo quietly, his words causing Vanye to scoff in annoyance. "Eh, what about me?" "What about you? Are those wings just for show? You''re flying; I''m not paying for you." Asked Talis and Alexander, respectively, as the latter blankly looked at the former, who stuck her tongue out. "Alright, c''mon, you three fools, the ship departs in two hours, so let''s get going; I don''t wish to get stuck with a tiny cabin." Said Alexander with a grin as he grabbed Lazuli''s hand and approached the silverish-black ship in the distance while everyone followed. Chapter 285: Training Day "So, what do you think the girls are doing?" Asked Vanimo curiously as he sat on his bed before turning to look at Alexander, who was doing one-handed, upside-down push-ups. "Talis is most likely talking about how great flying is. Lazuli is probably silently sitting down and meditating, and Vanye, I would say she''s practicing with her sword, but there isn''t enough space to do that in their room, so she''s probably minding her own business." Replied Alexander lightly as he paused his workout and glanced at Vanimo with a thoughtful expression before continuing to do push-ups. "Eh, really? I honestly thought they would be arguing." "Well, that''s my second guess if it makes you feel more confident." Remarked Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as the former glanced at the latter, who raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement. After boarding the ship this morning, it set sail probably about five hours ago, and since then, we haven''t done much, nor has anything really occurred; it''s around the time we would usually eat dinner, but we all had a large brunch, so I doubted anyone would eat, besides the chef probably wasn''t better than me anyways. Since the ship also only had so many cabins, we separated into two groups, men and women: Vanimo and I were sharing a small cabin with only two bedrooms and the bare necessities, though neither of us seemed to care; after all, this was only a temporary stay. As for Lazuli, Talis, and Vanye, they had a slightly bigger room with three bedrooms, which was the biggest room we could get since we bought the second lowest-tier ticket, which cost each person a single gold coin. However, since Talis sneaked aboard with her flying, I saved a whole gold coin, which was like a month''s work, so I wasn''t complaining, though I didn''t know if she was even in her room right now. ''If it''s just Lazuli and Vanye, they''re definitely arguing.'' Thought Alexander with a wry expression as he pushed himself into the air, only to switch hands while continuing to exercise. "Um, hey, Alex, c-can I ask you something?" Asked Vanimo lightly as he left his bed and approached Alexander, who nodded through his exercise. "C-Can you teach me to get strong like you?" Added Vanimo awkwardly with a faint blush as he lowered his head in slight embarrassment. Momentarily stopping, I pushed off the ground and did a backflip as I landed perfectly in front of Vanimo. "Why do you want to be strong? You''ve got Talis and Vanye." Asked Alexander curiously as he folded his arms and looked at Vanimo, who softly sighed. "I know, but that''s the point. Before, I was cursed, so I never sought to get strong since it wasn''t possible with my underdeveloped body, but now¡­ Now that I''m a man, it''s a possibility." Remarked Vanimo as he clenched his fist and raised his head while looking at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Okay. But why, though?" Asked Alexander with a narrowed gaze as he stared deeply into Vanimo''s eyes. "B-Because I''m ashamed of myself. Whenever Talis grabs me or picks me up to fly around with, I-I can''t resist her at all, a-and she does it so nonchalantly, like she''s not even trying. Actually, no, she''s probably trying, just not to hurt me." Muttered Vanimo softly as he once again lowered his head at his self-mocking statements. "I-I thought that now that I was a man, I-I would be able to wield V-Vanye''s sword, but no; I-I can still barely swing it for a minute before feeling my arms shake. E-Even after you broke the curse, I-I''m still so pathetic." Added Vanimo weakly as he raised his hands and glanced at his arms, only to depressingly slump on the ground while curling into a ball. I rolled my eyes at how he seemed to not notice how much stronger he''s gotten from before; swinging Vanye''s sword just a few times to doing so repeatedly for a minute isn''t some minor improvement, but it seems he thinks otherwise. "So you don''t want to be a little crybaby bitch? If that''s why you want to get stronger, I''ll help you; after all, I have nothing to do; that exercise was merely to pass the time; they weren''t doing anything." Remarked Alexander with a nod as he reached down and picked up Vanimo by the back of his collar, lifting him into the air while still curled into a ball, crying. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Though first things first, get naked; I want to see what I''m working with." Said Alexander sternly as he eyed Vanimo, who nervously gulped while wiping his tears. Setting Vanimo on the ground, I watched him take his clothes off, causing me to internally wince at how skinny he was; it looked borderline sickly, though when I saw him pulling his underwear down, I had to snap my eyes shut. "The hell are you doing?" "B-But you said naked?" "Not completely naked, you fool; why would I ever want to see another man''s cock?" Remarked Alexander and Vanimo, respectively, as the two argued back and forth, causing the latter to nod embarrassingly while pulling his underwear back up. ''Tsk, I didn''t see everything, but at least I know everything about him isn''t skinny. I also now know why Talis was moaning so loud.'' Thought Alexander with an annoyed look as he eyed Vanimo, who was too embarrassed to make eye contact. "Alright, to put it lightly, you''re extremely skinny, but you have a working body, so we''re good. Now, c''mon, let''s get to it." Stated Alexander calmly as he observed Vanimo, only to faintly smirk as he began to teach. ___ ___ While Alexander and Vanimo were getting along quite nicely, the same couldn''t be said for Lazuli and Vanye. ___ ___ "Tsk, I hate you." "I wish that curse killed you." Said Vanye and Lazuli, respectively, as they glared at each other, not bothering to conceal their hatred. "I hope you''re burnt alive." Said Vanye with a grunt as she eyed Lazuli, whose face lost any emotion, causing her to frown subtly. "Shut up." Said Lazuli emotionlessly as she side-glanced Vanye, who stood up while faintly smirking. "Heh, did I bring back some memories?" "I said be quiet." Remarked Vanye and Lazuli, respectively, as the former approached the latter with a mocking grin. "I don''t know who was burnt alive, but I hope they experienced hell!" Stated Vanye with a wicked grin as she leaned forward into Lazuli''s face, only for a glowing sphere of pure mana to be aimed at her face. "Open your mouth again, and I don''t care how much Alexander likes you¡­ I''ll kill you." Said Lazuli sternly, with tears streaming down her cheek as she pointed her arm-canon at Vanye while continuing to pump her mana into the glowing sphere, causing it to grow in size and power. Staring at Lazuli, I glanced at the glowing sphere of mana before looking back at her, only to scoff as I turned around and left; she clearly wasn''t joking from the sheer amount of mana she had channeled into that attack of hers, not to mention the fact she continued to fill it with mana as if she had no limit. I wasn''t scared of her, but engaging in a fight on a ship in the middle of the ocean was beyond stupid, and I didn''t hate Lazuli enough to do that. ''Tsk, but she''s not someone I could just gloss over either; she''s got a ridiculous amount of mana.'' Thought Vanye with a click of her tongue as she exited the room and walked down the hallway, heading towards Vanimo and Alexander''s room. Although frustrating, I shook my head and headed towards my brother''s room, hoping he and Alex could ease my annoyance; however, when I opened the door, I was met with a surprising sight. My brother, wearing nothing but underwear, was doing push-ups while Alex, who had no shirt, was sitting on his back, yelling at him to continue despite his obvious struggle. "C''mon! Only ten more! Do it! If you can''t do ten more, no sex for you tonight!" "A-Arghh, I-I can''t do it!" Said Alexander and Vanimo, respectively, as the former constantly yelled while the latter struggled to lift them both; his face had long since turned red from the strain. "Um, Alex, what the hell are you doing with my brother?" Asked Vanye as she entered the room and closed the door behind her, causing Alex to raise his head with a faint smile. "Oh, hey, Vanye, I''m training him to get stronger. Why are you stopping!? I didn''t say you could stop! Nine more! Do you want to make love with Talis tonight or not? Make up your damn mind!" Replied Alexander with a friendly smile as he waved at Vanye, only to shift his focus to Vanimo, aggressively yelling into his ear and causing him to nearly scream. "I-I want to make love with her!!" Yelled Vanimo loudly as he used all his might to push him and Alexander up, only for him to collapse onto the ground. "I-I can''t, I-I''m done, Alex." Added Vanimo weakly as he closed his eyes, prompting Alexander to stand up off his back while nodding. "Ay, you did good; now take a load off. I''ll feed you my vial so we can get to work right again." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanimo before approaching Vanye, who was caught admiring his physique. "Heh, like what you see? I''ll let you touch them if you want." Asked Alexander with a smirk as he flexed his muscles, causing Vanye to roll her eyes, though surprisingly she did touch them. "Hmm, it''s weird. It''s meaty yet so firm." Muttered Vanye lightly as she squeezed Alexander''s chest, causing his face to twitch. "That''s not how I would describe my chest, but okay." Said Alexander lightly with a weird gaze as he glanced at Vanye, who touched her breast. "Ah, no wonder that felt so familiar." Said Vanye, with a faint smirk, her words causing Alexander to glance blankly at her. "Alright, shut up." Said Alexander blandly as he quickly put his shirt back on while Vanye softly chuckled to herself. Chapter 286: Stolen First Kiss Thanks to Vanye comparing my chest to her breasts, which were present to begin, though since I was a gentleman, I kept quiet as I put my shirt back on and reached into my space pouch as I squatted down and fed it to Vanimo, causing him to energetically leap onto his two feet. However, he didn''t get very high as I pushed him back to the ground by his shoulder while reaching into my space pouch again, retrieving a special belt with a crystal on its buckle. "This is a gravity belt; it can increase the weight of anything up to 100 times its original weight." Said Alexander as he faintly smirked at Vanimo before wrapping it around his waist and injecting mana into it, causing it to ever-so-silently hum to life. I didn''t stupidly overdo it and set him to the maximum; I only increased it five times, and it seemed perfect, given that he showed a slight struggle with just standing. "S-So you want me to do push-ups like this?" "No. You''ll wear this constantly from now on; no matter what you do, whether it''s using the bathroom or making love with Talis, that belt will remain active." Remarked Vanimo and Alexander, respectively, as the former''s expression turned aghast while the latter wickedly smirked. "Hehehe, now run along, Vanimo." Added Alexander with evil laughter as he effortlessly picked up Vanimo and tossed him outside the room before closing the door. "C-Can I at least get my clothes!?" Exclaimed Vanimo from the other side of the door as he constantly banged on it. "Hmm, what do you think Vanye? I''m sure with all the ''sleep'' you''ve been getting lately, you''ll give me an educated response." Asked Alexander with a sly grin while glancing at Vanye, who wickedly grinned, only to sigh afterward. "Haa, I can''t do that to him. Can you give him his clothes, please?" Replied Vanye softly with a shake of her head as she glanced at Alexander, who nodded before opening the door and throwing his clothes into his face. "T-Thanks!" Said Vanimo with gratitude as he quickly put on his clothes before walking away, his breath slightly laborious from his increased weight. Dusting my hands off, I turned and glanced at Vanye, only to us [Blink] as I appeared behind her, quickly removing her helmet before reappearing in my same spot while she gave me a look of annoyance. "Can you not? I like wearing that." "And I like gazing at your beautiful face." Remarked Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the former blandly looked at the latter, who was twirling the helmet on his finger, "... Of course, you could always try and steal it back from me, but that''ll be impossible." Added Alexander with a mischievous grin, causing Vanye''s eye to twitch in annoyance, though he had succeeded in provoking her competitive nature. "C''mon, Alex, I''m not about to play some childish¨C" Said Vanye blandly as she slowly approached Alexander with an outstretched hand before swiftly leaping at him with immense speed, only to grasp nothing but air. "Oh, Vanye, Vanye, Vanye. I''m quite proficient at gauging people''s intentions, along with their personality and feelings; a sneak attack like that isn''t going to work at all." Said Alexander in mock disappointment as he placed a hand atop his chest while his faintly glowing eyes observed Vanye''s figure. Eyeing Vanye, who flashed me a faint smirk, she suddenly lunged at me once more, this time faster than before, yet, I waited until she was just inches away from touching me, and only then did I blink away, appearing right in front of the door where she was previously standing. "Ho, now this view from behind is quite something; I never knew Elve''s could have such big¡­ Bottoms." Said Alexander with a playful smirk as he glanced at Vanye''s butt while lying right through his teeth. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Vanye didn''t respond and merely huffed as she turned around, though I could tell she was a little embarrassed even if she didn''t show it. This little cat-and-mouse game continued for some time inside this room; yet, no matter how fast she chased after me, she was always just slightly too slow, though it was no surprise. She was a strong fighter and incredible with the sword, but trying to catch someone who wielded space mana was literally next to impossible through conventional methods; trust me, I should know; after all, I''ve been in Vanye''s position plenty of times whenever Master trained me. However, after a couple more minutes, Vanye was getting a little too enthusiastic as she started to ignore the destruction she was beginning to cause, prompting me to end this little game as I allowed her to touch me; though, because of that, she ended up crashing into as we rolled across the ground. "Heh, I won." Said Vanye with a faint smirk through her uneven breaths as she held her helmet with one hand while looking up at Alexander, who was atop her. "...Yeah¡­" Muttered Alexander softly as he gently brushed aside Vanye''s lustrous red hair that concealed her seemingly shining eyes. As I silently stared into Vanye''s beautiful red eyes, getting lost within them as I looked at my reflection, my hand subconsciously moved down to her cheek as I gently rubbed her, causing an ever-so-faint blush to appear on her slightly tanned face. "Um, A-Alex¨C" Asked Vanye softly, yet she was interrupted as Alexander had suddenly sealed her lips shut with his own, startling her. Feeling the sensation of her soft, supple lips against my own, I pushed slightly harder, leaning more of myself into the somewhat innocent kiss; however, despite wanting to stay connected, I knew what I had a little out of line, so although reluctantly, I separated our lips. "U-Um, sorry, about-" Said Alexander awkwardly as he looked at Vanye, whose face was flushed with embarrassment, only for her to suddenly head-butt him in the face, knocking him off her. Covering my mouth and nose, which were bleeding slightly, I watched Vanye don her helmet as she quickly walked to the door, causing me to scurry onto my feet. "V-Vanye, I''m sorry." Said Alexander anxiously as he wiped his golden blood off his face while approaching Vanye, only for her to slam the door shut. Deeply sighing, I knocked my head against the door and rubbed the bridge of my nose as I was both ashamed and upset at myself. ''Haa, c''mon, Alexander, I know it was in the heat of the moment, but you''ve got to do better.'' Thought Alexander with a sigh as he plopped onto his bed and stuffed his face with a pillow, oblivious that Vanye was leaning right against his door. ___ ___ Slamming the door shut, I leaned against the door and slid down it as I cupped my burning cheeks while my rapidly beating heart raised my body temperature. I-I didn''t know what was happening to me; it was the first time I''d ever felt this way, yet, for someone, despite all these sudden changes taking place, I didn''t necessarily hate it¡­ It was just weird. "T-That was my f-first k-kiss." Muttered Vanye softly with a crimson blush as she tightly shut her eyes while lightly shaking her head, embarrassment consuming her mind. Despite feeling completely embarrassed about what had just happened, the image of his lips, the sensation of his lips pressed against my own, simply wouldn''t leave my mind; it was constantly playing on a loop. "Eh, Vanye, what are you doing here?" Asked Talis curiously as she leaned down and looked at Vanye, who was oblivious to her arrival. "H-Here? N-Nothing! I-I was just t-talking with V-Vanimo- N-No A-Alex, u-um¨C" Replied Vanye in surprise as she constantly stammered while attempting to come up with an excuse only to suddenly dash into the distance, leaving Talis confused. "Hmm, weird." Muttered Talis with a shrug of her shoulders as she used her talons to open the door leading to Alexander''s room. Dashing across the ship, I passed a few people before eventually arriving in my room. I quickly slammed the door shut while gasping for breath, although I wasn''t even close to being exhausted. Closing my eyes, I took off my helmet and leaned against the door as I curled into a fetal position for several minutes, only when I managed to shave off some of the embarrassment I felt. Standing up, I grabbed my helmet and plopped onto my bed, and with my head a mess, all I wanted to do was go to sleep; yet when I turned my head, I saw Lazuli, causing my mood to slightly sour. However, in