H Tales Of A Reincarnated Elf

by Stayrr

I was a good looking prince when I was reborn, and because I could do indecent things as much as I like, I decided to make a harem while traveling with a beautiful female elf Formerly an otaku, the hero who was just reincarnated became a handsome elf prince of another world. In his previous life he was just a plain-faced man, so in this world he uses his high position as a prin

148. Leveling Through Lust (41-60)

Read Leveling through Lust Chapter 41: Extraordinary Treatment online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 41: Extraordinary Treatment

For a while, the silence was dominant in the cave while I gently cleaned Titania's arm with a damp piece of cloth. I couldn't help but feel excited as her arm was slowly freed from the ugly cover of dirt, leaving her alabaster skin, shining and supple after my healing treatment. I occasionally threw a glance toward her, but her beautiful gray eyes —lacking their usual hardness— avoided mine.

Understandable, considering she was being forced to receive nursing effort from a man she barely knew, and the huge crush she was starting to develop toward me definitely didn't harm. "Are you comfortable?" I asked as I moved to the other arm, and received only a soft nod in response.

She stayed silent as I finished her other arm including the shoulder, then moved to her legs, starting from the middle of her thigh and moving lower, trying to make her more comfortable by respecting her boundaries. Or more accurately, acting like I was respecting her boundaries while applying the full range of massage tricks on her, helped by the fact that I had spent several minutes carefully healing her body with my magic, figuring a lot of its secrets in the process, sensitivities, blind spots, and how best to awaken her primal desire.

The first break in her tone happened when I finally reached her ankle. A gasp escaped her mouth, one that she quickly hid behind a cough. I acted unawares as my fingers caressed her foot, turning the intensity a notch as well. "May I ask you a question?" she murmured.

"Of course," I said, once again trying to act unaware. I knew that she was asking for the question earlier than she intended, trying to cover for the idea. A good tactic, too bad it would not work against me.

"Why are you here, in Silver Spires?" she asked, her tone focused. It was good, because it reminded me of something I almost let slip during the last hour. She might be acting like a teenager with a crush, but she was still the head librarian that was strong enough to cut through an army, with the wits to back it up. I was lucky that I was dealing wither in her most vulnerable, exhausted, shocked, and devoid of mana.

"I wanted to be free," I answered casually, deciding that it was the best answer I could come up with, close enough to the truth without revealing my biggest secret. And funnily, when I said it, it resonated in me more than a well-crafted lie. It was true, in the end. I was trying to get stronger, because I wanted to be free even if my unusual power source was discovered.

"What do you mean?" she asked. I doubted that she didn't understand my reason, but my fingers were digging into her soles in a determined assault, bringing her pleasure. And from the way she bit her lips desperately, it was clear that she was struggling to keep her reaction hidden.

"Well, the situation back home is complicated," I said even as I turned my eyes to the cave entrance, my tone had a deep, husky quality, like I was struggling through a dark memory, playing the mysterious tortured hero. "At first, there wasn't a lot of hope about my development, they assumed that I already hit my level cap when I was young, so I was sequestered like the family's little shame. When I was old enough to understand the implications, I could have explained to them the truth, of course, but that would have put me back into the struggle for the family seat. At that point, I was already behind my rivals with no reasonable way to gain other's support." But even as I gave my dark monologue, I did my best to give her a mindblowing foot massage while acting absentmindedly.

"Seems difficult," she murmured, trying to sound serious, but failing to keep the shadow of the moan hidden. "Do you want to return there?"

[200 Experience]

I acted unawares even as I moved to her other foot. "Not exactly," I answered. "It was not the best childhood, but I lacked a true understanding of the details. But there's nothing for me back there even if I take the family seat, which I could easily," I said, which was very true. With my current strength, it would take me less than a day to take the family seat, but why bother. The last thing I needed was to get stuck in the endless organizational meetings, border disputes, and other innate problems.

"And how come you're in my school," she said, even with the arousal and curiosity, a certain edge could be heard.

"When the opportunity came, my family enthusiastically shipped me to Silver Spires, hoping that I would kindly disappear from their view, unaware of my strength. I stayed, because the school gave me the best opportunity to get stronger. And before I knew, it was the only place I could call my own," I continued as I intensified my massage, forcing a moan of her beautiful lips, of which I acted unawares.

"Is that the reason you're fighting against the necromancers, that they are threatening your home," she said.

"In part," I answered even as I turned to her, with a bright smile on my face. "More importantly, I can't let them hurt such a spectacular sample of beauty, can I?"

The blush that spread her face was spectacular. This time, I kept my gaze on her face, a teasing smile on my lips, as I climbed upward while cleaning her other leg. When I passed her leg, she was squirming helplessly, and when I arrived the upper part of her legs, enjoying the softness of her inner thigh. I wanted nothing more than parting them open, ripping off her underwear, and take her on the floor.

[200 Experience]

Pity that it was too early for that.

Caressing her inner thighs with a torturous slowness was decent compensation for the lack of it, especially since she was reacting amazingly to my touch. She was even more inexperienced when it came to the matters of the flesh, I realized. "Let's focus on your back," I added as I gently grabbed her shoulder before gently flipping her over, the wet cloth dancing on her back. I would have liked to continue focusing on her thigh, but I want her to be completely clean before I tried my chance with the seduction. The last thing I needed was her to feel self-conscious about the state of her body in the middle of the seduction, ruining my chances.

I focused on her upper back at first, sliding under her bra strap repeatedly to hint her about the possible direction I might take. She managed to stay silent for a short while before a stubborn moan finally escaped her beautiful lips. "I'm not hurting you, am I?" I asked, fake-concerned. "I can reduce the pressure if you want."

"No!" she answered, far to quick to be a nonchalant response, but she still tried to do that. "I meant, it's better if you keep the pressure so that we can focus on our plan."

"Of course, my lady," I answered gallantly even as my empty hand trailed her spine gently, making her shiver. Her moans become commonplace once I arrived at her lower back, passing dangerously close to her buttocks. I cleaned the edges, but instead of her arousal increasing, she stiffened, so I let it slide for a bit. "Do you feel strong enough to sit?" I asked instead.

Her answer was a pointed, angry glare, trying to conceal the fact that she was feeling self-conscious. Understandable, considering her reputation and power. It was likely that no one had questioned her capabilities for a long while, certainly not something as simplistic as sitting up. I answered with a gentle but teasing smile instead. She avoided my gaze shyly and murmured. "I can handle it," she said as she tried to push herself up her feet, only to fail spectacularly.

"Nonsense, for the next few days, I'm your obedient and selfless servant," I said even as I presented my arm to her, helping her to reach a sitting position. She did so, her arms crossed in front of cover her still-dirty chest, covered only with a bra. However, I caught a glimpse, enough to see her nipples pushing hard against the surface, telling her arousal.

Even when I helped her to a sitting position, she looked like she might topple down at any moment. As a gentleman, I could never allow such a disaster, so I sat behind her, her back pressing against my chest, my arms gently around her waist. "Isn't it a bit much," she managed to murmur as she turned her head to face me.

It was a mistake from her end, of course, because it brought our lips almost to a contact point, separated by just an inch, her panicked breath dancing on my lips. She was frozen, and I decided to use the opportunity to focus on her stomach, flat and fragile under my touch. She just stayed there, frozen, while I continued caressing her body, guilt and shock and enjoyment dancing on her face.

[200 Experience]

I gently hummed even as the fabric I used to clean her beautiful body rode up, dancing just under her breasts. She didn't react as badly as before but still stiffened, so I used a simple spell to clean the fabric before focusing on her neck and her face. The silence stretched as I slowly caressed her face, revealing her dainty, beautiful frame and her delicious lips.

She stayed silent for a while, before a gasp escaped her mouth. She was getting antsy. In a moment of inspiration, I decided to try something new. "You trust me, right?" I asked, and she nodded, though it was a hesitant one, waiting for the twist. I smirked as I raised my finger. "Suck my finger."

"What!" she exclaimed, managing to shout in her exhausted state. "Don't be ridiculous-" she tried to continue, but I silenced her by pressing my finger to her lip.

"Come on, you won't be disappointed," I said even as I dragged my finger along her lip, knowing that her shivers had nothing to do with the cold, not with my body draped around hers. She looked at me hesitantly, her heartbeat beating hard enough to be felt on my chest. Then, she took my finger between her beautiful lips, pouty enough to make a courtesan jealous.

Her eyes widened as I let a minuscule amount of pure, and shapeless mana from my finger, making her eyes widen in shock. She bit my finger in shock, luckily not that hard in her exhausted state, but still enough to hurt. I continued to release mana for a while before stopping.

[-157 Mana]

"What was that?!" she exclaimed, shock and euphoria on her face.

"Pure mana," I answered, like it was a simple thing. In truth, it wasn't. The only reason I was able to do was my rather impressive theoretical background combined with the expertise on three discrete branches of magic, giving me an extraordinary awareness of my magic. "How much mana did you recover?" I asked.

"Two points," she answered, and I couldn't help but frown. The idea was good, but the efficiency was too low.

"I spent over a hundred and fifty points," I answered with a frown, making her smile fall as well. I was quick to console her. "That was just the first test, I'm sure that we can find a better way. Even if we can't, it'll still help your recovery immensely." I sighed.

"Yes," she said with a smile. "Your regeneration is really fast."

"It's a pity that that bonus is about to expire," I answered, and she looked shocked. "Don't worry, I can trigger it again, but not for now. The conditions are a bit tricky." She nodded. "Are you ready to continue experimentation, I said even as I placed my finger in her mouth once again, this time, letting mana trickle slower, hoping for better efficiency.

Of course, it wasn't the only thing I was doing. With her attention on my finger between her hot lips, and the mana flowing from it, it was the best time to move onto some sensual cleaning. The fabric dipped down on her torso once more, this time slipping until it collided her cleavage. She looked like she was about to complain, but I chose that moment to let a huge deluge of magic, filling her mouth, extracting a moan as well.

[-342 Mana]

[400 Experience]

[Achievement. Tantric Treats. Use your mana to establish a deeper connection with a beautiful beau. 3 Perception, 1000 Experience]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Master Biomancy, Basic Light, Basic Tantric]

I couldn't help but focus on the selection in front of me instead of her beautiful moan. Biomancy would have been useful, of course, and basic light was intriguing, but not as much as Tantric, especially when mana transfer triggered it. Under different circumstances, I wouldn't have taken it, but enhancing Titania's recovery speed was an advantage I couldn't deny.

The rest, I could discover in the future.

So, I selected before letting my mana flow from my finger once again, the flow already more stable and more effective.

[100 Experience]

[-121 Mana]

[2 Tantric]

I looked at her brightening face, happy that she was too occupied to notice the sudden jump in efficiency. Even better, she was too distracted by the flow to care about my hand diving deeper into the sacred area protected by her bra until the wetness of the fabric became too distracting. She dipped her head down, realizing the presence of my hand in her cleavage, stiffening once more. Luckily, my finger was in her mouth, so I distracted her with another jolt of mana, earning a beautiful moan as a result.

[300 Experience]

[-246 Mana]

[4 Tantric]

It was amusing to see just how easy was to increase the skill proficiency with a large mana capacity, though not as amusing as watching the impeccable head librarian of Silver Spires squirming in my lap, betraying her utter lack of experience when it came to men. "So, tell me about yourself," I asked with a flirty tone.

"I can't, my secrets are dangerous," she answered confrontationally, but as she stayed distracted by it, she failed to comment as I found her bra hook and releasing it with a flick, finally leaving it bare, limiting herself to a shy gaze instead.

"I need to have better access to properly clean," I answered innocently before moving back to the main topic. "I'm not asking about your secrets, I'm asking about you. Tell me what you enjoy in your free time, what you don't. What's your favorite color, or what's your favorite food."

"I don't know," she murmured shyly, but also with a hint of confusion. "I have a great deal of responsibilities in my job, and my secret mission takes the rest. I don't have the chance or the desire to explore."

"What a pity," I said even as I dragged my cloth down to her last untouched spot, hidden behind her panties. This time, she was very much aware of the destination, but did nothing to prevent me other than a trembling hand reflexively reaching before coming to a sudden stop, showing I wasn't the only one that was feeling excited about the prospect. I continued speaking as I dragged her panties down, revealing her beautiful nether lips once more, neatly trimmed, while also giving her another dash of mana, the flow even easier than the previous time.

[400 Experience]

[-131 Mana]

[3 Tantric]

"Do you at least masturbate," I asked cheerfully at her even as I dragged the wet fabric on her most sensitive spot with torturous slowness, making her moan helplessly.

I wasn't expecting much, but the answer still surprised me. "No," she murmured. "Never."

Keeping the question back took quite a bit of effort. I could have accepted that she didn't masturbate often, as she was still enough around the school to do so. But to never masturbate, one needed to be seriously asexual, and from the responses she was showing under my hands, I was willing to diagnose that she was very sexual.

Which meant that it was something about her emotions or instincts being repressed. It was a wild guess, but it was definitely more believable than my power set, so who could know?

"Really?" I answered instead even as I threw the fabric to the side and placed my fingers to her entrance. "Then, let me have the honor of being the first one to teach you about true pleasure."

—

[Level: 18 Experience: 153850 / 171000

Strength: 18 Charisma: 30

Precision: 13 Perception: 17

Agility: 17 Manipulation: 20

Speed: 15 Intelligence: 20

Endurance: 14 Wisdom: 24

HP: 1386 / 1386 Mana: 963 / 1998 ]

SKILLS

[Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

Basic Tantric [10/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 42: Unexpected Hurdle

Her reaction to my proclamation was a thing of wonder. A beautiful expression of confusion spread on her face, enhanced further by the blush that turned her alabaster skin to red. She wiggled uncomfortably, but made no attempt to pull away from her comfortable position of leaning against my chest.

Her innocent yet accepting reaction made her impossible to resist even without considering the fact she was the impeccable head librarian, one of the deadliest mages in the country, her name enough to make her foes tremble. And now, she was trying to ignore her own reaction as I pulled her on my lap. She shivered, her shyness obvious, but that didn't prevent her from wiggling on top of my shaft, trying to get comfortable.

A little bribe for her tantalizing obedience was in order, I decided even as I put my finger to her mouth once more, but this time, rather than sliding it directly, I lingered on her lips, tracing the edges even as her mouth opened helplessly, a gasp escaping her mouth. She moved her lips, trying to catch it, but I moved my finger before she could, earning a frustrated growl, enough to make me chuckle. I let my finger slide into her mouth and let my mana flow once more.

[-55 Mana]

[2 Tantric]

I was happy with the rapid development of my new skill, even though I had doubts about its usefulness. But I wasn't asshole enough to focus on long term goals when I had a fragile brunette on my lap whose work life and ambitions blinded her to the true pleasures of life.

So, while she was distracted, I discarded the washcloth, and let my other hand free on her body. I wanted to delve deep into her breasts, but for her first time, she deserved a more considerate treatment. Instead, I let my fingers drift on her stomach, caressing it with gentle, fleeting touches. Already charged with our earlier play, that was enough to trigger a moan from her, muffled due to my finger in her mouth. I wasn't letting any more mana out —I wanted to regenerate more in case we had another ambush— but she continued to suck it with the same enthusiasm, making my imagination work overtime about other things she might enjoy sucking.

"It feels … different," she murmured as I let my hand climb upward, dancing on the bottom of her naked breasts, ideas such as modesty and personal space long forgotten. I reached for her breasts, which, while smaller than what I had been enjoying thanks to Marianne, Helga, and Aviada, were still beautiful in their perkiness and perfect shape. And the way her nipples stiffened at my touch was more than enough to address the deficiency in size.

She was beautiful. And the fact that she was several times stronger than me just made the moment even more exciting.

I wanted to speak, to tease her about her new experience, but when I saw her eyes closed in an effort to contain the new sensations, I decided to take it a different way. I gently traced her nipple, earning another moan in the process, before letting my fingers dance over her body.

[400 Experience]

My finger wasn't in her mouth anymore, which allowed me to continue caressing her nipples even as my other hand moved down in a determined journey until it ended around her panties. I thought about sliding in her panties, then I decided to pull them off completely, leaving her naked for my view. She gasped cutely as I dragged them down her toned legs, but gave no resistance. I couldn't help but feel excited at the sight of her most sensitive location, cleanly shaved despite her lack of experience.

"So, let me teach you how to masturbate," I whispered into her ear even as my fingers gave a cursory caress to her lower lips before focusing on her inner thighs, massaging her slowly but sensuously.

"Okay," she murmured dreamily, but from her tone, I could easily see that she was not in a mood to listen, so rather than speaking, I decided to teach her by example. As my fingers started their determined dance on her thighs, however, she moaned once more. "Faster," she begged.

Normally, I would have stretched the moment, torturing my partner deliciously with a bit of delayed pleasure, but I decided to make an exception for Titania. Not experiencing arousal for decades was a true tragedy, something I knew intimately from my own fate. If I could enlighten someone else on the subject while enjoying the moment, I would never say no to it. So, I let my fingers move to the hot zone, enjoying the way her wetness coated my fingers.

[500 Experience]

"It feels amazing!" she moaned loudly.

"Of course it does, but you haven't seen anything yet," I said to her even as my fingers started moving, her enjoyment displayed by a string of moans that left her mouth. She was truly delicious. I decided to push the boundaries even more. "By the way, I would like to try an alternative mana conducting method, if you're okay with it," I asked her. Her response was an absentminded nod, followed by another moan. She wasn't in a state to really comment on it, barely understanding the significance of my question.

So, she froze when I pressed my lips against hers, cutting off another moan halfway. I kissed her softly, even as I let my mana flow from my body to hers, in a soft, lingering kiss.

[200 Experience]

[-128 Mana]

[4 Tantric]

Mana transfer was a silly excuse to kiss her, so I was surprised when I actually felt it flowing much smoother. I didn't need to ask her about the efficiency, as by now, I was familiar enough with the mana flow to realize mouth-to-mouth transfer was highly superior to delivering it through my finger. Of course, that brought up another question, whether a full-blown sexual delivery would have been even more efficient. I didn't know, but it was definitely a worthy —and potentially very enjoyable— test.

That was for later, however, as there were more immediate concerns that deserved my attention, such as the way Titania was wiggling on my lap even as she neared the first orgasm of her life, the distance between her muffled moans dwindling even further. So, when I finally slipped a finger into her entrance, it wasn't shocking for her to start trembling helplessly as she was struck by her orgasm.

[500 Experience]

I slid my hands to her stomach, gently caressing her as she tried to process the pleasure, while I maintained a lingering kiss. "How was it?" I asked after a minute.

"It was amazing!" she said excitedly. "I have never thought that it would've been that enjoyable. I missed a lot of time."

"Don't worry, it's not too late, you're definitely beautiful enough to compensate for the lost time and if you want I'm always ready to help."

"Really?" she asked, looking between excited and shocked.

"Of course, that was my pleasure," I answered. Then, I decided to push her a bit. "May I ask you a personal question?" I said, and she nodded shyly. "You said you've never even masturbated? Is there a reason for it? Weren't you at least tempted to it?"

"I don't know. Learning to use Light Magic took a lot of effort from me when I was young. I guess I never had the time or the inclination," she murmured, which admittedly, confused me a little. She seemed honest in her response, making it a bit of a mystery. Not doing it because of external pressure or some other reason might have been understandable, but not feeling the inclination for it was weird. It would have made sense if she was asexual, but from what I had seen in the last half an hour, she most definitely was a sexual being, though quite deprived. "Is it always that enjoyable?" she asked in a small tone.

"No," I answered, and her shy smile turned into a frown, but before she could say anything else, I continued. "What we have done was just a preview. The real thing is much better than that."

"Really, how's that possible?" she asked, shocked.

"That's just how it goes," I answered, even as I let my hands on her stomach start moving once more, climbing toward her breasts, caressing the edge sensually, something that made her moan. "This was just a prelude. The real thing is something special, even earth-shattering," I said then suddenly caught her eyes with a wide, smug smirk. "If delivered by a person that knows what he's doing, of course," I added.

She smirked back, though it still had a shy edge to it. "And the next thing you're going to say is that you know what you're doing."

"Well, I'm not one to brag but you can say that I have some minor accomplishments in the subject," I said even as I let my other hand slip down to her entrance, circling around her clit to force a moan out of her. "As you can attest…"

"Bastard," she murmured, yet feeling much more comfortable in my arms than before. I said nothing, but let my fingers dance at her entrance slowly, enough to arouse her, but not enough to build her toward another climax. The silence stretched for a while. Well, not exactly silence as her moans rang in the cave in an exciting frequency.

Then, she spoke once more. "Maybe we should explore the alternative ways of mana delivery," she whispered.

Since my blood was mostly in the lower half of my body, it took a moment for me to understand what she was saying. "Of course," I stammered, excited, not expecting her to actually take the recommendation that easily. "It's our responsibility as magical researchers," I said, though as I said that, I made sure to lean towards her ear, delivering it through a husky whisper.

"Good," she said as she raised her bottom a bit, enough to pull my pants down. She might not be as strong as me, but she was strong enough to almost rip my pants as she pulled them down, quite excited. She was about to lay on her back, but I gestured for her to stop before laying on my back. "Why don't you take the seat of honor, Miss Head Librarian," I said as I smiled in amusement, even though my heartbeat rose significantly. Inviting one of the most dangerous women known to mankind to ride you in a cowgirl position was a rather dangerous thing, after all.

Luckily, she lacked the mana to take offense, and more importantly, her blush and her excited smile weren't exactly signs of uncontrollable anger. Her legs were trembling as she hovered above me, feeling excited at the prospect. She closed in before turning her back, lowering herself toward my shaft, but I stopped her just as her entrance kissed the crown of my shaft. "What's wrong?" she whispered, her fear palpable.

"I want you to turn around. I want to get lost in your beautiful gray eyes as we do it," I said. She turned at me, hesitant and shy. "For the safety of the experiment, of course," I continued mockingly. "I need to watch your expression in case something goes wrong."

"I see," she whispered even as she turned to face me, once again giving me a full-frontal view of her beautiful, tight body, making my shaft throb in anticipation. "It's good to see you're careful about the experiment," she added, trying to replicate my mocking edge, but unable to suppress her innocent excitement.

Then, she lowered herself, slowly engulfing me within her hot grasp. She staggered a moment when I felt the pressure of her barrier, but she didn't let it delay her for more than a moment, getting rid of it with a stiff push, not even bothering to stop to adapt. Not surprising, considering her prowess, a little bit of pain wasn't going to stop her from what she desired. However, as she sank lower, her speed slowed down, while her expression twisted in joy and desire.

[1000 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 1%]

I was happy to see the companion tracker ticking once again, though I was not exactly surprised. After all, not only had I saved her from a deadly ambush, but also come up with a totally new way of mana transfer just to cure her deficiency easier. It would have been surprising if she wasn't feeling a connection with me.

"It feels amazing," she murmured as she stilled, giving a pause to her task of devouring my full length. I let her move up and down at her own pace, letting her enjoy the experience before I took control. She rose up until only the crown was enveloped in her warmth, before she moved down with a torturous slowness, only to stop when she reached the previous point.

"You're beautiful," I whispered even as I maintained eye contact, doing my best to display my sincerity. It was not a hard task, not when her beautiful body lay in front of me in its spectacular full-frontal nudity while she did her best to make my shaft disappear from view despite her discomfort, her beautiful face contorted with pleasure.

Her sudden tightening was a nice surprise.

[500 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 3%]

"Really?" she gasped, surprised, like she had heard it for the first time.

I was about to dismiss that as a ridiculous notion before I remembered that the raven-haired beauty in front of me was also the most intimidating person around back in the school. Even without adding in her unflattering clothes and steely expression there, I doubted that many had the courage to openly flirt with her.

It was a travesty that needed to be corrected, I decided. "Yes, you are," I said. "The way your raven hair sticks to your glowing face, the way your beautiful lips shine under the flickering lights, the way your eyes sparkle in joy, every part of you is beautiful," I whispered throatily even as I reached up and put my hands on her body, caressing her sides in a gentleness that wouldn't go amiss in a marital bed.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 7%]

"Tell me more," she gasped, her tone indicating that she was already halfway to orgasm.

"The way you walk is spectacular," I whispered. "Scary and intimidating, but it still makes me want to pull you into an abandoned part of the library before I rip your clothes off to see what's underneath…"

Her pacing picked up speed, every repeat forcing my shaft deeper into her core. She didn't look entirely comfortable with the amount she took, but if she wanted to push her limits, who was I to argue. "And, do you like what's underneath my clothes?" she gasped even as she looked into my eyes, though despite her willpower, she was barely able to maintain eye contact.

"Oh, did I?" I whispered. "I found a treasure trove above and beyond even my admittedly ambitious dreams. Your shoulders are beautiful enough to breathe life to a dead man, your stomach smooth enough to make me lay on it forever, enjoying its surface," I said with a throaty whisper, making her shiver at each word.

[500 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 10%]

"Tell me more," she gasped even as she picked up speed, rocking her hips recklessly, unaware of the danger that was building up inside me.

"Of course," I said. "Your breasts are more perfect than a seven node array balanced to trigger," I whispered, letting some magical theory into our flirting, curious of the effect. It was a nice surprise when she tightened even further, proving that her librarian role was not just for show. "Your hips are beautiful, sculpted to perfection, and your pussy…" I said, lingering a bit before letting out a moan. "Oh, your pussy is the greatest sensation I have ever felt in my life…" I added.

[Achievement: Seductive Sonnet. Woo a beautiful but attention-starved lady through the power of words. 2 Manipulation, 500 Experience]

That seemed to be the last trigger she needed, as her eyes suddenly closed and her body stiffened, giving me the signal of an impending orgasm. Since I was already on the edge and keeping myself from exploding through sheer willpower, I decided to add to the moment through my new skill. I packed as much as mana I could pack into my seed before letting it free.

[-400 Mana]

[6 Tantric]

Assisted by my new skill, I started spurting inside her like a broken dam, beat after beat filling her completely. It proved to be the last thing she needed to push her over the edge, as she exploded in cries even as she collapsed on my chest, my shaft still inside her, filling her to the brim.

[2000 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 12%]

It took a lot for me to take control of my breathing as well, enjoying the sensation of conquering the most dangerous woman I knew while also achieving a spectacular achievement, Even as she tried to get control of her breathing, I continued pumping into her, wanting to enjoy the moment as much as possible.

But my beautiful plan was blocked by an interesting, and very unwelcome, notification.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 12%] Progress Blocked!

—

[Level: 18 Experience: 159950 / 171000

Strength: 18 Charisma: 30

Precision: 13 Perception: 17

Agility: 17 Manipulation: 22

Speed: 15 Intelligence: 20

Endurance: 14 Wisdom: 24

HP: 1386 / 1386 Mana: 624 / 2034 ]

SKILLS

[Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

Basic Tantric [22/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 43: Cracking the Challenge

I was caught flat-footed by the sudden notification, so much so that I was barely able to respond to Titania's lingering kiss before she collapsed unconscious against my chest, her breathing soft and content. I could have slid underneath her, or started walking around the cave to gather my thoughts, to theorize about the source, but I chose to continue lying underneath her lithe body instead, my half-erect shaft still inside her. If I was going to spend some time theorizing about the sudden new challenge, I was going to do that through a delicious distraction.

Not to mention maintaining contact might give me some clues.

Even with the euphoria I was feeling after that spectacular explosion, I couldn't help but be stressed. The notification of my special ability being countered was never a good sign, but the fact that it happened with Titania was even worse. She was the strongest and most influential person I got in contact with by far, and she represented real risk for me. I was feeling comfortable due to her cute shyness and other reactions, but that was before realizing she had a skill that interfered with mine.

I decided to experiment once more. I leaned in for a soft kiss, slipping a sliver of mana inside her, but this time. Even in her sleep, she moaned softly as she sucked my tongue, eagerly allowing my mana into her body.

[50 Experience]

[-13 Mana]

[1 Tantric]

However, this time, I did things differently. Instead of letting go of the control of the mana, allowing her to absorb it easily, I maintained the control, letting it slip inside her.

I was rewarded with an incredible finding. I could suddenly feel a familiar yet foreign presence of power throbbing inside her. I hadn't had to turn inward to check the source of the familiarity. It was the source of her power, the core of the system. It was hard to describe, of course, like a blind person trying to describe a dragon after a brief touch. Still, like a blind person feeling the majesty and danger of the dragon by just a touch, I could feel the majesty of her power, dwarfing my current status by a huge margin.

Then, my mana disappeared, so I decided to lean in and give her another kiss for another dose of mana, to understand her power. Luckily, my mana regeneration was still active, even though I was counting the remaining time in minutes rather than hours. From the earlier experience, it was almost enough to fill my mana pool twice before expiry.

[50 Experience]

[-16 Mana]

[1 Tantric]

The second impression I got about her power was marginally clearer. Some parts, I was able to recognize, such as Charisma and Wisdom. I even managed to identify her arcana skill, though the rest was hard to understand. The real clincher, however, was a thick web of white energy spreading over her power core, like it dominated all others. I let my mana touch it, only for my mana to disappear in an instant, absorbed into the web.

It was the same light magic she had been using in the battle.

Suddenly, a sudden inspiration clicked in my mind, proving the usefulness of my extraordinary wisdom and intelligence. I doubted that I would've made the connection that quickly otherwise. Some of the older books I have been reading to discover the root of my powers had snippets and footnotes referring to some metaphysical concepts like actual presences, describing them a bit more holistically than necessary, even giving them personalities and traits like they were real beings, like skills and stats had personalities once upon a time. It was not something I took note of at the time.

The stories and footnotes were by no means comprehensive, but I remembered it talking about the Light like it was pure, but also emotionless and unyielding, driven by logic and perception of justice more than anything, not to mention aloof and hard to connect to. It didn't describe the Titania that blushed with just a fleeting kiss. But it described the peerless head librarian that scared everyone, who worked and lived for her duty.

The difference, her mana depletion.

Once I realized that, it was so clear, especially with the learnings I gathered from my diagnosis. For whatever reason, Light Magic wasn't working like just another skill but affecting her mind, state and thoughts, as well as blocking out her emotions. I didn't know whether it was something unique to her or it would happen to anyone that would take that skill, but regardless, it forced me to change my plans significantly.

Suddenly, I was very glad about not taking that particular skill.

Of course, while considering all those points, I was still inside her, smoothly going back and forth, enjoying her tightness just in case I never had the opportunity to in the future. And even while she was comatose because of exhaustion, her grip was spectacular, and her moans were beautiful. And since I needed one last diagnostic before making a plan, I decided to use the opportunity to my benefit. I continued pumping until I was ready to climax, and then filled her insides once more, using the moment to deliver a burst of mana as well.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 12%] Progress Blocked!

[1000 Experience]

[-120 Mana]

[1 Tantric]

Once again, I maintained the contact with my mana, the abundance of it allowing me to observe the changes in her power much clearer. But in the core of it, I could see something familiar trying to change, only to be suppressed by the cage of light. Something that carried a piece of me.

I was willing to bet everything that it represented the Companion process. I decided to experiment and flooded all the mana I could still control towards it, smashing the cage of light around it with all my might. It cost all of my mana, but it managed to make a crack in it, a crack that the Companion energy expanded just a bit more.

[Ability Countered!]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 13%]

[Achievement: Rattling the Rival. Use your superior abilities and trickery to get one over on your eons-old rival. 2 to all stats. 10000 Experience]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Master Biomancy, Basic Light, Advanced Tantric]

I gasped in shock at the achievement I had received. The rewards were incredible, of that there was no doubt. Two points across all stats was an incredible benefit, and even at my current status, ten thousand points of experience was nothing to scoff at.

But it was nothing compared to the description. Until now, achievements were always amusing, sometimes mildly informative, such as the second-biggest library. However, the last one I received came completely unexpected. The rival thing was confusing enough, as even if I squinted badly, I wouldn't exactly put my budding relationship with Titania rivalry. However, the real kicker was the eons-old rival part. I was fairly certain that two decades didn't count as an eon.

It was a very intriguing —and potentially dangerous— mystery considering the spottiness of historical records, which tends to happen when cities and civilizations fall under monster hordes in a surprising frequency. Still I decided to shelve that for the moment, as no matter how intriguing, I had more immediate concerns to address.

Such as the beautiful girl currently on my lap sleeping, or the skill selection from the level up. Though, the latter part was relatively obvious. I just chose Tantric, as it was not only immediately useful, but also it had implications I wanted to explore. Not to mention avoiding Light Magic for the moment was the prudent choice.

The next half an hour passed in a relative calmness, though it required my utmost concentration. I was still inside her, sliding in and out repeatedly while also kissing her, injecting small charges of mana, trying to understand how best to slow down or destroy the encroachment of the Light into her mind and soul. I spent quite a bit of mana, but luckily, with my regeneration still active —with less than five minutes remaining on the clock— I still managed to recover my mana to near-full levels.

During that, however, I used my new Tantric skill to great effect, earning experience as well as improving my control on transferred mana.

[4000 Experience]

[-420 Mana]

[25 Tantric]

I decided to wake her up, and wake her up with style, even though it was risky with the Light magic spreading in her despite my best efforts —while not waking her up, making it much more challenging. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," I cheered even as I used my biomancy skills to gently wake her up, not wanting her to feel groggy. It worked better than the best coffee, her gray eyes shining bright, but her expression was cold, showing that the suppression effect was working greatly.

The confusion on her face was annoying, but also beautiful. It was clear that she was trying to process what had happened, but through her logical, emotionless perspective. Her first activity was trying to pull herself away from me. I decided to make it even harder for her, and captured her lips in a searing kiss, also dropping a lot of mana with my kiss, something made easier thanks to Advanced Tantric, giving me a much better control over externalized mana.

[-80 Mana]

The shock on her face was beautiful, and her attempts to pull back choppy and reluctant, the rush of pleasure enhanced by the mana flow enough to affect even her emotionless state. Only after a minute of kissing, did I pull back, leaving her panting and confused, but my arms were still around her, preventing her escape.

"What are you doing!" she gasped, her hand raised threateningly like she was about to cast a spell. On the surface, her anger was apparent, but I knew that it was driven by her confusion. Thanks to my interference, she was still feeling something, but unlike before, Light Magic prevented her from processing it properly. Or at least, that was my best guess.

"I'm helping you recover your mana," I said calmly, my subterfuge skill once again showing its worth. Before she could say anything, I continued. "We need to move, and my enhanced mana regeneration is about to expire. It's for the best if I use the last moments of it in order to increase your mana, in case we come across hostiles. It's simply logical."

"Yeah," she murmured, her tone cold, but her eyes shrouded with emotion. "That's a very reasonable course of action. Give me your finger," she said.

"Don't you remember, we discovered that the finger is a subpar way of delivering mana, and found out a much better way," I said, doing my best to look calm and collected, but keeping back that smirk was a difficult challenge. "The other way is physically more challenging, but considering the circumstances, it's a worthy trade-off."

"But-" she started, a small blush spreading on her face, proving that the interference I had been running while she slept was not wasted. She wasn't too far gone into the emotionless space.

Her words would remain unfinished, because I slammed my lips against hers, silencing her the best way I could. And when I pushed my shaft deeper into her once again, I managed to extract a beautiful moan from her despite her reluctance.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 13%] Progress Blocked!

The notification annoyed me, especially since I was afraid that she would realize my fight against her Light Magic. I needed to distract her further.

Luckily, my experiences since my initial discovery gave me an impressive library of actions I could use to distract her. I decided to start with something simple, I flipped our positions so she was laying underneath me, my impressive frame hovering above her as I slammed in as deep as possible, earning another moan.

She looked at me with her confused gaze, desire battling with cold logic. Regardless of that, she looked far too aware of herself. So, I decided to carry things to the next level. Previously, she experienced calm and comfortable sex. Now, it was time to introduce her to pure fucking.

I grabbed her legs, and before she could react, put them on my shoulders and leaned forward, forcing her to bend in a very uncomfortable angle. An angle that gave me a perfect angle to impale her tunnel. I took the chance, and slammed inside her mercilessly.

What followed was pure drilling. I slammed inside her again and again. I kissed her repeatedly to inject mana, but even those carried no hint of tenderness, but pure domination. I used the opportunity to dump mana into her, but just maintained contact. It wasn't time to take action yet.

[-300 Mana]

[1500 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 13%] Progress Blocked!

I was annoyed with the repeated reminders of the progress stalling. Luckily, she was rapidly approaching towards a climax under the unfamiliar sensations, giving me the excuse I needed. We orgasmed at the same time, her juices mixing with mine, as well as a flood of my mana, enough to massacre a small army if applied differently.

[-850 Mana]

[1000 Experience]

[Ability Countered!]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 15%]

I could feel her Light Magic desperately trying to reestablish its control, but with her lack of mana, it didn't have a fighting chance. The defense around her companion core was shattered completely, giving us a chance to establish a proper connection.

Since her emotions were back in the game, I decided to shift back to being gentle as well. I pulled out for a moment, letting her legs fall back to the floor. Then, without wasting a second more than necessary, I then continued loving her in the missionary position, our lips linked together, except for the occasions I pulled back to whisper heated compliments into her ear, something that triggered her as much as the calm and long beats of my shaft invading her again and again.

[1000 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 18%]

"It feels so good," she moaned, as she went through yet another orgasm. "How come I never tried this before!" she added wistfully, her sentiment also proving that she wasn't exactly aware of the emotional restriction her magic was forcing on her. Luckily for her, I was more than willing to shatter those imaginary cuffs, freeing her from her torture. And if I was going to replace those cold cuffs with velvet ones, well, that was a fair exchange for her.

Our tender lovemaking lasted another half an hour as she slowly absorbed my mana. I would have liked to stay in the cave all night long, exploring the details of our new relationship, but unfortunately, there were two things that made it a bad idea. The first one, were we needed to return to the school before her enemies decided to take action in her absence. Luckily, it wasn't yet nightfall, and even necromancers wouldn't be stupid enough to act while everyone was around. The second, my mana regeneration perk had finally expired, making it harder for me to refill her mana while being able to use mine.

[-400 Mana]

[2000 Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 23%]

I could have pushed forward a bit more, at least to the point that I reached the first milestone of the Companion process, but I refrained, not wanting to add yet another explanation to an already-confusing situation. "We need to return to the school," I whispered as I pulled out of her, not bothering to hide my regret.

"Yes, we do," she agreed, looking no less enthusiastic about it. "My mana is recovered enough to be able to avoid an ambush, and I need to be in my library before they try anything else."