the end, I just shook my head and looked the other way, yet when I reached for my sword to lay it down beside me, I grabbed nothing but air, causing me to realize I had left back with Alex. ''D-Dammit!'' Thought Vanye with an ugly expression as she slammed her head onto the pillow while contemplating whether to return to get it. Although I hated being without my sword as it made me feel naked, there was no way I was going to return to Alex and ask for my sword, not after everything just happened. "First kiss." Muttered Vanye softly as she gently touched her lips while constantly fidgeting underneath her covers. Chapter 287: Attacked At Sea! By the time the next day arrived, the first thing I did was knock on the women''s room, wanting to apologize to Vanye for kissing her since I didn''t want to make things awkward between; sure, I had a slight crush on her, but I didn''t want to make her feel uncomfortable whenever she was around me. After knocking a few times, I patiently waited beside the door. Since it was earlier in the morning, I didn''t expect them to answer immediately. However, after a few minutes, the door opened, prompting me to quickly stand up as I glanced at the petite woman standing in the doorway. "Oh, Lazuli, not who I was looking for, but arguably better." Said Alexander lightly as he looked at Lazuli, who seemed to have just awoken only a few moments ago. Seeing her just raise an eyebrow at my words while puckering her lips, I rolled my eyes as I leaned down and passionately kissed her, tongue and all while her saliva entered my mouth; she''s gotten a bit spoiled and refuses to speak to me unless I giver her a morning kiss. ''Ho, though I''m sure not complaining.'' Thought Alexander as he grabbed the back of Lazuli''s head, pushing her further against his lips. Reaching down, I grabbed Lazuli''s thigh and pulled her leg higher to meet my waist as I pushed her against the door, my passionate kissing growing more intense by the second; I even subconsciously began to buck my hips, clearly wanting to make love with this beautiful woman. However, we were unfortunately interrupted, as the door was promptly opened, causing Lazuli and I to fall forward as I fell atop her. "Tsk, so that''s what that banging noise was." Muttered Talis in annoyance as she glanced at Alexander and Lazuli with a somewhat drowsy expression, clearly having been woken up by their loving exchange. Awkwardly standing up, I flash a wry smile as I apologize to Talis and Vanye, both gazing at me in annoyance. "S-Sorry." Said Alexander with a slight smile as he glanced between the two women, causing Talis to scoff while Vanye snorted. Helping Lazuli onto her two, I awkwardly cleared my throat as I shifted my focus to Vanye, who didn''t seem to be bothered with what occurred yesterday, though I didn''t know if that was because her annoyance was concealing it or not. "Um, Vanye, can I talk with you quickly, please?" Asked Alexander with a wry smile, his words causing Vanye and Lazuli to furrow their brows, only for the former to nod in agreement. Turning around, I walked out of the room while Vanye followed behind me; walking down the hallway of the ship, I found a nice spot far away from everyone, though since it was earlier in the morning, no one was really awake. "I-I would just like to apologize for what happen-" Said Alexander earnestly as he turned and glanced at Vanye, who suddenly interrupted him with her prosthetic finger covering his lips. "Don''t apologize, Alex. I um, I-I k-kind of l-liked it." Muttered Vanye softly as she lowered her golden prosthetic arm while averting her gaze with a faint blush adoring her cheeks, causing Alexander''s eyes to sparkle. Hearing her words, I gently wrapped my arm around her little waist, bringing her body closer to me as I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me, only to lean down as I once again kissed her, keeping it simple and nothing intense like what I had done with Lazuli. "Did you like that?" Asked Alexander as he retracted his lips and looked at Vanye, who covered her mouth and looked away, only to nod a few moments later, causing him to smile. However, before I could get too happy about this seemingly major step forward in our relationship, Vanye once again covered my mouth with my finger while her other hand removed my arm, which was wrapped around her waist, confusing me. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "L-Listen, um, Alex, but I-I don''t t-think I''m ready for a relationship; a-after everything t-that happened, I-I think I''d like to j-just enjoy life right now with Vanimo." Replied Vanye softly as she backed away from Alexander while glancing at him with slightly hopeful eyes, causing him to nod in agreement. "I understand. I don''t want to push things and make you feel uncomfortable or anything; the fact that you like kissing me is already more than enough." Said Alexander with a nod as he tenderly grabbed Vanye''s prosthetic hand while she awkwardly looked away, embarrassed at his truthful words. "I-I also don''t know how I feel about starting a relationship with a man who already has a wife and two lovers. I would also like to meet them first; L-Lazuli and I don''t get along too well, a-and no matter how much I love you, I-I don''t think it would ever work out if I didn''t like the other women in your life." Stated Vanye earnestly as she glanced at Alexander, who folded his arms before sighing and nodding in agreement. "To be honest, I think you''ll like Yuki and Michelle; though you''re correct, you should meet them for yourself and get to know them. I''m sure they would also like to meet you rather than me just throwing it on them that I have another lover. That would be wildly disrespectful and unfair." Said Alexander with a nod as he leaned against the wall and glanced at Vanye, who flashed a faint smile. "T-Thank you, Alex, for being so reasonable; I-I''ve never experienced this, s-so I''d like to take things slow. I-I don''t want to make a mistake, n-not like what I did with the Yemen Mercenaries." Remarked Vanye softly as she looked at Alexander with appreciation while he smiled in return. "Of course, though I must ask¡­" Replied Alexander softly with a smile as he glanced at Vanye, only to step forward, once again wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. "... Kissing is still on the table, right?" Asked Alexander with a smirk as he brushed aside Vanye''s long, bright red hair and gently kissed her plump, supple lips, leaving them both desiring me. "O-Only k-kissing, n-nothing more." Said Vanye weakly as she kept her head down, causing Alexander to smirk as the two exchanged numerous innocent kisses like a pair of teenage lovers. Although I would''ve loved to get aggressive with her plump lips, I refrained from doing so, deciding to save it for some time in the future. While kissing, she suddenly leaped backward away from my grasp, confusing me. "I-I-I-I¨C" Said Vanye as she looked at Alexander with a deep blush only to suddenly turn and dahs down the hallway, leaving Alexander entirely confused. ''The hell, did I do something wrong?'' Thought Alexander as he rubbed his head in confusion before touching his lips, only for Zartha to enlighten him. ''Glance down, Master.'' Said Zartha coldly as she and Trina shook their head, both filled with disappointment. Glancing down as they said, I briefly froze when I spotted the massive tent in my pants; I''ve been wearing my armor almost the entire time in Asckbon, and since I have a crotch guard, even when erect, none would be able to notice, yet, unfortunately for me, I didn''t have my armor on. Vanye probably backed away since she felt my cock rubbing against her through my clothes. "Ugh, fuck me, that''s not even something I can control." Muttered Alexander in annoyance as he rubbed his face while slowly walking back to his room, hoping no one saw him in his current state. ___ ___ After that whole incident, Vanye refused to get anywhere near me for the rest of the day, though thankfully it seemed to be out of embarrassment, not anger; though she seemed mostly calm about it by the next day, which was good. However, while enjoying this boat ride, our combined luck must''ve hit an all-time low since IT happened on the fourth day. ___ ___ "~Mhm~, so big." Muttered Lazuli softly as she rubbed her hands across Alexander''s cock while he flicked his tongue against her clitoris, causing her to softly moan. Lazuli and I finally had a moment alone, and obviously, we spent it making love. Of course, we had to get in the mood first, so we did a bit of foreplay. Picking up Lazuli, I flip our positions and mount her as I hold her hands above her head while I gently grind my cock against her vagina. "Don''t tease me, Alex, give it to me." Said Lazuli with a seductive expression as she bucked her hips upwards, eager to accept Alexander''s length into her. Smirking, I was about to pierce my cock into my little darling, but before I could, my heart began to beat rapidly, causing me to narrow my eyes as I raised my head with a hardened expression. Using [Heroes Gaze], I look through the walls, only for me to widen my eyes as I quickly grabbed Lazuli before tossing us to the ground, narrowly evading being eaten alive as a monstrous sea creature leaped out of the ocean and tore through the entire ship just