"Makes sense," I said, then added another thing, no matter how much I didn't want to. "I think we need to return separately, just to make sure they don't identify me," I added, no matter how much I wanted to hang around her, maybe even catching a quickie on the road before the Light Magic turned her cold once more.

"I agree," she said with a nod even as she sat up, making no effort to hide her naked body, covered with my markings. "For now, they don't know who you are and where you came from, and your skill set is diverse enough to make it impossible for them to pin your origin," she added. "So impossible that I still don't have an idea," she added with a bitter tone.

I leaned in to steal a soft, lingering kiss. "Don't worry, we're going to speak more about it," I answered. "Make sure you rest for tonight. Tomorrow night, I"m going to visit you in your room and we're going to have a real talk without immediate danger."

After a lingering kiss, I quickly dressed, and after one last kiss, I left Titania behind, naked. I didn't worry about her, because with her mana back and without an extensive ambush prepared, it was impossible for them to hurt her, at least. And if they did, my presence wouldn't be enough to change anything.

With a sigh, I dashed away, though only after ten minutes of frantic running did I remember the book in my bag. The book that was stolen from her, the one that started everything. I shrugged. I could always give her that back tomorrow, and maybe even use the opportunity to delve deeper in its secrets. Even if it was in a different language, there was a chance I could get some snippets about its source.

The last achievement spooked me a bit. I was in a mystery deeper than I first assumed. Every nugget of information counted.

—

[Level: 19 Experience: 180550 / 190000

Strength: 20 Charisma: 32

Precision: 15 Perception: 19

Agility: 19 Manipulation: 24

Speed: 17 Intelligence: 22

Endurance: 16 Wisdom: 26

HP: 1653 / 1653 Mana: 946 / 2337 ]

SKILLS

[Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Advanced Tantric [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 44: Vivacious Visit

The journey back to the school was surprisingly uneventful. I had been attacked by a few monsters, but there was no sign of any kind of undead. I wasn't surprised by their decision, as after the last battle, not only had their losses become untenable, but they had also lost their leader. Also, it might be vain of me to say, but I believed that I had thoroughly intimidated them, hitting them with surprise after surprise.

Of course, they weren't the only ones that experienced earth-shattering surprises. My encounter with the librarian had a fair number of surprises, from her enthusiastic carnal involvement to her mind-altering Light Magic, from my surprisingly effective new Tantric skill to the incomprehensible revelation I had received in my achievement. Things were even more complicated than I had expected, and the fact that I somehow positioned myself as a stalwart defender against a very dangerous Necromancer plot didn't help the situation any.

I slipped through the guards with familiar ease, and as much as I wanted to take a long bath, I didn't have the time for it. I still had my meeting with Cornelia —by some miracle, I hadn't missed it— and before that, I wanted to check in with Aviada and Helga, just to tell them that I returned safely.

I disguised myself as a servant before starting to look for Aviada, which turned out to be a good choice as I found her in the arena, battling against two men —one fighter, one mage- at the same time, destroying them easily. It was easy to see the incredible development she had shown since our last meeting. I felt pride when I easily recognized some tricks I had used when I was fighting against her and Helga.

Unfortunately, the place was too crowded for me to actually talk to her, so I quickly scribbled a note for her, obscurely mentioning my return and giving her a meeting date for tomorrow early in the morning, then waited until her victory, then made eye contact with her. I gave her a small wave as I slipped the note between her items. The relieved smile on her face told me that she recognized me, though it was immediately followed by anger.

I was going to pay for my disappearance tomorrow.

With Aviada handled, I changed once more, this time into my library assistant outfit, then I went to where I would find Helga. The library.

It didn't take long for me to locate her, huddled in an obscure corner, a tower of books piled in front of her as usual. Unlike the other times, I could see that her mind was on something other than reading, her gaze blank on the page, not bothering to flip it as I watched. She was truly worried.

I couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt as I saw her worried. It was the right choice to force them to leave, as I doubted any of us would have got away with our lives if we were together. They were definitely not ready for that level of combat. Still, seeing her scared gave me a little ping, so I decided to reward her for her obedient waiting.

I sneaked behind her until I wrapped my arms around her, and whispered gently. "Guess who?" It was a testament of our closeness that despite not detecting me before, she wasn't panicked by a pair of arms suddenly around her. Instead, she turned her head and caught my lips in a desperate kiss, one that conveyed fear, longing, and relief.

It was a beautiful kiss that lasted for a couple of minutes, which was still too short in my opinion, especially when it was followed by a hard slap.

[-1 HP]

I could have avoided it, of course, but I let her succeed, knowing it was a way to express her fear. "Where were you?" she gasped. "I was worried sick."

I briefly considered lying to her, but then I remembered the book in my possession. She was the best person to help me solve its mystery before I gave it back to Titania. "Things were more dangerous than I had expected," I whispered, letting my expression reflect the full seriousness of the situation. "Really dangerous. But we can't talk about it here, let's go to my room," I said. She nodded, but I was amused to see the slight blush on her face. "Don't expect much from my room, though," I warned her. "It's a real dump."

"It's okay," she answered as she stood up. After leaving the library, I once again changed into a servant outfit and guided her through the corridors, helping her to avoid attention as we walked down, something easy to achieve as we walked down the corridor.

To her credit, Helga managed to keep her curiosity in until we arrived at my room, which was then replaced by an unimpressed gaze. "I told you it's a dump," I said with a shrug.

"It's not that bad," she murmured with a blush, which was very unconvincing. I smiled widely to tell her that I wasn't offended. "So, what happened?" she asked, immediately delving into more important topics.

"A lot," I answered even as I turned toward the wall, started drawing several runic nodes, tracks of mana burning brightly. "Too much to talk about without making sure we aren't overheard," I added, and after finishing the most basic layer of defense, I passed the book to her.

[-53 Mana]

"Meanwhile, can you please examine this, maybe you can get a better idea about it," I added. Setting up the defenses was going to take a lot of time, so Helga working on the mysterious book was a good opportunity.

"What's this?" she asked, intrigued. "I've never even seen this alphabet, let alone the language."

"I don't know either, but it's valuable enough that two dozen necromancers used it as the bait for a trap."

"Trap! Two dozen!" she exclaimed, the book lay forgotten at her concern. "And you were involved in-" she tried to continue, but I silenced her with a kiss. It was a slight miscalculation, as when I tried to pull back, Helga's arms wrapped around my torso, pinning me in place, preventing my attempts of pulling back.

[Level Difference of at least 50%! No Experience]

[Companion Acquisition: Relationship not sufficient for the third stage]

The notifications were annoying, but I ignored them as I focused on the kiss. Helga was too delicious to rebuff just because the System decided to act like an asshole.

I moaned in appreciation as she slipped a tongue in my mouth, her hands caressing my body like she was trying to make sure that I was still alive, scared of the danger I had gone through earlier. And since she insisted on a break, I decided to give her a break to remember.

My hands danced over her robe's buttons and ties with a striking familiarity, quickly getting rid of her outer clothes, revealing her unappealing blouse and skirt, and a body that still managed to be sexy despite everything. I was about to undress her further when she surprised me by hiking up her skirt and pushing her panties down, following that by frantically pulling my shaft out.

Then, she pulled away from my kisses, and leaned against the wall, her ass raised, angle perfect for my entry. I was surprised by her initiative, but not as much as her next words. "Fuck me hard!" she moaned. "I need to make sure that you're still here."

It was a request impossible to deny, so I stood behind her, quickly fingering her entrance a few times to make sure she was loose enough before impaling her. She moaned loudly as she turned her head, her lips seeking for a kiss, her hips pushing out to meet my frantic pounding. The sound of flesh hitting flesh mixed with desire. With Helga showing such impressive enthusiasm, it didn't take long for her to reach climax, dragging me along with her. She tightened around me, and I filled her.

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Duration, 8 hours]

The notification came as a surprise. Under the excitement of the moment, I had forgotten that I was edging depletion after pumping Titania full with my mana as well as my seed.

"Mmm, that was what I needed," Helga gasped as she tried to control her breathing, but she cried in surprise when I pushed her on the bed and ripped off her clothes, their resistance nothing against my enhanced strength. Soon, she was lying on my bed completely naked, her nipples deliciously erect and her entrance stained with my mark.

"You're delusional if you expect me to stop after that," I said even as I hovered above her in missionary position before sheathing myself inside her again. "We were supposed to work-" she started only for me to silence her with yet another kiss. I impaled her once again, but this time, it was a long, patient slide that contrasted greatly with my earlier frantic assault. The one before was to remind her that I was still alive, this one was about reminding her of the meaning of pleasure.

With my lips alternating between her lips and her neck, and with my fingers triggering every sensitive spot in her body, it didn't take long for her to fall under the daze of pleasure. With her usual caution burned into cinders with desire, she looked spectacular, almost making me explode prematurely. Luckily, I had excellent control over my body.

"Oh, yes," she moaned. "This is the peak of pleasure."

It was good to see her losing her mind from pleasure, but I wanted to teach her that what she had said was not entirely true. The test run of my new skill had worked wonders on Titania, so I was curious about how it would work on Helga.

[-5 Mana]

I started slow, using my kiss to slip a flicker of mana to her, while maintaining control. The first thing I noticed was the ease I could control that flicker of energy. In Titania, it would have disappeared in moments, but Helga's mana space was a calm sea compared to Titania's tornado.

I easily reached Helga's core, using my flicker of mana to examine her skills. The view I got from her was much clearer. I still couldn't identify exact points, but I had a much more accurate view of her abilities. I wondered about the reason for it. Maybe it was the level difference, or maybe it was the increased exposure. I didn't spend a lot of time on that, however, and focused on the concrete information it provided. I could theorize about its drivers later on.

The most important difference between Helga and Titania was the quality of the core itself. Titania's was much stronger, and much more concrete, though it was probably the effect of the level difference. Other things caught my attention as well. Such as the deficiency in her physical stats, her strength in particular. She really needed to bring them up. Her mental stats were much stronger, with her intelligence shining well above her other stats.

To make things even better, I could also read her skills as well. Though I wasn't able to recognize all of them, I could easily identify that they were either about magic, or mental aptitude, both working excellently with her designation as a magical researcher, with Arcana as the only actual applicable skill. No wonder she had never been taken seriously in combat parties.

I was lucky that the rest of the school was stupid enough to miss her true value.

With that cursory examination finished, I pumped more mana inside her, curious on whether I could make any changes.

[-250 Mana]

I targeted her strength, poking and caressing it with my mana, but failed to achieve anything other than a sudden intensifying in Helga's moans. So, I wrapped my mana around her strength, trying to reinforce it. That came with an interesting result, as I felt her hand around my biceps gripping me much stronger. With sudden inspiration, I solidified the reinforcement before pulling back.

"What! How!" Helga gasped between my long, even pushes.

"What happened, sweetie?" I asked.

"I just received a temporary strength bonus," she murmured, shocked. I just smirked in satisfaction. "How-" she tried to ask, but when I quickened my assault, her cry of pleasure took priority. I decided to experiment a bit more. I pushed another generous dash of mana into her, but this time, just let her absorb it.

[-100 Mana]

[Achievement: Boosted Blast. Discover an alternative way of helping your ladies level up. 2 Intelligence. 500 Experience]

The achievement was a surprise, though definitely appreciated. "Impossible!" she cried even as she suddenly tightened around me as she climaxed. "I just gained experience!" Interesting, I thought, even as I let myself climax as well, filling her with my seed and mana.

[-500 Mana]

Her trembling just intensified further, experiencing a second climax before the first one even subsided. She was gasping and moaning helplessly, unable to control her trembling. I lay next to her, pulling her into a gentle spooning while I waited for her to calm down. It took awhile for her to recover from that spectacular high, while I just lay there, enjoying the moment of calm.

Then, she decided to speak, her tone still trembling and weak. "I just gained experience," she murmured as she twisted until she was looking at my eyes. "Twice."

"Before explaining, can you tell me how much experience you gained," I asked.

"Not a bad amount," she answered. "Two points the first time, which was nothing, but the second time I gained almost fifty points." Not bad, I realized, though there was a great difference between the methods of delivery, the more intimate version had almost ten percent efficiency. Not a great amount, but considering the skill was not yet fully evolved, it still showed promise. "Stop thinking," she cut me off. "You owe me an explanation."

I could have tried to argue against that, or maybe try to convince her that it was an illusion, but I didn't bother. I believed that our relationship was strong enough to handle the truth. Not to mention, after the latest reveal, I decided that I needed to understand the origins of my powers. Helga needed to know about it to actually help me.

"It all started one night in the library," I started, before giving her a quick breakdown of my unique status. I didn't reveal all of my secrets of course, and slanted the events in a way that made me look better. Still, some of them were shocking even when softened.

"I can't believe you're Orlin," Helga murmured in shock, slapping my chest again and again in anger. Luckily, it was quick-burning anger rather than true rage. "Did you take that shape to seduce me?"

I smirked. "Believe it or not, I was just trying to read books without arousing suspicion, when I saw you needed help. Since I had a soft spot for you, I decided to help, and you can't blame me for falling for you," I explained. "And once I had to retire that disguise, I did my best to reconnect with you." Luckily, rather than a punch, I earned an extended kiss. I once again thanked my charisma. Without it, I doubted I could have avoided a nasty castration attempt. Not to mention, explaining that after two spectacular, back to back orgasms made it even easier.

I still avoided giving details about the rest of the girls, and completely skipped Cornelia for the moment just to avoid triggering her. I had other ideas to handle that particular revelation. Then, the explanation reached today.

"I can't believe you saved her life," Helga murmured as fascination, shock, and hero worship were battling in her eyes when I explained to her what happened with Titania. Considering Helga practically lived in the library, her hero-worship for the strongest female in the school was very understandable.

I wondered how she would react if I could manage to arrange a threesome with her.

"It was a surprise for me as well," I explained. "But it was mostly luck, the necromancers were so focused on keeping her contained that it gave me the perfect opportunity to destroy their traps. From there, even though it was a tough and exhausting battle," I said. "Maybe I deserve a reward," I said cutely while I blasted her with my charisma.

"Maybe," she murmured, and I hit her with a biomancy spell, curing her exhaustion. Before she could say anything else, I had already slid inside her.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 52%]

The sudden notification put a smile on my face as I started pumping into her once more, enjoying the way she climbed onto my lap with a renewed fervor. Revealing my secrets made us closer, allowing the companion tracker to progress once more. But as she rode me wildly, my attention was firmly on her beauty rather than the implications of another power boost or the strategies to handle new challenges.

Those, we could handle tomorrow. For now, I had a blonde bookworm to enjoy.

—

[Level: 19 Experience: 181050 / 190000

Strength: 20 Charisma: 32

Precision: 15 Perception: 19

Agility: 19 Manipulation: 24

Speed: 17 Intelligence: 24

Endurance: 16 Wisdom: 26

HP: 1653 / 1653 Mana: 1359 / 2375 ]

SKILLS

[Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Advanced Tantric [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 45: Spectacular Service

I left my room three hours later, leaving Helga behind, sleeping. For three hours, we leveraged my mana regeneration to extract the most utility while enjoying our intimate embrace. Helga gained almost five hundred experience points in the process while I spent over five thousand mana points, almost completing her companion progress for the third stage as well. It was not the most efficient way of farming experience for her, but it was the most enjoyable way.

The fact that it was repeatable and free of danger was just another bonus.

I made sure to cover the room with a thick layer of defense before I left, including an impressive number of life-energy traps in case of a necromancer intrusion. It wasn't supposed to be likely, but after the last two encounters with them, I decided to play it safer. Helga was too important for me to risk. Her skillset was vital, and she knew a lot of my secrets.

If I was less wise, I might even convince myself otherwise, but with great wisdom came an annoying level of self-awareness, forcing me to admit to myself that I didn't want any harm to come to Helga, because she was important to me emotionally. She was mine; mind, body, and soul, and I was willing to go to very scary lengths to keep it that way.

A very dangerous thing considering my skill set. For anyone that was stupid enough to target her, of course.

I focused on more immediate concerns as I neared Cornelia's room, this time not even bothering to disguise myself as a servant but using arcana to hide. I didn't want to reveal my disguise trick in case Cornelia was watching. I was two hours late, not that I cared much. I made my position in her life very clear, which also implied that she was the one that needed to be on time then wait obediently for my arrival. I knew that she was smart enough to realize that.

The question was whether she could control her pride in the application of it. The answer laid behind the door I was standing against, so, after a brief stop to make sure there was no trap, I unlocked the magical lock and stepped inside, and passed the foyer in smooth steps before I arrived in Cornelia's living room.

I was glad to see she was there, waiting for me, and I was even more glad to see her wearing a maid costume. Or more accurately, a naughty approximation of a maid costume, one that fit her perfectly, revealing a lot of skin while managing to keep what was the important secret. "Where-" she started the moment she saw me, her face contorted by anger, only to be interrupted by a spell.

My spell, to be exact. The moment she started speaking, I conjured a ball gag in her mouth, preventing her from speaking. "Careful, firecracker. I almost thought that you were going to lash out at me, but I must be wrong," I said even as I dispelled the ball gag, but she stayed shocked. Understandable, considering the difficulty of being able to conjure anything in another magician's personal space, even if that mage was distracted like Cornelia. I doubted that I would have been able to before my recent level-ups and stat increases.

Cornelia might be a collection of anger and pride, but she was smart enough to realize she was truly outmatched. "I'm sorry sir, I forgot myself," she murmured as her eyes fell to the floor demurely. Since she was such a good sport, I decided to ignore the way her fist tightened.

"You're catching on, it's good," I said, then added in a stage whisper. "A bit slow, though."

The way her chin clenched was almost as satisfying as the way her dress revealed most of her naughty body for my viewing pleasure. "Thank you, sir," she managed to say, even keeping her tone relatively even, impressing me with her control. I would have never expected her to resist such a casual insult. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The question reminded me that I was yet to take a bath after two very long carnal sessions, limiting myself to cleaning spells. "Draw me a bath, firecracker, I'm feeling exhausted," I said, enjoying the way her eyes brightened in anger whenever I used her new nickname.

"Yes, sir," she still managed to say through her squeezed teeth, making me smile in amusement. She turned to talk away into the bathroom, but before she could take a step, I was next to her, and slapped her ass hard enough for it to ring in the room.

[100 Experience] 50% Penalty!

She stiffened, but still walked away without trying to turn back, her steps stiff. I watched her walk away, sad that she was walking away without swaying her hips, wasting the potential of her short skirt. She was thoughtful enough to leave a glass of wine already filled for me, and I sipped it, but only after I checked it for poison, just in case she had a nasty surprise.

She stepped out five minutes later, her face redder, and her clothes slightly more transparent thanks to the humidity, giving me a beautiful show. "The bath is ready, sir," she said.

"Thanks, firecracker," I answered as I walked in, only to stop and turn after a few steps in. "What are you waiting for there, come in," I ordered.

"In-inside," she stammered, but when she received a stiff glare, she obeyed immediately. Still, when she arrived next to me, she received another spank to her barely-covered bottom. It wasn't painful, but humiliating. I had no doubt that she would have preferred to be chained to the wall and whipped rather than playing the servant.

Which was the whole point of the deal. Even without the Tantric, I was sure that I could help her, but I needed her ready to follow orders before I did so. I said nothing, just raised my arms and turned my back to her, no doubt tempting her to stab me in the back. Instead, she removed my clothes in a surprisingly gentle manner. I was expecting her to at least slip and accidentally scratch me or something like that.

She failed to hide her blush as she pulled down my boxers, revealing my shaft. And considering she was providing an amazing view of her cleavage as she did so, she met with the full mast version, though I had to admit that the only reason it was still alive was because of my biomancy skill. Even with my endurance, exhausting both Titania and Helga on the same day had been a challenging affair.

"Are you ready for your bath, sir," she murmured, doing her best to suppress her blush as she tried not to gaze at my erection, which was a difficult affair for her.

"I am, firecracker, but are you?" I asked. She looked at me with mild panic. I gave the explanation she didn't ask for. "You're going to properly wash me, of course," I said, then turned my back, ignoring the sudden mana build up behind me, recognizing the bluff. The mana build-up was too obvious to actually be an attack. The frustrated growl she let out confirmed it.

I set myself in the water, but in a way I faced Cornelia, enjoying the impromptu strip show she was about to provide. She reached for the straps of her dress, hard enough to rip it off. I was tempted to ask her to dance, but after consideration, I decided not to, mostly because I wanted to see her natural reaction.

She undressed rapidly, but didn't bother to hide her body, giving me a glimpse of her beauty before she wrapped a small towel around herself. Smart, but only tactically, I decided. She realized that acting shy would have made it more fun for me, and acted to remove that. Tactically a sound move, but strategically horrible, because it forced me to act in a way to satisfy my need for entertainment.

[200 Experience] 50% Penalty!

I said nothing as she crouched next to me, using a small cup to rinse the parts of my body out of the water, followed by soap. Despite her gentle touch, I could sense her anger from the way her fingers stiffened at each touch. However, considering the way she had been acting when she had the power, it didn't arouse any sympathy from me.

She was reaping what she sowed.

I pulled out of the water, and sat on the corner of the large tub —or more accurately, a small pool— once again giving her full access to my naked body. I grunted in appreciation as she slowly soaped and rinsed my back, her touch soft and gentle.

I opened my eyes when she started working on my legs, because her towel was straining to contain her body as she acted. I wanted to enjoy the full show. When she started on my torso, however, she was struggling to keep her blush down once again, her tiny towel not enough to hide the signs of arousal. I didn't know whether it was my muscles or the fact that I was forcing her to serve me, but I was happy with the result either way.

She even washed my erect shaft without a complaint, though I suspected the sudden lingering touches were not from her obedience, but her desire instead. My senses were sharp enough to smell her arousal after our extended contact.

[250 Experience] 50% Penalty!

It was the reason I changed my mind about asking for a blowjob. I was planning to until she started showing signs of actually anticipating it. "Towel," I called as I stood up, enjoying the momentary flash of shock that passed across her face, soon replaced by a dull disappointment. Damn, educating her was going to be even more fun than I had expected.

She was quick when she dried me off, and even better, she followed me obediently as I walked back to her living room first, then directly to her bedroom. "It's time for a massage," I said, and she quickly reached for a drawer, pulling out several oil bottles. She was truly prepared.

However, I stopped her when she was about to pour some oil on her hand. "It's not me who's going to receive the massage, but you," I said.

"M-me," she stammered, my statement once again managing to break her bubble of calm. This time, she was angry. "Couldn't you find a better excuse to fuck me?" she said scathingly, her frustration from denial and her frustration from being ordered around finally bubbling out. Of course, when she realized the potential harm of her statement, she blanched.

I ignored her reaction as I walked closer, and when I was just a step away, I pulled off her towel violently, leaving her naked. She didn't even bother to hide her body. "Do you think I need an excuse to take you however I wish, bitch," I said, my tone not playful.

"N-no, sir," she stammered.

"Good that you still have a sliver of common sense," I said scathingly, though my anger was completely artificial, once again tapping into my Subterfuge skill. "The massage is a part of the treatment I promised, but since you know much better than me, maybe I should just follow your lead," I continued, threatening her with the thing she wanted the most.

"No, sir," she gasped in shock, her panic completely genuine. I was planning to make her sweat a bit more when she surprised me by kneeling in front of me, like an obedient slave trying to earn the favor of her master. "I'm sorry, sir. You're my only hope. Please forgive my impudence."

"You're lucky that I have a soft heart, firecracker," I said, my tone once again soft. She raised her head, her eyes shining with hope. It seemed that she was even more fragile from her lack of leveling than I had been expecting, which was suspicious. "Tell me what happened," I said in a sudden bout of inspiration.

"I have received a message from my uncle, setting up a challenge between me and my cousin, or more accurately, his champion," she said. "My only chance is for you to be my champion, but even then, it'll be for survival only. They'll know that I'm not strong enough to challenge my uncle, and it'll be game over," she said.

It was definitely an inconvenient development. I was hoping for more time. "It's bad, but at least you'll be alive," I said, confident of defeating whatever champion her family could put in front of me, though not appreciating the necessity of revealing myself. "When is the challenge?" I asked.

"In a month," she answered despondently, followed by a shocked gaze when I laughed out loud. "Is my suffering amusing to you, sir?" she said, which made me laugh even harder, especially since she still added the honorific.

"Quite a bit," I admitted without shame. "But it's not why I'm laughing, firecracker. Believe me, a month is more than enough to solve your little level problem," I said in confidence. A month might as well be an eternity with all the options I had in front of me.

"Really, sir?" she asked, this time hope coloring her tone.

"Yes, but don't forget the price. If you take my help, I'm going to make you my toy, mind, body, and soul."

"As long as it's behind closed doors, I accept the bargain, sir," she answered rapidly, showing more determination than I had expected. Or maybe it was the impression I made on her.

"Good, then go lay on the bed on your face, and we're going to start the first phase of the treatment," I ordered, she threw herself on the bed. It was interesting to watch a prideful woman like her folding into an enthusiastic maid because of a threat to her position, especially since she was so proud of her dominance.

When I stood above her, I spent a moment enjoying the splendor of her naked figure before putting my hands on her body. First, I checked the spell that I made to detect whether she followed my order about playing with herself, and much to my surprise, it seemed that she followed it.

I put my hands on her back, and started delivering a top tier massage that applied the full range of my abilities, even using the occasional Biomancy trick. Soon, she was biting the pillow to contain her moans, and that was without me touching any sensitive locations. She was backed up for too long, it seemed.

[500 Experience] 50% Penalty!

She let out a surprised gasp when I put a finger in her mouth without a warning and ordered her to suck. "I need to use my mana to check your status," I explained, and slipped my mana in her, only to meet a very stiff obstruction. Despite my increased skill, analyzing her was harder than doing it to Titania. I barely got a glimpse of her core, with virtually no detail. I couldn't even identify her fire skill.

It might be the effect of the level cap, I decided. But more likely, it was the Companion System that allowed me to access their core. I didn't have enough evidence to decide one way or another at the moment.

Luckily, it could be solved easily. I could have slipped inside her, finally taking her virginity to trigger the Companion counter, but it wouldn't be amusing enough. Instead, I cast a spell on her to prevent her from climaxing, then I continued to massage her, driving her crazier and crazier.

Soon, even biting the pillow failed to prevent her from crying in pleasure, turning into putty in my hands. "Please," she murmured.

"Please, what, firecracker?" I asked her, and got a shy moan. I leaned into her ear, whispering throatily. "I'm going to give you two choices. If you want me to keep away, just say so, and I'll never touch you again, no matter what, but still help you. Or, you can ask me to fuck you, and I can give you the best, most delicious orgasm of your life. Choose, firecracker."

"I want you to…" she murmured, her voice dwindling into a moan as I continued to massage her.

"Clearer, sweetie," I said. "I can't hear you."

"I want you to … do me," she murmured once again.

"Use the exact words, sweetie, or I will assume that you don't want to do it," I threatened.

The way she froze under my fingers triggered a primal part in me, begging me to take her, make her mine. Still, I waited for her answer. "Please, fuck me, sir," she moaned deliriously, trying to flip over, only to be prevented by my arms.

[Achievement: Delicious and Delirious. Seduce a stubborn vixen through an extended denial of pleasure, teaching her the place she deserves. 2 Strength, 500 Experience]

The achievement was a nice thing, but it had fallen wayside at the anticipation of finally getting really familiar with the Flame Queen.

[Level: 19 Experience: 182600 / 190000

Strength: 22 Charisma: 32

Precision: 15 Perception: 19

Agility: 19 Manipulation: 24

Speed: 17 Intelligence: 24

Endurance: 16 Wisdom: 26

HP: 1691 / 1691 Mana: 1359 / 2375 ]

SKILLS

[Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Advanced Tantric [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 46: Tantalizing Teaching

Cornelia's helpless moan, begging me to fuck her, put a prideful smirk on my face. I couldn't help but feel proud, considering less than a week ago, I was skittering like a rat around her, fearing her attention. Now, she was lying in front of me, wet and naked, begging for my cock even after I assured that she would still receive the help she needed even if she chose otherwise.

I could have just slid inside her, of course, invited by the way her hips rose deliciously, giving me access to her entrance, but that would have been a relief she didn't deserve yet, especially with Helga in the mix. I needed to stretch a bit more, so once the situation was revealed to Helga, I could spin it off as an act of preliminary revenge I took on her behalf.

With that in mind, I waved my hand, and Cornelia's bag of goodies flew toward me. Another flick, and ribbons flew out and wrapped around her wrists, forcing her spread-eagle. She twisted her neck in an effort to glare at me, but the blindfold that wrapped over her eyes prevented her from doing so. "What are you-" she started, only to receive a spank to her ass.

"Don't speak without prompting," I ordered to her, my tone sharp and unyielding. The moan that escaped her lips, as a result, was positively delicious. She was getting wetter after she was completely immobilized, proving once and for all that she didn't just have a dominance but also a submission fetish.

A fetish that I was going to use for my benefit in the future. However, for now, I had a much more important task than planning for the future. Her entrance was glistening beautifully, waiting for my presence.

I pushed forward mercilessly, enough to make her cry in pain despite her wetness, the unfamiliar presence stretching her untouched walls. But that cry was followed by a string of moans, showing her enjoyment of pain.

[1500 Experience] 50% Penalty!

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 2%]

I started hammering her mercilessly, the sound of colliding flesh filling the room. She tried to clench her legs, but the ribbons around her limbs prevented her from moving, keeping her in place. She gasped and moaned, intensifying whenever I slapped her ass to further enhance her desires.

"Do you like it?" I asked even as I slapped her ass once more, turning it into a glowing mess, but she just moaned further.

"Yes, sir!" she shouted in response. "You're filling me completely. I never felt anything like this before."

"That's what you get for denying your true nature, firecracker," I said even as I changed my pace, impaling her even harder, but instead of spanking her, caressing her ass. "You tried to overreach by trying to dominate others, trying to rail against your fate of being stuck at your level, not knowing that you needed to accept your true nature before you can break the barriers."

"I understand-" she started only to be silenced as a sudden wave of pleasure hit her, silencing her much better than any other method.

[1000 Experience] 50% Penalty!

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 7%]

I didn't stop, of course. Tonight wasn't about teaching her the tender meaning of pleasure. No, tonight, she was going to be used until she turned into a helpless blob, unable to move in her own power. However, as much as I wanted to put my full attention on ramming her repeatedly, I had more important things to focus on, namely, measuring the effect of the Companion process on my Tantric capabilities.

With that in mind, I put my finger on her mouth, and she sucked greedily, too far gone to even notice the generous dash of mana I had slipped inside her.

[-100 Mana]

This time, the connection was much stronger, giving me a perfect view of her soul space, confirming my guess that it was the companion system that was allowing the smooth interaction. Pity, as otherwise, it would have been a really broken ability. With a sigh, I focused on examining her power, examining her soul space.

The first thing I noticed was the sensation of the area itself. Both Helga's and Titania's power felt, for the lack of a better term, more flexible, while Cornelia's was stretched out to the capacity, preventing it from growing further. Though it had a scary implication. Titania was yet to hit her level cap. Just how strong was her potential!

"Fuck me harder, sir," Cornelia cried, pulling me back to the present.

"What did I tell you about speaking without being asked first, slut?" I said, my tone harsher. I was about to slap her ass as a warning once more, when my eyes caught something more interesting. A small biomancy spell later, I forced my finger into her asshole without warning, making her cry in pain. "That's what you deserve, slut," I called even as I added a second finger, intensifying her moans.

"Yes, sir. I'm a worthless slut, and that's what I deserve," she moaned.

[1000 Experience] 50% Penalty!

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 13%]

She once again spoke without permission, but seeing the great jump in the companion acquisition process, I decided to let it slide, once again focusing on her powers. It wasn't a surprise to see her mental stats much higher than the physical ones, though her physical ones were still decent, probably averaging around five. Not bad for a dedicated mage. In her mental stats, however, her charisma and manipulation were really high, understandable considering her explosive power and ability to shape her flames.

The surprising part is her skills. I was only able to detect three skills, Arcana which was either advanced or expert level, something related to mana I failed to pin down, and flame magic. Flame magic, however, dominated all others, probably reaching the Grandmaster level.

Suddenly, I understood the reason for Cornelia's reputation. She probably received Grandmaster Flame skill quite early in her career, allowing her to build a reputation early on. However, I doubted that she expected herself to stop at level fifteen, because Grandmaster skills had one big drawback. They consumed five skill slots to fully mature, meaning, after taking it, the next four levels offered no new skills, each raising skill cap by ten until it reached a hundred and fifty maximum in its maturity.

In my personal opinion, it was a bit of waste. Yes, it allowed casting extraordinary spells, but with the cost of extreme specialization.

I didn't spend much time over Cornelia's misguided skill selection, but continued to examine the edges of her soul space, trying to get a better feel of the reason for her unable to gain more experience, but ultimately, I failed to understand it, though from Cornelia's intensifying moans, it easy to see her enjoyment.

[1000 Experience] 50% Penalty!

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 19%]

In the end, I decided to stop my examination for the moment, waiting for the completion of the first tier of the Companion process. Whether she would get an achievement, and the changes in the process, would give me important information. Not that I needed the excuse to continue fucking her body, mind, and soul.

When she tightened around me yet another time, I decided to mix things up a bit. I pulled out of her, and she opened her mouth to say something, only to replace it with a gasp when she felt the familiar presence of my shaft pressing against her puckered hole.

I impaled her without a warning, making her cry in pain, taking her anal virginity in the process as well. She belonged to me, after all. My little noble fucktoy.

"Tell me what you feel, slut," I said, once again using a spank as punctuation.

"I feel dirty, sir," she moaned in reply. "I feel used, I feel worthless, and I feel like I'm just a little toy. I have never felt this good in my life!"

"Good," I said in amusement as I pushed even deeper into her bowels, enjoying her untouched tightness. "And tell me what are you going to do to make it continue?"

"Whatever you want, sir," she moaned. I decided to reward her with a unique gift. A flicker of mana was enough to make the ribbons disappear, and she collapsed on the bed. I wrapped my arms to her waist and pulled her on my lap, her back pressing against my chest, her eyes still blindfolded.

I lifted her and took a few steps, until we were standing in front of her huge mirror. Her legs were parted open, creating a perfect view of my shaft repeatedly disappearing in her asshole.

"Do you want to see your own slutty face?" I whispered into her ear. She didn't say anything, but I decided to take her sudden tightening around my shaft as a positive response, and pulled down her blindfold.

"Oh my god!" she cried in shock as she saw her own slack-jawed face, broken with pleasure, which proved to be the last thing she needed to trigger yet another orgasm. With her almost-virgin asshole clenching around my shaft, I exploded as well, filling her bowels with my seed, not to mention a lot of mana, enough to make her pass out with pleasure.

[-500 Mana]

[1000 Experience] 50% Penalty!

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 25%]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 25% – First Stage Completed 5000 Exp]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Master Elemental, Expert Subterfuge, Expert Tantric]

Once again I selected Tantric before I quickly followed the stream of mana I deployed, analyzing her soul space. Thanks to my increased closeness, the view was even clearer, but it wasn't the only change. I could see a familiar sliver of energy floating in her soul space, trying to merge with her stats, but no matter how many times it smashed against, it failed to merge.

It was the achievement she just received, or more accurately, supposed to receive, I decided, and decided to help. Luckily, I had deployed enough mana to overwhelm her capacity, so I wrapped it around her stats, softening the surrounding space —for lack of a better term— to allow the new achievement to merge.

[3 Tantric]

However, as the minutes ticked, I realized that I might have bitten a bit more than I could chew. No matter how much I played with her stats, I failed to merge the achievement with her.

I had no intention of surrendering. I caught her lips in a searing kiss, dumping as much mana as I could manage, feeling glad about my mana regeneration perk. It would have been a waste if I hadn't had my full mana here.

[-750 Mana]

[6 Tantric]

With the addition of my new mana, I started my battle anew. I pressed and squeezed mentally and physically, forcing the borders of her soul space to soften. And suddenly, it started drinking my mana. I let it do that, because I realized that the more mana it drank, the softer it became. When it drank over a thousand points of mana, it finally softened enough for the achievement to slid inside its place.

[8 Tantric]

[Achievement: Enforced Error. Create a forced glitch in the system while using only your own abilities, achieving a first since the Calamity. 2 to All Stats 10000 Experience]

I stumbled back to the bed, with Cornelia still on my lap, murmuring softly. I wanted to laugh and relax, as I had achieved the impossible. Even better, I achieved the impossible while filling the backdoor of one of the most eligible young nobles in the school, and once again received a spectacular reward in return.

However, once again, the description of the achievement threw me off. The reference for something called the Calamity was intriguing enough, but my attention was grabbed by the part that mentioned that forcing a glitch by my own power, achieving a first.

It implied that there were others capable of forcing a glitch, even if they were forced to use some external support.

That wasn't good, I thought even as I pulled Cornelia tighter against my body, cuddling her even as my thoughts run wild with the possibilities. I hated the feeling. I finally hit Level 20, an achievement that was supposed to ensure a safe and comfortable life for me, but instead, I was desperately trying to deduce whether I had an enemy behind the scenes, pointing a dagger behind.

I would have liked to believe that it had nothing to do with me, but a sinking feeling in my heart was telling me that it wasn't the truth.

"Perfect, just what I needed. More challenge," I murmured even as I lazily squeezed Cornelia's breasts, treating them like toys, exquisite ones, but toys nonetheless. It might have sounded ridiculous to someone else, but I had the full intention to take my sixth sense seriously.

I was tempted to lean down and fuck Cornelia mercilessly after waking her up with a slap, but a soft touch with my Tantric ability showed that her soul space was, in a sense, strained. I decided to refrain from fucking her before she got used to the new presence. I continued to lay next to her, my mind on the possible implications of the latest reveal while I also lazily observed the changes in her soul space, which gave me several interesting insights about it. The next time, it was going to be even smoother.

Cornelia's eyes flickered open an hour later, an astonished expression on her face. "Im-impossible," she stammered as she looked across the room unfocused, like she was reading a sentence that didn't exist. "I received an achievement!"

"Keep it down," I ordered her, but unlike the other times, my tone was soft. I understood her elation more than anyone else, and I didn't begrudge for enjoying it. I just didn't want her to shout it. Intellectually, I acknowledged that there wasn't a risk, but I was still feeling skittish. "This is the evidence that I can help you increase your power," I said, and she nodded enthusiastically. "You're smart enough to realize that you shouldn't reveal it under any circumstances." This earned another enthusiastic nod, and she leaned forward to kiss me.