a foot above us. "Put your clothes on." Stated Lazuli sternly as her nanites quickly made clothes for her while Alexander quickly put on his pants, not bothering with the rest of his clothes. "We need to find everyone else!" Yelled Alexander anxiously while Lazuli nodded agreement after a slight hesitation. Chapter 288: Capsizing Ship! With my pants on, I tightly held Lazuli''s hand, ensuring we wouldn''t get separated, and dashed out of the, using [Heroes Gaze] to search for Talis, Vanye, and Vanimo amidst the ship. However, that attack from seemingly nowhere was merely the start; quickly afterward, the waters we were sailing through turned violent and turbulent to the point where, rather than sailing, we were surfing across the ocean. The weather above swiftly began to pour down, reaching a level of intensity akin to when I first encountered Lazuli. ''Tsk, freaking great, an Icicle Storm. I thought Soom said they only occur in the Asu Sea? We''re in the Chailer Sea.'' Thought Alexander with an irritated and slightly confused expression as he raised his head, which was being pelted by sharp icicles. Thankfully, my strength was high enough to where these icicles didn''t harm me, but that''s not what I was worried about; the powerful wind that followed the storm proved very dangerous when coupled with the turbulent waters; it was only a matter of time before we capsize into monster-infested waters. "Do you see them, Alex?" Asked Lazuli loudly, her voice barely reaching Aelxander''s ears amidst the raging wind and violent waters, only for him to shake his head. "I see Vanye, but Vanimo and Talis are nowhere to be seen!" Replied Alexander with a frown as he quickly led Lazuli towards where Vanye was while looking up at the clouds, searching the sky for Talis and Vanimo. "Tsk, she can take care of herself." Said Lazuli with a scoff as she stopped moving, attempting to walk the other way, only for Alexander to yank her onto his back with his superior strength. "Please, not right now, Lazuli! At least wait until we''re safe!" Stated Alexander pleadingly as he glanced at Lazuli while staying low to the ground, practically crawling across the deck. I got no response from Lazuli, but I just took it as her agreeing; unfortunately, I still didn''t manage to spot Vanimo or Talis, but seeing as she enjoyed taking him for flights, I just hoped they were doing that. Vanye was near her room, so while it normally wouldn''t have taken long to reach her, parts of the ship were destroyed, and it was constantly shaking from the violent ocean, making it difficult to walk across steadily. ''Shit, now that I think about it too, this ship didn''t have any lifeboats. Fuck. What ship doesn''t have lifeboats!?'' Thought Alexander with an ugly expression as he grabbed the side of the wall just as the ship nearly capsized, causing him and Lazuli to hang from the side. I refused to believe that a ship didn''t have any lifeboats. There had to be at least one lifeboat somewhere on this ship; the only problem would be getting to it before anyone else did. After a few more minutes of constantly fearing the ship was about to capsize, I pulled myself up from the wall and finally laid eyes on Vanye, who was doing the same as me, crawling amidst the ground. However, as if to spit in my face, the same monster from before once again leaped out of the water, opening its massive jaw as it tore through the ship right in the path of Vanye. "VANYE! JUMP!" Yelled Alexander loudly as he aggressively waved his hand while his voice briefly overpowered the storm and ocean, quickly reaching Vanye''s ear. I don''t know whether it was because of my warning or if she sensed the danger, but she didn''t hesitate to leap towards Lazuli and I; at perfect timing as well, since not even a split-second later, the monster''s massive jaws tore through right where she had previously been. With Vanye flying through the air right for us, I outstretched my hand, trying to catch her, yet she was just slightly out of reach, causing me to click my tongue. "I got her." Said Lazuli indifferently as she glanced at Vanye while holding her hand before yanking her towards them, prompting her to land right beside Alexander. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Where is Vanimo?" Asked Vanye in concern as she glanced between Alexander and Lazuli, her heart dropping at the shake of their heads. "Talis is also missing as well; she probably took him for a flight; you know she loves doing that; if he''s with her, he''s safe. C''mon, now let''s focus on getting out of here alive; Vanimo also wants to see you again." Remarked Alexander lightly as he gently slapped Vanye''s cheek, setting her straight and getting her to focus while she nodded in response, only for her to bump into him. Feeling the ship tilt more than ever before, I glanced at the ocean below us, which was quickly getting closer. "T-To the hull!" Yelled Alexander as he wasted no time and began leaping from piece to piece, climbing through the broken and destroyed ship, slowly making it to the hull while Vanye followed his movements. Quickly reaching the top or bottom of the hull, I squatted down and grabbed Vanye''s hand before yanking her towards me as she landed right beside Lazuli and I. "What do we do now?" "Tsk, I don''t know. So much for my hope to find a lifeboat." Remarked Vanye and Alexander, respectively, as the latter clicked his tongue while the former glanced at the sinking ship. "Why did the monster even attack us in the first place? Didn''t Zartha say ships are coated in something called Oceans Mimicry to fool Monster and conceal our presence?" Muttered Alexander in confusion as he glanced at the bottom of the hull, only for his eyes to suddenly narrow while he quickly squatted down, rubbing his hand across the black-tinted hull. "Did you figure something out, Alex?" Asked Lazuli as she glanced at Alexander, prompting Vanye to do the same, watching while he insects the hull. Not bothering to respond, I ran to the side of the ship, stabbed Trina into the hull, and looked at the part of the ship that had yet to sink into the water, only to click my tongue in anger as I pulled myself back up. "Tch, fucking cheap bastards!" Said Alexander in anger as he tightly clenched Trina, his words confusing Lazuli and Vanye. "What''s wrong?" Asked Vanye with narrowed eyes as she unsheathed her sword, preparing for the worst. "Whatever fucking company this ship belongs to, they didn''t coat the entire ship in Oceans'' Mimicry, only the hull of the ship!" Remarked Alexander in anger as he summoned Zartha before tossing it to Vanye, while both she and Lazuli were equally angry. "C''mon, we can get angry about this later, but I have an idea." Added Alexander lightly as he quickly calmed down and glanced at Vanye, who was curiously inspecting Zartha in her hand. "Vanye, go to the opposite side and use Zartha, my sword, to cut the hull off the ship; we can use it as a makeshift raft. Lazuli, make sure it doesn''t tip over upside down." Remarked Alexander as he pointed at Vanye before glancing at Lazuli, who nodded. With Vanye and I walking to one end of the ship, we stabbed Zartha and Trian a few inches deep into the hull at an angle, and quickly, we began to run along the hull, cutting right through the wood with ease. Once we got a big enough piece to comfortably fit all three of us, Lazuli flipped it onto its bottom, allowing us to enter when ready. "Will this survive the ocean?" Asked Vanye as she tossed Zartha back to Alexander, who nodded, causing her to skeptically eye him. "It will have to. Either that, or we die, and I don''t want to die." Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Vanye, who sighed, only to notice several other survivors making it to the top of the hull. It seems we weren''t the only ones who survived the initial attack, though I couldn''t help but wince. I would love to help them, I really would, but I wasn''t in a position to. I wasn''t even entirely confident about our survival; I couldn''t do something stupid and risk our lives further. ''Fuck, I can''t just do nothing either.'' Thought Alexander in annoyance as he scratched his head before deeply sighing and tossing Zartha back to Vanye, who caught it with a raised eyebrow. "Help me make a few more of those; we can give it to them." Remarked Alexander as he glanced at the survivors, his words causing Vanye to subtly frown before eventually nodding. With Vanye''s help, we made several more, much bigger, makeshift rafts out of the ship''s hull, and by the time we finished, there were even more survivors piling to the top, with a few being adventurers, but none seemed to be a threat¡­ Well, except for a small group of three that seemed hell-bent on getting their rocks off before dying. "If I''m dying, I''m going to at least fuck a human!" Yelled an Elven man as he grabbed the arms of a random woman before forcing himself onto her, while his two other companions behaved similarly. Before I could stop them, with swift, graceful movements, Vanye''s sword decapitated each one of them, freeing the pinned women from their clutches. "Hmph, you''re too nice, Alex. Those men deserved death." Said Vanye sternly as she glanced at Alexander, who sighed, not bothering to argue with her. "Something we can agree on." Remarked Lazuli lightly as she glanced at Vanye.