I allowed her lips to connect, enjoying being the receiving end of her tender touch. I was still going to dominate her mercilessly the next time, but for now, I was happy to share that flicker of intimacy. But when she tried to climb on my lap, I stopped her. She looked at me, her expression between shocked and wounded.

"What I had to use to give you that achievement has some impact you can't feel, but you need to rest to avoid side effects," I said. I had no doubt how the increase of the companion core would affect the process, and I had no intention of actually testing it. "I want you to take a sick leave tomorrow and stay on the bed, doing absolutely nothing. I'm going to visit you in the evening after that, maybe even with a guest. Be prepared to serve two."

"Understood, sir," she moaned as she shivered, making me wonder whether it was my kindness or the following orders that triggered her enjoyment.

"Now, sleep," I said, even as I put my hand on her body, using Biomancy to cure some of the worst damages, but leaving enough to be visible.

Then, I leaned forward just like I was about to give her a midnight kiss, but instead, I bit her shoulder hard, enough to leave a mark, which I made permanent with a unique application of Biomancy. "Just to remind you who owns you." I whispered throatily, and from the way she pressed her legs together, it seemed that she enjoyed the idea immensely.

I quickly dressed, and when I left, exhaustion once again had conquered her, leaving her unconscious. I left the room, my mind on my next steps.

—

[Level: 20 Experience: 203100 / 210000

Strength: 24 Charisma: 34

Precision: 17 Perception: 21

Agility: 21 Manipulation: 26

Speed: 19 Intelligence: 26

Endurance: 18 Wisdom: 28

HP: 1980 / 1980 Mana: 920 / 2700 ]

SKILLS

[Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Expert Tantric [67/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 47: Perilious Pursuit

After a brief consideration, rather than returning to Helga, I decided to leave the school for a midnight hunt, something only a madman would do.

A madman, or an extraordinarily-strong level twenty with a wide range of expertise that was suddenly feeling trapped after his latest realization that there was a mysterious threat out there. I felt trapped, and with my strength, I didn't appreciate the feeling, and I was willing to risk a violent death to get rid of it.

During the day, the surroundings were usually safe enough that even low-level students could go hunting without too big of a risk as long as they had a minder. The same wasn't applicable for the night, however. There were a lot of creatures that preferred the darkness to move around in, easily avoiding the culling efforts. The shadow wolf that almost killed me when I was in the protected forest was a good example of it.

So, when I actually heard the footsteps barely louder than a whisper, a smile appeared on my face. When I felt the presence closing in, I did nothing until the last second, then slashed expertly four times before my attacker could react. The shadow wolf collapsed on the ground, bleeding, quickly driving toward its death despite its impressive vitality. Just a sign of how far I had come.

However, I decided to experiment. I let my mana seep into its head, trying to force it into the creature's soul space, or whatever its equivalent was.

I received a stab of pain as a reward.

[-53 Mana]

[-266 HP]

"That was a stupid move," I murmured even as I rubbed my head, trying to ignore the sudden stab of pain. I hadn't expected its core to be filled with violent energies, immediately attacking toward me the moment I touched it. The smart thing would be just to let it slide, but I decided to do the stupid thing, and kept my mana around its core, just not letting it connect again. When the creature died, the core dissipated except for a sliver of energy, and that sliver of energy tried to connect with me, but failed to find a purchase before dissipating. It was nothing I had read about, but I had a feeling that I had discovered how normal people gained experience.

It was a barely noticeable process, the only reason I was able to detect it was because of my ridiculous stats and specialized Mana manipulation skill. Even then, I had a question. Did I discover something new, or did I discover something that others knew but kept under wraps. I had a feeling that it was the second part.

With a sigh, I continued my deadly hunt, killing several creatures in rapid succession, the most dangerous one being a Class Fifteen Blood Owl, but even that didn't survive for more than a minute against me. For every creature I tested, I observed the same pattern. Violent core, linking with its killer, but only to fail to find a purchase in my case. Maybe I should observe them being killed by another person. It would give me a better idea of what was going on during a level up, maybe even to a point that I might enhance the effectiveness of my newly-discovered leveling methodology.

It was a pity I didn't have anyone I could wake up in the middle of the night to ask me to accompany for a bit of killing.

Or did I?

With a smirk I returned back to the school, once again avoiding the guards with contemptuous ease. I knew that they were geared against monsters rather than human infiltrators, but it was still shameful. Rather dangerous as well, considering my encounters with the necromancers. Slipping into the Fighter quarters had been a bit more difficult. Unlike the outer walls, this section was protected by the students, and some rangers had rather sharp eyes.

Luckily, I was well past the point of being scared of their attention, not with my stats. Disguised as a servant, it required only a few low-powered spells before I arrived at the female section.

At a glance, I could see that the living principles in this area were very different. The mage section allowed expensive rooms with opulent furnishings, while this section was much more spartan. Noble students had a small room for themselves, while the others lived in bunk beds, a necessity considering there were a lot more warrior classes than mage classes, especially from the less fortunate with no perceived potential for high levels.

With a low-level cap, warriors were a much better choice than mage classes.

As I walked through the rooms, concealed in the shadows, I saw many beautiful students in various states of undress. Unfortunately, it was invariably followed by that infernal notification.

[Level Difference of at least 50%! No Experience]

At level twenty, I was well-past the limits of this school. I believed that I was strong enough to defeat the majority of the teaching staff, even, even if that was more about my unorthodox style and overwhelming stats than a dominating level advantage. Other than the very rare exceptions like Cornelia, students couldn't help me enhance my strength.

When I arrived at Aviada's room, I did my best to silently unlock the simple lock that was keeping her door closed, and slid inside before alerting anyone.

I wasn't expecting to meet with the naked figure of Aviada, who, apparently, preferred to sleep in the buff. I decided to mess with her a bit, and quickly undressed before sliding in next to her, curious just how long I could mess with her without waking her up.

First, I gently caressed her arm, making her turn restlessly until she was laying on her back, her legs parted enough to reveal the beautiful treasure between them. However, I had other priorities. I leaned in for a kiss, and with the opportunity, I even slipped a small stream of mana in, examining her soul space.

[-5 Mana]

[1 Tantric]

With our strong bond and the increase in my Tantric abilities, the impression I received was the clearest yet. I could easily sense her stat distribution, heavily leaning toward the physical side, with strength shining above and beyond others. Her mental stats were low, but relatively well-distributed.

Her skills, on the other hand, were extremely specialized. She only had two skills, a fully evolved Grandmaster Sword, and Basic Observation. She was amazing with her sword, which was shining on the hook above her bed, but without that, she was dangerously vulnerable.

Luckily for her, I was making great strides in understanding the System. Who knows, maybe when I attain Master Tantric, I might actually do something about that. After a brief examination, I carefully dissipated the mana, not letting it get absorbed by her. I didn't want to give her experience yet. Not because I didn't trust her, but because I was afraid that she wouldn't get the dangers associated with a wider reveal. She was too straightforward to be a part of this discussion.

Instead, I started caressing her breasts, enjoying the way they stiffened and she moaned, but still not waking up. I decided to up the ante, and let my fingers cross the smooth expanse of her stomach before arriving between her legs, caressing gently. Once again, she just moaned, but still stayed asleep, even when I gently fingered her for five whole minutes.

It was likely because unconsciously, she identified me as a familiar presence, preventing her from waking up in alarm, as there was no other explanation for her sleepiness. Maybe I should teach her a lesson before we went out for training.

I climbed on top of her, and grabbed both of her arms, ready to pin her in place the moment she woke up. Then, I aligned myself at her entrance, and leaned down for a kiss. "Good morning, princess," I whispered before kissing her softly, and her eyes popped open in shock.

"Caesar-" she started, only to be silenced as I slid inside her, enjoying her tightness. She was wet thanks to the foreplay she received when she was sleeping. She moaned at the sudden intrusion, but before she could cry, I stole another kiss.

"I didn't put any up any silencing wards, so you need to be silent," I warned her with a playful smile.

"You're seeking death," she murmured as she tried to raise her arm, only to find herself unable to move. "You got stronger," she whispered in shock, which was very understandable. The last time we wrestled, she was stronger than me by a small margin, and I only managed to defeat her through my recent boost.

This time, she was barely able to move, not shocking considering I had several points more strength, and a superior position. "I did," I answered simply before leaning on for a lingering kiss.

"How?" she asked followed by a moan considering I was still moving deep inside her.

"It all started after I left you girls behind and went to the canyon, only to find a deadly necromancer ambush. A horde, several bone dragons, and two dozen necromancers," I explained, and her eyes widened in shock. Understandable, as that group could have easily destroyed a town, and even against a mid-sized city, they wouldn't have necessarily lost.

"How did you survive that?" she asked in shock, though from the way she tightened, she was clearly enjoying the story.

"The ambush was not for me, so I managed to hit them from behind, breaking their magical trap and killing a couple of necromancers as a start," I explained, before launching into a detailed breakdown of the battle, making sure to avoid any references that would reveal Titania's identity. Once again, I didn't trust her capacity to hold secrets in the areas she wouldn't understand its importance. Even convincing her not to brag about my part was a challenge.

Still, I was glad that I told the tale for a few reasons. She was my ally as well as my girlfriend —or something like that, at least, the titles were rather confusing at the moment— and she deserved to know of the growing threat of the necromancers. Also, if I could resolve my challenges, I would be able to boost her combat capabilities a great deal, enough to make her a deadly combatant, especially with her unique sword, Also, unlike the more mysterious details, she fully understood the sensitivity of the combat information, and would keep her mouth closed.

Of course, the benefits were not limited to that. When I pushed deep inside her once more after finishing my tale, I was met with a welcome notification.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 51%]

Apparently, impressing her with the tales of my heroic battle made our relationship even stronger, making the discussion worthwhile. "So," I said with a smirk as I lowered myself down until I started looking at her eyes from very close proximity. "Do I get a reward for my impressive performance," I asked even as I sped up my pacing, impaling her again and again, enjoying the way she tried to suppress her moans, but with limited success.

I decided to have mercy as her orgasm hit her. I quickly established a silencing ward to cover the wall, but I didn't inform her of that, watching as she bit her lips desperately, trying to contain the moans of her orgasm, only to fail spectacularly. The panic in her eyes was just beautiful.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 54%]

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Count 2. Duration, 8 hours]

"Don't worry, I silenced the room just before you lost control," I whispered into her ear throatily, and earned a painful bite on my shoulder as a result, one that hurt despite my ridiculous endurance.

[-10 HP]

"That's your punishment for daring to play with me like that," she explained even as she tried to get away from my grip. I let her slide away, but when she tried to push me out of the bed, I chose to roll out and started dressing instead. "You're leaving?" she murmured, her tone uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"No, we're going," I answered. "I'm in the mood for a midnight hunt," I added, before letting my smirk widen salaciously. "And maybe more if the way you dress impresses me," I added.

"Is that so?" she murmured, her smile equally wide as she walked toward her closet. "Turn your back," she ordered mischievously.

I did so, curious about her surprise. When she called me to turn back, I couldn't help but frown as she revealed herself in a thick travel cape, tied up to cover her whole body. A frown appeared on my face, and she smiled wider before letting it widen just enough to give a glimpse of her armor underneath, one that covered significantly less area than I had been expecting. "Much better," I said with a smirk, gesturing for her to follow me, while I once again cast a spell to conceal our presence and let us fade into the shadows.

[-15 Mana]

"I have to admit, magic can be useful occasionally," she admitted with a sigh, which was a great thing considering her usual antagonistic approach. It was good to see her finally getting softer on the issue. We stayed silent until we reached the walls, and she spoke in shock. "We're going outside?" she gasped.

"Of course," I answered. "I'm not in the mood for hunting rabbits." She looked unsure, so I put my hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. It was enough to renew her courage.

She finally let her cape open when we were a couple of miles away from the school, revealing the ensemble underneath, making me harden immediately. She was wearing a set of completely useless armor. Well, useless in terms of combat, as I could easily imagine different usages. Her top was covered with no more area than a bra —a particularly salacious one, even— while the bottom part was literally a piece of metal kept upright with strings. Under the moonlight, she looked delectable enough to eat.

"That seems useful for combat," I said mockingly, but I let my gaze devour her body to convey the impact of it on me. Also, I was touched. The fact that she walked outside with absolutely no protection highlighted her trust in me, conveying that, with my skills, she needed no armor.

Not a functional one instead.

I was tempted to push her down and take her on the grass, but we were interrupted by a band of golden lions. Scary creatures, class fourteen power, strong cooperation, and a vicious mentality. Moreover, they were famous for their magic resistance, making them true pests. The attacking pride contained six members, definitely a scary combination. "Keep on defensive," I ordered her even as I drew my sword, and dashed forward —after coating it with magic because its steel wouldn't have resisted my strength otherwise.

[-96 Mana]

I was in need of a better weapon, as constantly wasting mana to reinforce my sword wasn't the best option. Luckily, with two instances of my regeneration perk active, I wasn't exactly straining for mana.

Golden lions were vicious predators with a unique blend of strength, grace, and vitality, but against me, they were helpless. I ducked under one of their claws, cutting its throat in return. I still rolled away, because even a cut to the throat was barely an inconvenience.

When I noticed two of them charging toward Aviada, however, I decided to act quickly. I raised my hand, and a thick earthen cage appeared around them, pinning them in place.

[-140 Mana]

They raged against the walls, trying to break it, while I delivered another bleeding wound to the one that attacked me first. I wanted to remove at least one of them as soon as possible. After receiving two more wounds in the next second, it pulled away rather than waiting for its pride mates. I used the opportunity to strengthen their cages, but didn't bother to cast an offensive spell. Their skin was too strong to actually be affected by an elemental spell, at least not in a way that would be worth the mana expenditure.

[-430 Mana]

"Kill the wounded one," I ordered even as I dashed forward and cut two of its tendons, but not without a cost. It landed a vicious blow to my shoulder. Luckily, I had HP to spare.

[-130 HP]

I stood in front of the wounded one, protecting Aviada as she approached, even casting a few lightning bolts to distract them. They might be resistant to magic, but nonetheless, the bright crackling of lightning cutting through the darkness was scary enough to trick their primitive minds.

I let my mana senses expand and wrapped them around Aviada and her victim, carefully watching the changes as Aviada delivered the killing blow. Like before, the creature's energy dispersed into the air, with only a small sliver of it flying toward the soul space of its killer, in this case, Aviada, and merging with its boundaries, strengthening it slightly.

[2 Tantric]

Interesting, I thought even as I turned toward the rest of the lions, ready to make quick work of them.

Even as I charged once more, I couldn't help but smile elatedly. The experiment I was running was a true joy, beautiful weather, danger enough to make me appreciate life, and a sexy brunette with a body to die for dressed in bikini armor.

Sometimes, being a nerd paid off…

—

[Level: 20 Experience: 203100 / 210000

Strength: 24 Charisma: 34

Precision: 17 Perception: 21

Agility: 21 Manipulation: 26

Speed: 19 Intelligence: 26

Endurance: 18 Wisdom: 28

HP: 1840 / 1980 Mana: 1920 / 2700 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Expert Tantric [70/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 48: A New Friend

A laugh escaped my mouth as I swung my sword —shining with the magic I dumped into it, so much man that it was a miracle it didn't melt— once more, this time costing the attacking golden lion a tendon, then, rather than following up with a deadlier attack, I once again rolled in front of Aviada, preventing the second one from taking her down.

Meanwhile, the remaining three were still locked in their earthen cages, smashing into them, again and again, to get free despite impaling themselves on the spikes I had created. If they were any stupider, they would have stopped long ago, afraid of the pain. Unfortunately, they were smart enough to understand the implications, forcing me to expend even more mana to keep them away from the battle.

[-260 Mana]

"Come on, little guy," I called in satisfaction as I suddenly charged forward, meeting its charge halfway, enough to shock the creature. I doubted that it ever experienced a smaller creature trying to wrestle it down. Normally, even with my phenomenal strength, trying to meet a monster in a contest of pure strength was not the smartest move, but the creature's astonishment was enough that it failed to react appropriately until I was on its back, grabbing its head and forcing it backward.

Aviada's combat senses were good enough that I didn't need to order her to charge for her to step forward and cut the monster's throat with a precise swing, making it bleed painfully. Even as I jumped down and turned the other way, readying myself for the assault of the wounded one, I let my mana wrap around Aviada once more, so when she stabbed the head of the lion, I was able to observe the changes that happened in her soul space perfectly.

The sliver of power once again merged into her soul space, strengthening it further.

Taking down the wounded one was trivial. With its rushed ambush failed, it was wide open, allowing me to cut off its front leg, and Aviada easily delivered the killing blow, her soul space expanding even further.

The remaining three monsters revitalized their assault towards the cage, but with a big difference, they were attacking at the other side of the cage, trying to escape rather than attack after their hunting attempt cost the life of half of their pride. Unfortunately for them, I had enough mana to keep them locked in, easily dealing with them one after another, while Aviada delivered the last hit.

[-620 Mana]

I watched her soul space carefully, observing the changes that happened. When she absorbed the experience from the last one, however, a large change happened in her soul space. It suddenly started to expand, widening significantly but also gaining an elastic quality. I was finally able to get a better understanding of the leveling process.

[2 Tantric]

I didn't try to mess with it, of course, not even when her sword-fighting ability was strengthened even further, signaling that she had once again chosen to overemphasize her already strong abilities. I didn't have a problem with it, not when it made her even more dependent on me. Though considering the small change that happened, it was clear that her skill had reached the point of diminishing returns.

I let the process complete, watching carefully as her soul space solidified once more, covering a wider area, but also, for the lack of a better term, less elastic. Combining that with the findings from Helga and Cornelia, I had a preliminary hypothesis that the softness of the space was about the level cap. At one point, hardening enough to be unable to accept new inputs, whether it was from experience or achievements.

Experimenting on Aviada was definitely not an option, however. The risk of permanent damage was too high.

"Another level up, I'm level twelve now," she exclaimed happily before she dashed forward and caught my lips. I responded immediately, happy that she trusted me enough to reveal her level without me prompting her. I had long deduced it, of course, but the fact that she trusted me enough to reveal it counted for a lot.

I let my hands wander over her mostly naked body, enjoying the way her chainmail bikini smashed against my body. And as much as I was tempted to continue it by pushing her down, we needed to move before even more dangerous creatures were drawn to the smell of the golden lion corpses.

So, I reluctantly pulled back and instead started processing the carcasses of the creatures. As level fifteen creatures, they were very precious in making new magical items such as weapons, armors, and disposable items. Unfortunately, the low success rate of the crafting process, as well as the fragility of most of the resulting items, made such items pretty rare.

Aviada's sword was a very rare item in that sense, especially in the hands of a student. The only reason Aviada had that because she was the only one in her family able to use it, and the only reason she was able to keep possession of it was due to other people's lack of knowledge about its full range of capabilities. I doubted that even her ex-fiancee who was willing to kill her to acquire the sword, was aware of the full range of its capabilities.

The fact that she was able to use that sword to kill a golden lion with a couple of swings —even if they were hurt and immobilized— was a significant improvement. Normal swords wouldn't even cut through their skin, and most magical swords would require several swings even with her impressive strength.

There was no hope that I could use the remains of the golden lions to make an item of a similar caliber —or even at the same class— but still, having a backup option might help. And since I finally made the decision to reinforce my room, storage was not a problem.

We were silent as we processed the lions, as even with magic, it was grueling work, but in the end, I was carrying a large bundle of precious magical ingredients —some I could even use to establish more permanent wards around my room… All around, a very profitable night.

"So, are you finally going to get something better than the garbage you've been using," she said, pointing at my sword, which effectively turned into brittle scrap metal after the mana bath it received while I was fighting.

"Maybe, but I need someone to make a good weapon for me."

She chuckled. "Finally, something you can't do!"

"Hey," I exclaimed as I slapped her ass, which was easy to do as most of her ass was naked thanks to the minimal coverage of her bikini armor. She gasped and tried to retaliate, but I dodged her and stepped forward, locking her in with a bear hug before leaning down and biting her neck near the collarbone, on a point that I knew she enjoyed immensely. She moaned…

And I pulled back, a smirk on my face. "That's what you get for messing with me," I said, enjoying the way she panted in arousal.

"Leaving a lady hanging like this is extremely rude," she answered, but we continued to walk, exhausted and desiring to go back to the protection of the school. A pride of golden lions was far above my expectations. Even in the night, I wasn't expecting the surroundings of the Silver Spires to be that dangerous.

"About your weapon," she repeated after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence.

"I'm guessing you have an idea," I said, which was a good guess considering she mentioned it again.

"Yeah, one of the enchanters is my mentor, and she does good work," she said, missing the way my eyes brightened at the mention of a female enchanter. The discussion had immediately turned more interesting at that point. "She might be interested in crafting a new weapon for you."

"Crafting a weapon from scratch is very exhausting work, would she really be willing?" I asked.

"Well, she is in a bit of debt," Aviada murmured. "She might be willing to try if the payment is good enough, especially since she owes me one for allowing her to examine my sword."

I almost slapped my head, unable to believe Aviada's silliness. Trusting an enchanter with that sword was like trusting a shark with a piece of bloody meat. Though luckily, it also answered the questions about whether we could trust her or not. If she didn't steal Aviada's sword after examining it, she should be trustworthy enough to talk to. Not to a point of revealing any of my secrets, of course… "Sounds interesting, I'll visit her if you can arrange a private meeting with her. I don't want anyone else to see us," I explained, and she nodded.

Our return was not without incident, of course. An impressive number of monsters had attacked us, though none of them worthy enough to take notice of —other than a lazy sword swing from Aviada —or a simple magic missile from me if they were too weak to even register for their experience.

Of course, I was gaining no benefit from the experience reward that they tried to give, I decided to experiment even more. Using the tricks I learned from my Tantric skill, I tried to redirect the nugget of energy that resulted in the experience gain, only to fail spectacularly several times, sometimes failing to affect it, sometimes pushing hard enough to evaporate it completely, wasting enough mana to leave me dry if it wasn't for my enhanced regeneration.

[-673 Mana]

[3 Tantric]

Then, one of my attempts was actually successful, and I managed to drag the experience nugget toward Aviada, and once connected, her soul space devoured it hungrily. She turned to me, questioningly. "Why did I just gain experience?" she asked.

[-1 Mana]

"I just figured out another trick, I can guide the reward for the last hit," I explained. Unlike my ability to give experience through sex, it wasn't exactly groundbreaking. And paradoxically, since it was related to combat, I expected her to hold that as a secret easier.

"Huh, that's handy," she answered, which was something I agreed with wholeheartedly. Aviada had no area-effect ability, and Helga was not much better at farming experience. This discovery would no doubt come in handy. More importantly, I could use this to help people with no companion bond if I ever expanded my circle more than the people I enjoyed spending naked time together.

I was about to answer, but then I noticed several dire rabbits escaping under the ground. A combination of earth magic and arcana enabled me to detect thousands of rabbits underground. Another earth elemental spell, although costly, turned their hive into a coffin, resulting in a rain of tiny experience droplets, as thick as the resulting cloud of dust.

[-420 Mana]

I tried to form a web to redirect the droplets toward Aviada. I wasn't able to catch all of them, but enough to make her smile widely at what I achieved. "You're the best," she said with a wide smile, happy to receive her reward.

"Well, you better think about the payment," I answered. She said nothing, but the sway of her almost-naked hips was sufficient for me. I took a step back and watched the way her hips swayed for the rest of the way. Only when we were about to sneak back into the school did she put her thick cloak on once more, not wanting to be seen in such a revealing state in the school.

"To the bedroom?" she asked when we finally arrived back at the communal section for female warriors.

"No, we need a shower," I answered.

"I don't have a private shower, we only have the communal ones," she answered.

"And this is a problem, how?" I answered, earning a slap on my shoulder and a playful chuckle in response. She changed direction, and soon, we were in a room covered with rough stone, lacking the grandeur of the baths I had seen in Cornelia's and Marianne's rooms.

She closed the door, but since it was a shared one, locking the door was not an option. I put a detection ward up just in case even as I watched Aviada undress quickly. I would have preferred an extended show, but at times like these, she was definitely quicker.

Still, I watched her undressing with rapt attention. It wasn't the first time I was seeing her naked, but that didn't change the fact that her body deserved my undivided attention, tight and toned through countless hours of training, but deliciously curvy nonetheless.

I watched in silence as she walked toward the shower on the uttermost end, the towel in her hand rather than wrapped around her body. Then, just as she turned on the water, hot enough to raise a steamy cloud, I joined her.

"Do you mind washing my back," she gasped even as she stood close enough for my shaft to disappear between her meaty ass cheeks.

"Sure," I answered and started washing her slowly, tracing her muscles, making her moan softly.

I was tempted to push her against the wall and take her mercilessly, especially when she giggled playfully and started moving her hips up and down in a manner that was against her personality, but I held back, enjoying her elated mood after the great gains we made during the night. Of course, even as I caressed her body, I carefully examined her soul space, examining the way it slowly stabilized after the level up.

I was about to change the pattern when I felt the ward triggering. I didn't want to get caught in the middle of the showers with Aviada, not wanting to deal with the resulting scandal. The simplest solution was to cast an illusion spell to hide as another girl and act unnoticed, but that would mean leaving without tasting Aviada while she was in the perfect mood.

Luckily, my magic was versatile enough to give me another solution. A simple application of fire magic made an even thicker steam cloud, one that made it hard to see anything other than a shadow. Using an illusion spell to erase my own silhouette was trivial at that point.

"Keep your voice down," I whispered into Aviada's ear even as I slid inside her simultaneously. She gave me a scandalized look, trying to look like she did not appreciate my initiative, but her body disagreed as I easily slid into her wetness, forcing out a small moan.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 56%]

The thick cloud of steam might be preventing our uninvited guest from seeing me, but the same didn't apply for the reverse. Moments after my ward was triggered, a redhead that was even bustier than Aviada walked into the showers, and turned on the nearest one. I couldn't help but examine her breasts, miraculously defying gravity despite their impressive size, though her hips were no different. She didn't have Aviada's perfectly toned body, but she was beautiful enough to make that thicker look work with her perfect hourglass shape.

[Level Difference of at least 50%! No Experience]

Pity there was no reward from seeing her, as I would have loved to make her a priority.

"Hi, Aviada," she said cheerfully, indicating that they were good friends. I panicked momentarily when she easily recognized Aviada despite the cloud of steam, then I realized Aviada's sword —a very distinctive piece of equipment— was just a few feet away. "You're early again, another all-nighter hunting rabbits?"

"Same old, same old," Aviada answered evenly, which annoyed me a bit. I didn't like just how easily she was speaking with my shaft inside her, so I grabbed her breasts, my fingers sinking into her flesh to make it much harder. The gasp she let out was simply beautiful.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 58%]

"Hey, are you okay," she asked in a concerned tone as she tried to peer through the cloud, her green eyes shining with concern. It was clear that she was a good friend of Aviada.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, her response made even more difficult as I started pumping into her with long, even strokes, enjoying her warm tightness.

"You don't sound okay?" she answered even as she stopped soaping up, and turned to face Aviada. The sight of her spectacular breasts, covered with a rapidly-thinning layer of bubbles made the sight even more delicious. I picked up speed, though still careful not to make any noise.

"I just p-pulled a muscle, not a big deal," Aviada answered, but then she gasped painfully as a result of the surprise intrusion of my finger slipping into her puckered hole. I pushed Aviada even more, because our mystery visitor was clearly a good friend, and I was feeling adventurous enough to take the risk.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 63%]

And if the sudden jump in the Companion Progress was any indicator, despite her angry glare, Aviada also enjoyed my domineering action.

"It doesn't sound like no big deal," she said as she closed in. "I'm going to take a look!"

I could have easily hidden with a mid-level illusion spell under the circumstances, but since she wanted to take a look, I decided to give her what she wanted, and let the cloud of steam dissipate, just as she was a step away from Aviada.

Their eyes widened simultaneously as they found themselves face to face without anything to cover their bodies. Our mystery guest's gaze fell down for a moment, to the point where my shaft repeatedly disappeared into Aviada's entrance, frozen in shock.

"So, Aviada, won't you introduce your friend," I said even as I increased the pacing, and suddenly the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the room.

"Carla," was all she was able to say before her climax hit her mercilessly as she collapsed to the floor, shuddering. Normally, I would have held her upright and continued fucking, but the alternative was just too amusing not to take.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 65%]

I presented my hand to Carla. "Since Aviada is rude enough not to continue, let me introduce myself. Caesar," I said, and even grabbed her hand to place a soft kiss on her knuckles with such a perfect mannerism that it wouldn't be amiss at a high-class party.

Of course, the fact that I was naked, and making my rock hard shaft still coated with her friend's juices very visible might have changed the impact slightly. "Nice to meet you," she managed to stammer, mostly in shock as her gaze bounced around the room, including Aviada's naked figure, and my erect shaft. "I need to go…" she continued, still dazed in shock. "I have a thing…"

"You certainly do," I said even as I looked at her breasts very pointedly, which was finally enough to trigger her to escape, her ass jiggling with each hurried step.

"You're an evil man," Aviada said, but she made the mistake of saying that while she was still naked and on all fours in front of me, so I decided to teach her a lesson. A quick spell was enough to clean her puckered hole, and I slid inside for an even tighter second round.

When we finally finished almost half an hour later, Aviada was barely able to stumble into her bed, yet utterly satisfied…

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 72%]

As I snuck back to my room, a wide smile was on my face, my mind already on how to arrange another meeting with Aviada's interesting friend…

—

[Level: 20 Experience: 203100 / 210000

Strength: 24 Charisma: 34

Precision: 17 Perception: 21

Agility: 21 Manipulation: 26

Speed: 19 Intelligence: 26

Endurance: 18 Wisdom: 28

HP: 1980 / 1980 Mana: 2700 / 2700 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Expert Tantric [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Chapter 49: Nerdy Discourse

When I finally arrived back to my room, the corridors were burning golden with the golden rays of dusk. I carefully sneaked into my room, not wanting to wake Helga up.

I was exhausted, and as much as I was tempted to slide next to Helga and bury myself to her bosom —very inviting in its naked state, barely covered by the blanket— but I had a lot of things to do.

With a sigh, I pulled some of the materials from the golden lions, and after a brief period of refining to make sure they lost their organic properties and condensed into magic crystals —my way of doing that was very inefficient, but finding an expert was unfortunately not an option— and started waving a complicated web of magic around them, connecting four corners of the room.

I didn't use any attack spells, or other dangerous tricks. At this point, hiding from or delaying any possible attacker was much more important than actually killing them. There were two options that would go enough effort to break through all the stealth and shielding charms I had integrated into the structure, either it was the faculty itself that tried to enter my room, in that case killing one of them would have no benefit other than ensuring their enmity, or it might be the necromancers trying to deal with me silently, and in that case, a simple alarm would be enough to get the attention of the faculty to deal with them.

Either way, a passive scheme was much more important than an active one, so I continued working on that. And one instance of mana regeneration perk still active, I didn't really care about wasting mana. Focused on the construction, I was startled when I heard Helga speak. "Impressive work," she gasped in amazement.

"Yeah, after screwing up plans of several necromancers, I think that there's merit in making sure I have adequate protection."

"Without a doubt," she answered before she started examining the structure itself. "Did you make these yourself?" she asked, pointing at the ward keystones at the corners.

"Yes, from golden lion bones, freshly hunted," I said, shamelessly bragging. To be fair, killing six of them was definitely worthy of a brag.

Helga chose to focus on a different aspect of it. "And you hunted them alone or…" she said, letting her words trail off.

"Nope, Aviada was with me," I said shamelessly, meeting her jealous gaze with a glare of my own even though my hands were busy trying to layer another anti-scrying spell.

"You could have woken me up," she said, pouting. I didn't know the impression she wanted to generate, but considering she was completely naked, relying a blanket to cover her bottom half while her breasts stood in front of me deliciously visible, it worked like a playful call for sex.

I leaned down and kissed her, not neglecting to inject a lot of mana in the process, which returned her as some extra experience. "I could have, but it's not like you actually need to hunt anymore, do you?"

[-104 Mana]

"I guess so," she answered, her breath lost after the heated kiss. "But doesn't it also apply for that slut?" she added, unable to resist the temptation to insult Aviada, but her tone lacked any real animosity.

"Not exactly," I answered. "She's too much of a hothead to actually trust with that secret, especially since I doubt she would understand its full significance. She's not as bright as you." I made sure to compliment her in the end, which put a smile on her face. Despite her impressive abilities and amazing intellect, she still suffered from a lack of confidence, so reinforcing her position through compliments was a good idea.

She said nothing for a while I continued to establish layer after layer of protection, watching intently. Considering her nakedness, it made good watching. "How about if you use a seven-point structure to connect the lower layers?" she asked a while later.

I briefly considered it, and unsurprisingly, I realized that she was correct. Not only she was smart, but also she wasn't confident enough to offer opinion until she was sure that it was correct, so I wasn't really surprised at her accuracy. "Amazing idea, as usual," I answered, and she blushed. "By the way, how many experience you have received from the latest mana rush?"

"Sixty-three," she answered. "You shouldn't waste that much mana in the middle of setting wards," she added.

"Nope, it was just eighty mana," I answered, watching her eyes widen in shock as she understood the implications.

"How?" she asked.

"You didn't think I went hunting for the fun of it, right?" I asked with a smirk. "I have a much better idea what I'm doing after watching Aviada gain a level."

"You did that to surprise me?" she asked with a gasp, excitement back on her face. I nodded, as while she wasn't entirely correct, she was mostly correct. Without saying anything, she jumped up to her feet and kissed me heatedly, her hands immediately around my pants, freeing my shaft even as she continued to kiss me.

I was tempted to respond, but my hands were busy layering magic around the room. "You deserve a reward," she said as she lowered herself, and wrapped her lips around my shaft without prompting. As she bobbed her head, pleasure spread through my body, making it difficult to concentrate on the ward scheme.

Luckily, after slowing down my construction speed, I was more than capable of enjoying Helga's enthusiastic treatment and working at the same time. After a couple of minutes, I even started to inject mana to our little game, allowing Helga to grind level in a way that we both enjoyed. I spent thousands of mana, but luckily, one instance of my regeneration was still active.

[-3620 Mana]

"I'm coming," I whispered, warning her about the impending explosion. She pulled herself back a bit, but kept the crown in her mouth, so when I exploded, she managed to swallow almost all of my mana-laden seed, triggering an expansion of her soul space in the process.

[-1370 Mana]

[Mana: 160 / 2700]

However I didn't care that I almost emptied my mana pool, because the following notification was more than worth it, once again rewarding me greatly for actually discovering the abilities related to my original way of leveling. Yet another mystery I need to solve, but I was more than happy with the quality of the clues I was receiving.

[Achievement: Alternative Advancement. Make love, not war! Just like you have done for centuries. 2 to All, 10000 Experience]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Grandmaster Melee (Requires 5 Points), Master Elemental, Master Tantric]

I couldn't help but frown at the points required for Grandmaster level improvement. If I chose that, it would mean no new skill points for the next four levels while that skill fully matured. What a waste. It was the main reason why I believed a wider expertise was the more rational choice, even though the Grandmaster improvement gave a total of fifty points rather than usual twenty-five. Of course, considering it required five levels, it meant a measly ten points each level.

Naturally, I chose Tantric once more. Master Elemental was tempting as well, but Tantric gave me the key to discover more about the System itself, and the benefits from that was impossible to overstate.

Helga, on the other hand, had just finished swallowing my seed and stood up, enthusiastic for more. She turned her back to me, and looked at my construct. "What do you think about building connection points in layers," she asked as she examined my construct in more detail, followed by a gasp.

She gasped, because as she examined the structure of the matrix, she took a step back, aligning her entrance perfectly with my shaft. Feeling her warmth around my length, I pushed my hips forward, enjoying her moans. "Do you think it might cause an interference?" I asked, enjoying the way she tightened further. She was really enjoying the opportunity to have sex and discuss magical theory simultaneously.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 73%]

[1 Tantric]

[-26 Mana]

"No, they will be stabilized by overlapping effect, invalidating the possibility of interference," she explained, though her explanation was interrupted by rapid moans as I started rocking my lips recklessly. For once, I was pushing for a quick explosion, because I wanted to activate the second instance of mana regeneration, which would help increasing her leveling speed. Grinding with such a speed with no risk was not an opportunity to be wasted.

"Good point, and if we set up an additional connection between node five and nine, we can stabilize the structure thirty percent," I added, even as I carefully stopped casting from my right hand, continuing with one hand. I did so, because I wanted my right hand free to enjoy her naked body. Not digging into her beautiful breasts was a great loss, so I fixed that.

"It might work, especially if we add an amplifier in between to leverage the connection further," she answered even as she trembled, stumbling hard enough to fall if it wasn't for my grabbing.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 75% – Third Stage Completed 15000 Exp]

[New Perk: Skill Share]

[Companion Acquisition: Relationship not sufficient for the Fourth Stage]

She gasped as she lost her concentration for a bit, understandable, as I could feel her soul space changing as she received yet another achievement —a big one with significant boost to her mental stats if I was feeling the changes correctly. I let her enjoy the experience while I focused on the joy of receiving a brand new perk, feeling curious what exactly it was.

Well, I was about to find out if it activated the same way my mana regeneration perk did.

I sped up, pushing recklessly as I searched for release, which didn't take long to finally attain. I exploded in joy, filling her with mana along with the usual liquid, losing every scrap I managed to regenerate in the process, dropping my remaining mana to single digits.

[-265 Mana]

[Mana Regeneration perk activated. Count 2. Duration, 8 hours]

[1 Tantric]

Then, I felt myself almost forcibly being pulled into her soul space, until I touched one of her skills, with corresponding changes happening in my soul space. Or more accurately, just outside my soul space, creating a vessel similar to the skill I had just touched. It was the same skill she had chosen to improve.

[Skill Share perk activated. Target Skill: Expert Magical Theory. Copied: Duration, 24 hours]

[Temporary Skill: Basic Magical Theory (25/25)]

A sudden clarity appeared in my mind, allowing me to make previously-impossible connection between different schools of magic, even leveraging my other abilities like Melee and Subterfuge. Helga probably had advanced level if it completed, with expert track just started. Her prodigious instincts toward the areas of magic she didn't even use herself suddenly made more sense.

With the connections made, I turned my attention back to the ward scheme, and started making rapid changes, making the structure several times stronger.

"It seems that I wasn't the only one that just received some interesting benefits," Helga murmured as she tried to catch her breath, still leaning against me, my right arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Yeah, I just received a new perk that allows me to temporarily copy a skill of yours, and I just got Basic Magical Theory. I have to say, it helps a great deal," I said before leaning and giving her a long, drawn out, thank you kiss.

"Happy to hear," she murmured she answered before extending the kiss, and we enjoyed an extended moment.

"So," I murmured after we disconnected for a long breath. "Do you have anything urgent for today?"

"Nothing I can't do tomorrow," she answered. "You?"

"Not until the evening, where I will meet with the Head Librarian," I answered even as I squeezed her harder. "So, there's nothing that prevent us staying here all day long, working on … warding the room?"

She didn't answer. More accurately, she didn't answer verbally. Pushing me to my bed and straddling my lap was answer enough. We spent rest of the way wrapped around each other, sometimes working on the warding scheme, sometimes focusing my mana on leveling her further. I had drained my mana pool an staggering number of times, only for it to be refilled back again thanks to my active regeneration perk, though toward the end, the part I received from Aviada expired, slowing down the process a bit. But with great result, as Helga gained another level in the process, while I maximized my new skill.

[23 Tantric]

When the sun finally set, the only reason we were still able to move was the generous amount of healing spells I had used, keeping our bodies on top shape. Even then, Helga was mentally exhausted. And two levels she had received during the day surely didn't help her exhaustion. It was why I stopped using Tantric toward the end, just to give her soul space a chance to settle before she received another level.

For me, endless sex made my thoughts even sharper, though it wasn't that surprising considering the source of my powers.

"I just received another achievement," Helga murmured lazily as I collapsed next to her.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just received three more endurance points, basically doubling it," she answered, underlining just how poor her physical stats were. Luckily, system took our extended activities as an opportunity to boost her physical aspects.

"Good news, maybe you can last all day without healing spells on two digits," I quipped, only to receive a playful slap to my chest. She sighed as we cuddled, enjoying the euphoria of a day filled with supernaturally-enhanced sex.

"Do you have a plan for your meeting," she asked, dispelling the question I had in mind.

"I have some ideas, but it all depends on Titania's reaction. I don't know just how strong her emotions will be affected after a day of rest. If she returns to her previous mood, I doubt that anything other than cold logic will affect her."

"Maybe you should find another ambush," Helga said with a chuckle. I was amused by the ease she had accepted Titania's presence, contrasting with the constant needling about Aviada —even though at this point it was pretty low-key. Maybe it was the hero worship she had toward Titania. I shrugged, as regardless of the reason, I was happy with the output.

"Yeah, they are at every corner," I quipped.

"Aren't they?" Helga answered with a chuckle. I laughed as well, despite the danger her words implied. After all, we went out for extended hunting trips two times, coming across necromancers on both of them. Either we were supremely unlucky, or there was a big danger about to happen.

"Maybe," I answered with a sigh. "I'm sure Titania has a better idea about the risk. You finished copying the book, right?"

"I did, which was a very grueling work. Quite few of the letters had magical imprints that encripted further information. I copied them to the best of my ability, but I can't guarantee that they are correct."

"That's a trade-off we have to take," I answered even as I stood up, and used a water spell to imitate a shower. Not the most pleasurable thing, but markedly better than going to see Titania while still smelling sweat and sex. I kissed her one last time and whispered.

"Wish me luck…"

—

[Level: 21 Experience: 228100 / 231000

Strength: 26 Charisma: 36

Precision: 19 Perception: 23

Agility: 23 Manipulation: 28

Speed: 21 Intelligence: 28

Endurance: 20 Wisdom: 30

HP: 2289 / 2289 Mana: 3045 / 3045 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 50: Risky Business

I took a deep breath as I stood in front of Titania's private office, trying to still my nerves. Instead of wearing my library costume, I chose a simple rugged shirt and pants, the kind the menial servants wore. At this point, I didn't want to emphasize the fact that I had been hiding under her nose for the last few years, though I wouldn't hide it if she noticed as well. It was a weird balance to maintain.

"Come in," called Titania, but she used the quintessential head librarian, sharp, cold, and unyielding. Not a good start.

For a moment, I considered whether disappearing was the smarter option. My subterfuge was high enough —especially with the assistance of the most recent stat upgrades— to make me disappear in any city other than the school itself, so much that even her network couldn't find me.

Ultimately, it was just an errant thought. The necromancer threat was one thing, and the mysteries my achievements were continuously alluding to was another thing I needed to solve; and soon, if instincts were correct. So, I took a deep breath to gather my courage, and opened the door.

Only to find Titania sitting behind an impressive desk, its surface covered with books, ranging from destruction to warding. She stood impervious behind the desk, her eyes cold in their steely look, a thick robe wrapped around her, hiding her body perfectly. "Sit down," she said in a tone that was devoid of any emotion.

An ordinary person might have felt the stirrings of despair at her impervious action, but I felt the stirrings of excitement as I sat on the chair she had pointed, which was considerably lower and flimsier than her own. I was excited, because she was too calculated in trying to be intimidating, which ran contrary to her usual demeanor. Normally, she was scary, just because of her overwhelming presence.

She was overcompensating, and there was only one probable reason for it. Even under the emotionally-oppressive effects of her Light Magic, she was still somehow affected by the memories we shared in that particular cave while I helped her to relax.

I decided to test it. "Before we start, there's something I had forgotten to give you," I said as I pulled the book from my sack, the book that she had went all the trouble to find, only end up in a deadly ambush.

"You got it," she gasped in shock, reaching forward without a thought and grabbed it. I made sure to shift my touch at the last moment, making our fingers brush. The fleeting blush that appeared on her face before she pulled the book was all the confirmation I needed that the memories of the event was still alive and effective. Then, she continued in a more even tone. "I appreciate your efforts."

"Sure thing," I answered, repressing my desire to ask for a special reward. It wasn't the time yet. "So, necromancers?" I asked.

"They are the pests of the earth that we need to exterminate with extreme prejudice," she said, her anger flaring for a moment before her emotionless state asserted itself once more. She continued in a more even tone. "For the last few years, they are getting more and more daring, mostly trying to ambush me during my missions. During my last mission, they managed to interfere when I was fighting against a monster horde attacking a town, managing to damage me with a cursed dagger. Even with the best healers, it took a while for me to get well."

It was probably the reason for her disappearance. But the sight of her fighting against a monster horde, covering the landscape with light blasts to drown crowds of creatures again and again, was an image sexy enough to turn me on. I didn't give any sign of my thoughts, and answered professionally. "It's a dangerous prospect, getting stabbed in the back while defending against such a formidable danger. It was just like the necromancers to broke that taboo."

Monster hordes were the single most dangerous phenomenon humanity had been facing against. The reason for their occurrence varied. Sometimes, it was a particularly effective monster leading or controlling the horde, sometimes they were escaping the territory of a Titan level monster, only to lash out something on their way. Sometimes, they even popped in existence without no rhyme or reason —at least not one humanity could discover— and destroyed everything on their path until they finally came across one they couldn't destroy, still struggling until they were smashed into pieces. Sabotaging the defense efforts was a taboo with the harshest punishment possible.

Though, considering Necromancers had earned that same punishment just by existing, it was easy to understand why they weren't bothered taking action under such circumstances.

"That's not good news," I said. "Do you think it was a target of opportunity, or it was planned?" I asked, despite having confidence in my guess that it was the latter.

"It was planned," she answered. "The skeleton knight was buried at the center of the defensive formation, and covered with multiple wards to hide its presence. Without accessing the defense schematics, it was impossible to do. I had been wondering how they did, then you discovered a mysterious figure controlling a necrotic shade in the Faculty building."

"Yeah, that is not good news. Any idea about the identity?"

"No, and I don't have anyone to help either. What if I tried to talk to someone, and they were the contact?"

I paused for a moment. I was happy with her discussing her concerns with me openly, though I was probably the only one that she could trust on the issue. After all, I was the one that saved her from a certain death in the hands of necromancers, which made me the only option for her to discuss the next steps. Of course, the fact that she had barely survived an assassination attempt in another mission probably had some effect on her decision as well.

Not to mention my unique ability to transfer mana!

"How about the headmistress?" I asked, referring to the enigmatic figure I had seen only once, during a graduation speech. "If she is on their side, we had already lost."

"I don't think that she's on their side, but the same doesn't apply the people around her," she explained. "If I contact her, I need to do that in a way that doesn't evoke any suspicion, and she rarely meets the faculty privately."

"Maybe I can try to reach her?" I offered, despite not wanting to do so. Revealing myself to yet another person was the last thing I needed, but the more I learned about the necromancers, the more I was getting apprehensive, to a point that I was willing to expand the number of people that knew about me.

Though luckily, the headmistress didn't have to know anything true about me, other than I was a strong warrior or mage —or maybe I could present myself as an assassin— saved the life of one of her teachers and trusted by her. I just needed to sneak into her room and manage to have a talk with her without being blasted into smithereens.

Easy task.

"Maybe," she answered noncommittally. "I need to consider it more throughly before deciding on an action."

"Is there anything else I can help you?" I asked.

She paused for a moment. "Not for now, but I'll make sure to leave you a note if we need to talk," she added. "When I get a new mission, I will need a backup."

I nodded. It was a sensible request. With the agreement in place, we talked for a couple more minutes, agreeing on several signals and locations to drop discreet messages in case we didn't have the opportunity to talk face to face on an emergency.

I bid her a good night and left, surprised by the mundanity of the meeting. I was tempted to suggest testing my mana transfer skill, but I held back for two reason. First, under all of her stiffness, she was still skittish. Second, and more importantly, I had no idea how I would measure against her Light Magic while she still had all of her mana, and didn't want to risk it. Sooner or later, we were going to fight together, and she would need some extra mana to support…

Still, the night was young, and since I had left Helga enjoying a very deserved sleep. Luckily, I had another busty blonde friend that I hadn't visited for the last few days.

I changed my path toward the Marianne's room, intent on delivering a surprise visit. I even stopped in front of Cornelia's room, sliding a note of invitation before moving forward. The note asked her to visit Marianne's room, but dress normally rather than in her maid costume. I was tempted to humiliate her, but after a brief consideration, I decided against. Not only humiliating Cornelia next to her girlfriend —though my presence had muddied that term a lot— was not the best strategy to endear myself to either of them, but also that particular part of the training would be better under different circumstances.

After that brief detour, I arrived at Marianne's door. As usual, neither the mundane nor the magical locks on her door helped as I opened the door, easily hiding myself from the view, even in a corridor filled with students of magic.

When I sneaked inside, I saw that Marianne was alone, on her desk, focused intently on a book in front of her. I carefully sneaked forward, careful not to alert her, and slipped to her dining room. Since I had already been there, I knew where the important things were, such as the wine bottles, glasses, and the cheese to accompany. I quickly prepared a small feast for us to enjoy in her bedroom, while she was still in her study, focused on her book, unaware of my presence.

I could have called for her, but I decided to make a flashier transition. I quickly dressed down to my birthday suit —as my musclebound body made a much better view than my ugly servant clothes— and slipped under her covers. Then I waved my hand, lighting several candles to create a romantic atmosphere before slowly dimming the lights in her study, until the shining candles were the only light available, creating an intriguing trail for her to follow.

Her tenseness was visible when she stepped into her bedroom, an arcana spell twisting in her hand, ready to be launched, but it dissipated the moment she noticed my enticing presence, my naked torso glistening with the flickering candlelight, with her covers strategically pulled to the beginning of my abs, showing my muscles to the best effect while hiding the most critical part of my anatomy, leaving the responsibility of uncovering it had fallen to her.

"Caesar," she gasped, excitement easily replacing her earlier trepidation. "Such a welcome surprise, but I wish you have notified me about your arrival, I would have prepared for you." She gestured herself, her face without makeup, her hair casually gathered into a ponytail, wearing a casual thick nightie that made a good attempt to hide her body. It still failed, of course, as her curves were not so ordinary to yield her nightie's mundane attempts, but the attempt was good enough to make her uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, princess, you're beautiful even when you're dressed casually." It was not the most impressive compliment, but with my charisma, it made her blush prettily.

"Still," she murmured shyly, before she raised her head, a surprising level of assertiveness shining in her blue eyes. "Give me fifteen minutes," she said. Without waiting for an answer, she ran to her wardrobe, pulled several items —and hiding them behind her body to conceal their nature— before she dashed away without waiting for a response.

I watched her surprising display of initiative with an amused smile, then lay on my back, enjoying the softness of her bed. Maybe I should ask her to buy another one. My room was in a desperate need for a better mattress.

I was enjoying the warm touch of quality red wine when I felt the ward I had left at the door triggering, but a follow up mirror spell showed that it was Cornelia, following my invitation. I cast a simple arcana spell, and glowing letters appeared in her field of view, asking her to come to the bedroom, but make sure to stay silent. I even added a couple of arrows to create a path for her to follow. I even silenced the bedroom, keeping Marianne unaware, wanting to surprise her further.

Then, Cornelia appeared in the bedroom, wearing an oversized robe that covered her whole body, her arms tight around as if she was trying to hide herself in case of accidental reveal, making me curious about what lay underneath. I gestured her to undress, and she did so without complaint, revealing that she was wearing a black lace set, designed in the same shape with a corset, but soft enough to wrap her body perfectly. It wasn't like her body needed the support. Even more beautiful was the bite mark I had left on her shoulder the last time, suggesting my dominance. Surprisingly, she didn't try to hide, nor she flinched when my gaze found it. She was showing a surprising ability to accept her new circumstances.

Still, despite the amazing view, it took everything to prevent a frown from appearing on my face.

[More than 5 levels of difference! No Experience]

It was a completely new notification, and considering I was banking on the experience I would receive from her to push for a new level, rather untimely as well. I didn't know it was a feature that always existed or it was a consequence of passing level twenty barrier, but nonetheless, it was unwelcome.

Luckily, I was already planning to solve her leveling problem, which in turn would help me help me increase mine. And there was no point in delaying that.

I patted the bed, inviting her in. She walked forward without the slightest reluctance. Finally receiving an achievement must have broke most of her concerns. And compared to making her work as a maid, inviting her for a romantic evening was a much better option.

"Why the sudden change?" she whispered, unable to help herself as she closed in, making sure to walk seductively.

"You have been a good girl yesterday, and good girls get rewarded," I said to her, and she blushed, easily accepting the power imbalance inherit in my words. She was surprising me with the ease she had been showing. "Not to mention we have distressed our mutual blonde friend during our little scuffle."

"You're right," she murmured enthusiastically as she slid next to me, her body heat tempting me to ignore my earlier words and taste the fruits of her offerings. From the way her eyes were trailing my muscles hungrily, she clearly shared the same opinion.

"Good," I said even as I wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her tight against my naked body, enjoying the sensation of her body pressing against mine. "So, are you happy with your new achievement?" I asked.

Her response was a lingering kiss, with a level of enthusiasm I would never expect from her a day ago, giving me insights about her personality much more than her fake dominant bluster. She wanted to be taken care of, and by solving her biggest problem, I proved myself as the best candidate.

I was going to test that, to see just how much I could push my newfound dominance, but not today. No, today was a reward for them. For Cornelia, her surrender. For Marianne, enabling it to happen. Not to mention, they deserved a reward for starting everything. If it wasn't for their horniness, I would be still struggling to as a pathetic weakling stuck in level one.

Marianne signaled her arrival with a gasp. I turned to look at her, who was watching the scene with wide eyes —and a clear arousal— while Cornelia chose to speak. "Nice dress, honey," she said.

I agreed. Marianne was wearing a white corset —a proper one unlike Cornelia. However, hers had one major modification. It ended just under her breasts, leaving her nipples naked while still supporting her already-perky breasts to the perfection, presenting them like a shelf. Her soft make up and new hairdo just enhanced the effect.

"Thanks," Marianne murmured to answer Cornelia's question, while I patted my other side, inviting her to the bed, and to an amazing show.

It was going to be a long, beautiful night…

—

[Level: 21 Experience: 228100 / 231000

Strength: 26 Charisma: 36

Precision: 19 Perception: 23

Agility: 23 Manipulation: 28

Speed: 21 Intelligence: 28

Endurance: 20 Wisdom: 30

HP: 2289 / 2289 Mana: 3045 / 3045 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Expert Biomancy [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

---

Read Leveling through Lust Chapter 51: Team Expansion online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 51: Team Expansion

Marianne was silent as she slid into the right side of the bed, her gaze bouncing between me and Cornelia, no doubt trying to understand the sudden change. Her surprise was understandable, as during our last encounter, things were rather heated, to a point that she actually cast spells indoors, triggering a battle, only to stop when I tricked her to believe that I was overwhelmingly strong.

At that point, I was several levels lower than her, so I had tricked her through excessive preparation and several tricks. Luckily, since then, my power grew so much that she was not intimidating toward me anymore. It was the reason I was not afraid of poking fun of her. "Cornelia, before we start, you have an apology to make to Marianne, for scaring her that badly."

Marianne looked panicked, no doubt afraid of her reaction, but rather than pulling back, she slid next to me, her tight hug showing her trust. Cornelia, on the other hand, looked like she had swallowed a lemon, but she didn't dally much before opening her mouth, no doubt aware that it was the much better option compared to the treatment of the previous night.

"I'm sorry, Mary," she murmured. "I was shocked by Caesar's surprise presence, and lashed out. I hope you can forgive me," she said, as sincere as she could manage. Anger was still present in her tone, but I let it slide. I wanted to teach her obedience, but I didn't want to extinguish the fire that was making her unique. I liked her passion, it just needed to be under my control…

"I understand," Marianne said with a soft smile, though still a bit hesitant. She was skittish enough to be badly affected by Cornelia's surprise lashing out. "It was a rather difficult situation."

"Good," I said, cutting in to dispel the sudden seriousness. I didn't want to waste time when they have a lot of interesting things they could do to have fun. "Now, kiss and seal the apology," I ordered.

Marianne blushed, while Cornelia smirked, though when their lips met directly in front of me as they leaned in from either side, neither was unenthusiastic. After all, my presence might have put a damper in their relationships, but they were lovers for a long time, and with that background came closeness.

[More than 5 levels of difference! No Experience]

The notification of no experience appeared once more, like the System was telling me that I was wasting time. It wasn't right, of course. Watching them kiss slowly and sensuously might not help me gain experience or progress my companion system, but watching them was a reward of its own.

As I watched, my blanket rose, lifted by my rock hard erection. I sighed in contentment as I felt a hand wrapping around the base, gently moving up and down. Surprisingly, it was Marianne that took the initiative. Cornelia noticed it when my breath hitched for a moment. She pulled back from the kiss for a second. "Someone is enthusiastic," she murmured before kissing her once again, this time sharp and passionate. Her hand joined the little game that was going under the blanket, taking the responsibility of the topside.

I put my hands on their bodies, softly caressing their sensitive spots. I avoided the obviously-sensitive areas, but after all the times we had spent together, I knew how to play their bodies like a flute. Even the most casual touches carried the ability to make them pant and moan helplessly.

I started slow, wanting to warm them up properly. I had big objectives for the evening. Cornelia had access to one of my biggest secrets, and at this point with their relationship repaired, it was inevitable that Marianne would learn it sooner and later. She had neither the personality nor the ambition to betray my secret, but giving her an even better reason to keep my secrets was a good idea.

Especially since there were no drawbacks for doing so.

With that in mind, I decided to start the proceedings with my shy blonde. I leaned down and pressed my lips against her neck, making her moan gently. Her back arched, and she would have broken off the kiss she was sharing with Cornelia if it wasn't for Cornelia's initiative to grab her hair to force maintain her kiss. I couldn't help but smirk in amusement as I watched Cornelia's rougher habits immediately showed itself. I didn't say anything though, as Marianne was obviously enjoying it.

Marianne's moans intensified as I moved down. First, I nibbled her collarbone to make her gasp loudly. Meanwhile, Cornelia moved until she was on top of me. At first, I had assumed that she was looking for easier access to Marianne, so, she surprised me greatly when she pushed her panties to the side sank herself onto my shaft, making me moan, all without interrupting her kiss with Marianne.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 27%]

It would be a lie if I said I wasn't surprised. Combined with her unconscious acceptance of my mark, it suggested that I had misread Cornelia's personality. I had thought that she was either a sadist or a naturally domineering person, who I had to force and break before remaking her as a better person. But the ease she adapted to my presence and my position over her suggested that maybe the situation was different. Maybe she was looking to connect with people, but her need to protect herself due to her family's complicated situation had been forcing her to always hold the upper hand.

Now that she found herself linked to me —she was smart enough to realize that my revealing such a big secret, I was staking a claim, and there was no retreat for her— she was slowly shedding herself of her earlier behaviors. Of course, the pleasure I provided had a rather big impact on the process as well.

In simpler terms, I managed to fuck the bitch out of her.

However, as Cornelia started rocking on my lap, my thoughts shifted back to the present. It was unfair for me not to pay attention to the beautiful girls that were doing their best to make me enjoy life. I grabbed Cornelia's lacy lingerie, and ripped it off just enough to reveal her breasts, but leaving the ripped fabric to hand on her body, partially covering her. Dressed like that, her red hair waving freely with her every move, she was even sexier than her naked state.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 31%]

As I enjoyed Cornelia's tightness, however, I used my Tantric abilities to carefully observe her soul space, checking to see if there was any side effect from her forced achievement. The view of her soul space was much clearer than the last time, understandable considering my Tantric skills had almost doubled since yesterday. Increasing the progress of the companion feature helped as well.

Seeing that the achievement integrated itself without an issue, I shifted my attention to the borders of her soul space, the reason for her inability to level up. Observing Aviada while she leveled naturally taught me a lot, and Helga's assisted leveling taught me even more about it. Ultimately, it was a lack of potential, reflected itself as the absence of elasticity. The solution was simple. I just needed to strengthen her soul space to ensure the barrier could expand.

Of course, simple didn't mean easy. I dumped a great amount of mana inside her, carefully directing it so that it was absorbed by the borders of her soul space rather than anything else.

[-723 Mana]

Despite the mana expenditure that would leave a weaker mage unconscious, her soul space barely reacted. Of course, I wasn't exactly hurting for mana with my regeneration perk active —especially when I was about to receive a new one from Cornelia soon— so a barely noticeable improvement was more than okay for me.

I was about to continue my enjoyable treatment, when Marianne decided to pull away from Cornelia's kiss. "You already started?" Marianne gasped in shock as she looked at where Cornelia was trying to melt into my body. "It's not fair! You were with him yesterday as well! It's my turn!"

I couldn't help but laugh at the point she had suddenly decided to push through her shyness and defend what she saw as her right. I wanted to shift, but two things prevented me. First, I was making progress with Cornelia's soul space, and didn't want to risk it.

Second, I didn't want to pull out of Cornelia's warm grasp until I could paint her insides, especially when she decided to show initiative.

"Well, you should have acted faster," I said to Marianne even as I slapped her ass. Her tight, beautiful ass jiggled beautifully under my touch while Marianne moaned helplessly.

"Not fair," she moaned playfully.

"I'm sure I can come up with some kind of compensation," I countered before I dived down to her bosom, leveraging the revealing corset she was wearing by clamping on her nipple, biting softly. Marianne moaned loudly. "How's this as an alternative?"

"Well," she murmured, "I might indeed deign to wait for a few minutes if you were to continue to pamper me like that," she answered, but before she could say anything else, Cornelia stole her lips again.

Cornelia was in deep arousal. Her hips were grinding mercilessly back and forth like she was trying to break my bones, her moans rising despite Marianne's lips.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 31%]

"I have a better idea," I suddenly said even as I wrapped my arms around Cornelia's waist and pulled her off, and threw her on the bed, her back hitting the soft mattress hard enough to make a sound. Both girls froze at the sudden change, but before they could react, I was already between Cornelia's legs, once again sliding inside her warmth. "Sit on her face," I ordered Marianne as I started impaling Cornelia repeatedly in a merciless rhythm, our flesh clapping mixing with her cries of joy.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 35%]

Marianne followed my orders immediately, pulling down her panties to reveal her delicious entrance, shining with arousal. She reached for her corset as well, but I gestured her to keep it on. Since the corset was low enough to reveal her beautiful breasts, I wanted to keep it. Also, its contrast with Cornelia's black lingerie —though mostly scraps at this point— added a touch of color to our embrace as well.

Cornelia responded immediately as Marianne sat on her face, her tongue darting out in a furious dance. I grabbed Marianne's hair and pulled her close into a searing kiss, tasting Cornelia from her lips. Under a concentrated assault, Marianne started gasping and moaning, some suppressed by my lips, some overcoming the barrier they presented. And when I put one of my hands on her breast and sank my fingers into her inviting flesh, her cries got even louder.

With Marianne properly distracted, I turned my attention back to Cornelia, and not just the way she was tightening around my shaft. I pushed another dose of mana inside her, once again strengthening her soul space. At the same time, I put my other hand on her chest, squeezing her smaller, but also firmer, breasts.

[-357 Mana]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 39%]

This time, despite spending less mana, the impact was clearer. Ultimately, it might be the pleasure she was feeling. Trying to deal with all different aspects, her control over her power was weaker, helping me to manipulate her soul space easier.

That, or it was simply because of the progress of the companion acquisition —which was also progressing quite a bit faster than the previous times, but I had a feeling that it had a link with my increased level or heightened charisma.

Whatever it was, it was working perfectly, so I continued ramming inside her, each push making her moan louder. However, I had a simple and fun way of testing that. A brief moment of concentration allowed me to solidify air into an accurate replica of my shaft. I pulled away from kissing Marianne for a moment, only to jam that in her mouth. She gagged and wheezed, but when I pulled back, the magical dildo was shining with her spit.

"Couldn't you use a spell to lubricate it?" Marianne asked exasperatedly.

"I could have, but that's more fun," I answered. I cast another spell, this time to prepare Cornelia's backdoor to surprise intrusion. Biomancy was not just useful for destroying the undead. I slowly pushed the dildo in her backdoor without breaking a stride. Cornelia tried to cry, but Marianne was in place to silence her perfectly.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 42%]

[-235 Mana]

Despite the overwhelming increase in pleasure, I only detected a small improvement at the ease I was able to strengthen Cornelia's soul space, which could be accounted for increased companion interaction. Not exactly a drawback, but good to know, though I was a bit sad to lose the excuse to have a spectacular orgy.

On second thought, nothing was preventing me to have one.

As I continued to impale Cornelia from multiple angles, Marianne started to have a jealous look on her face whenever she pulled away from the kiss we shared, especially as Cornelia started to lose control of her tongue as she experienced yet another climax, trembling and gasping, but still taking it like a champion. However, despite the pleasure, it was starting to make Marianne a bit neglected.

A change in position was in order, I decided. Another spell ensured that the toy in Cornelia's backdoor continued to pump while I pulled out. Marianne pulled back, reading the situation correctly. I lay on my back, and Cornelia immediately climbed up on my lap, her hands on my chest to balance herself as she tried to ride me while she was trembling with the after-effects of the orgasms she had experienced.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 46%]

[-467 Mana]

"Are you going to wait there, or are you going to give me a taste as well," I asked Marianne, and she sat on my face, though she was watching Cornelia jumping up and down with a not-inconsiderable amount of jealousy.

My tongue darted out, circling around her clit and brushed against her sensitive spots. "Yesss!" Marianne cried loudly, suddenly much happier about getting an oral treatment. Luckily, Cornelia was far too gone to notice the reason, or even if she did, feel jealous. She was too busy enjoying the moment.

Of course, it wasn't just my —rather phenomenal— lovemaking that was making her climax common and effective at the same time. No, she was being extra sensitive, because the treatment she was receiving in her soul space was affecting her mood and amplifying her pleasure.

With Marianne sitting on my face, I couldn't see anything, but the sound of their kissing was rather clear. I let it continue, but as Cornelia tightened once more, I felt climax knocking on my door as well. I could have hold myself back, but the idea of filling Cornelia to the brim was simply too tempting. Finally, I exploded, and sent a wide mana rush along with it.

[-1210 Mana]

[Achievement: Border Breaker. Limits might be set in stone, but no stone is unbreakable. 2 to All, 10000 Experience]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Master Arcana, Master Elemental, Master Biomancy]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 49%]

"Yes, yes, YESSS!" Cornelia cried as I filled her, climbing steadily toward yet another orgasm while I enjoyed the beautiful feeling of getting yet another level. I barely had enough time to select my new skill —Biomancy, as the necromancers were still the biggest threat, and I needed to be ready for them— before Cornelia tightened, signaling her own climax.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 50% – Second Stage Completed 10000 Exp]

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Count 2. Duration, 8 hours]

"Finally!" Cornelia cried deliriously as the earthquake hit her. "Another achievement!" she whispered, her tone drunken. I was happy as well, because unlike Cornelia, I could feel that the achievement sinking into her soul space without my intervention. It wasn't a surprise though, as the earlier achievement had already confirmed it.

Her level limit was finally raised.

It was yet another impossible thing I had achieved. But before I could consider its implications, Cornelia collapsed against my chest, the strain from a combination of her transformation, a new achievement, and several orgasms finally overcoming her willpower.

It wouldn't have prevented me from having some deep thoughts, of course, but Marianne pushed Cornelia to the side in an instant. "My turn!" she growled as she took Cornelia's place. She impaled herself to my shaft, which was already erect thanks to my ridiculously high endurance.

It seemed that I had a jealous blonde to placate…

—

[Level: 22 Experience: 248100 / 253000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 32

HP: 2618 / 2618 Mana: 1820 / 3410 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [75/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Elemental [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 52: Finalizing the Peace

"Somebody is impatient," I said even as I looked up to catch her beautiful blue eyes, enjoying the impatience and arousal dancing behind them. Marianne was normally so passive, but apparently, watching —relatively— passively as Cornelia got fucked into exhaustion managed to break her endless patience.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 19%]

"You made me wait too much," she answered with a moan even as she started jumping up and down on my lap, her tits dangling sexily. "That was rude, you come here and make me excited, only to spend all your time with Cornelia."

"Sorry," I said, but my smirk showing my insincerity, which earned a playful slap even as she continued to ride me without missing a beat. "But we had been working hard with her to solve her leveling problem, and now that I have solved it, she deserved a bit of celebration, doesn't she?"

This time, Marianne's determined ride stopped, her expression twisted in shock. "You solved her leveling problem?" she gasped. "Impossible!"

"Is it, though?" I answered even as I used the opportunity to switch positions, with her lying under me, but instead of taking a mild missionary position, I put her legs to my shoulder, locking her in a sexy prison. As I impaled her as deep as I could manage, she gasped loudly. Delicious, I decided.

"It was supposed to-" she started, only to be interrupted by her own moan as my shaft filled her completely. "It was supposed to be impossible," she completed. "That's what everyone says. It'll make you a hero!" she said excitedly.

"No!" I warned in a dark tone. "That's going to stay a secret, unless you want all of us to suddenly get locked in a cell and get experimented again and again." To be fair, with my power and my ability to elevate others, I wasn't entirely sure that would be my fate. They might decide not to risk it and decide to cooperate with me instead, but even that best case was not a good option for me. I was doing pretty well without any oversight, and I had no intention of changing it.

"I understand," Marianne gasped fearfully, and I could see the realization in her eyes. She stiffened with fear, and I realized I might have overdone with the intimidation.

"Good girl," I answered even as I leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss, one that I stretched until her stiffness disappeared, once again moaning as I slammed repeatedly inside her.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 21%]

For a moment, silence ruled the room —discounting the clap of our bodies slamming together, my grunts, and her moans— while I appreciated the rapid increase of the companion process. With that, I remembered that I was yet to examine her soul space, and sent a tendril inside.

The results of my findings didn't surprise me. Like my other magically-inclined partners, her physical stats were simply abysmal while mental ones were at least workable. Only her wisdom was a step above the rest, and even that was below twenty. Like the others, she had one primary skill, one I easily recognized as a more specialized version of my biomancy —likely healing— so I started examining it more carefully. It was at Grandmaster level, I recognized, but unlike the others, it was yet to fully mature, probably requiring one or two levels before it completed its evolution and she was free to select another skill.

However, I received another surprise as I examined her skill in detail.

[13 Biomancy]

The sudden jump was completely unexpected, and it occurred when our skills touched for a moment. Even more surprisingly, I could feel her skill evolving as well, though not to the same extent. "Why did I just gain three points of healing?" she asked, shocked.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 24%]

"A little gift for you," I answered even as I impaled her even deeper. "Did you assume that Cornelia was going to be the only one that gets some benefits?" I asked. She didn't answer, but the astonished expression on her face was answer enough. I shrugged. Since she had already received an important clue, there was no harm pushing it even more.

"What would you do if I tell you I have another gift in mind?" I asked, and her expression turned into shock and elation. It was understandable, as not everyone shared my ridiculous growth potential. Just gaining a few extra points to a high-level skill was not something she expected to happen in one day, and here I was, offering her even more.

"Whatever you want!" she exclaimed without even thinking, something I had all the intention of taking seriously. Luckily for her, my objectives didn't run contrary to hers.

"Excellent," I said as I leaned for a kiss while I continued to slam, until the companion process clicked again.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 25% – First Stage Completed 5000 Exp]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Grandmaster Biomancy (Requires 5 Points), Master Arcana, Master Elemental]

"An achievement!" Marianne stammered in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. While she enjoyed her fascination, I turned my attention to my skill selection, and after brief consideration, chose Elemental, despite the temptation of selecting Biomancy. An even stronger life-based ability would have been useful against the necromancers, but I wasn't willing to make the commitment for the next five levels.

Ultimately, my versatility was the reason for my great success, and I had no reason to change that after the incredible boosts I had received to my skills, allowing me to progress more on my path without making big sacrifices.

Marianne sat on the edge of the bed, and I sat next to her, close enough for our shoulders to touch. She put her head on my shoulder, and murmured. "How?"

"It's a secret ability of mine," I told her, though I didn't give more detail. After she had already received her first achievement, that part wasn't exactly a secret, after all. However, I didn't explain more, as I still needed to make sure I could trust her. "It's just the tip of the iceberg," I explained. "You'll receive more benefits as we continue," she explained.

"Why me? Why Cornelia?" she asked. "Is it because of our families?" she added, this time her voice trembling just a bit, like she was afraid she was just a tool to be discarded.

"No, on the contrary, your noble identities make things unnecessarily complicated for me," I answered, which had the benefit of being completely true. Of course, the real answer was because of luck, then my stubbornness, but I doubt she would have liked to hear that particular answer.

"Then, why?" she asked.

"Because you are beautiful, kind, and very very sexy," I answered as I gently grabbed her chin and stole a tender, lingering kiss, one that eroded her fears immediately. Charisma was such a useful trait. "Not to mention you're very skilled in your area, meaning with my assistance, you have the potential to become an overwhelming powerhouse."

"Really? That's it?" she asked, her smile blossoming. Apparently, the fact that I chose her for her beauty and skills rather than her family name was a great relief to her. Then, she frowned a bit. "But I'm just a healer, nothing impressive like Cornelia. She's majestic, and with the potential to gain levels once more, she'll just become even more magnificent. What if you get bored with me."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Even before I had gained a deeper understanding of their relationship, it was clear that Marianne had a star-struck attitude toward Cornelia, so her fears of being left behind where another woman might feel jealous were very much understandable.

"First of all, a healer is definitely not worthless, no matter the situation," I stated, which was completely correct. A healer was always a strategic asset that increased the combat effectiveness of any group by several orders of magnitude. I could heal, of course, but due to my generalist skill, not as effectively —my stats and my huge mana pool compensated for that, but I had many roles in a combat situation, so a proper healer was always welcome.

Then, I briefly considered the biggest challenge I was facing, and decided to test her. "Secondly, you don't have to be only a healer," I said even as I raised my hand, gathering a glowing ball of life energy, the same one I was using to fight against the undead with incredible efficiency.

[-2 Mana]

"What's this," Marianne murmured, fascinated as she poked her finger, enjoying the sensation.

"It's a variant of healing spell that I had been using against the undead with incredible efficiency," I explained. "If you can learn that, you'll be several times more efficient against the undead.

"Really?" she asked, her enthusiasm shining. "But I can't take a new skill for the next two levels, and even then, who knows when I'll have the opportunity to select the correct one," she added, her enthusiasm wilting instantly.

"Doesn't matter, I don't want you to learn a new skill, I want you to figure out how to replicate this by leveraging your healing abilities, it's not that different."

"But that's impossible…" she started, only to drift out. "It's not impossible, is it?" she said. I smiled positively, and she beamed before raising her hand, and her mana rose, trying to replicate it.

It wasn't a simple thing to even with an example in front of her. But she didn't feel discouraged as she spent the next half an hour trying to work that out, only to get the slightest success even with all my recommendations. I was glad that I still had the temporary skill I gained from Helga active, allowing me to make theoretical leaps that would have been otherwise impossible even with my abilities.

In the end, when her mana pool was emptied, we only have a fleeting success, something that wouldn't hurt even the weakest skeleton. "Sorry," she murmured. "I failed."

Unlike her, I was smiling widely. I kissed her to cheer her. "Don't worry about it, it's not something you can succeed in a session, and from what I saw, I can confidently state success is possible. You just need to work more," I said.

"I won't disappoint you," she said resolutely, and I rewarded her with another kiss, hugging her comfortingly.

"I know you won't. Just continue working on it tomorrow," I answered. I could have injected more mana into her and make her continue practicing, but we have stopped enough. I grabbed her corset, and ripping it off with one simple pull, earning a shocked yet excited cry for her. "We can return to our fun, then," I said.

"Y-" she tried to start, only for her to get silenced by another kiss, this time with a lot of tongue. I let my hands dance over her body while she managed to take a seat on my lap, once again engulfing my shaft with her warmth. To make things more exciting, I stood up and started walking around the room, cutting her feet off the ground, impaling her deep with every step.

She moaned loudly with each step, enjoying her joyride as I patrolled the bedroom repeatedly.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 29%]

"Fill me up," she moaned. I want to feel your warmth inside me, spoiling me, covering me…" she repeated dazedly. Who was I to disappoint the wishes of such a beautiful lady?

I moved to the closest wall and pressed until her back was straight against its cold surface, allowing me to cut loose mercilessly as I slammed inside her repeatedly. Her fat breasts pressed against my chest, wobbling with each beat like they were waves threatening to drown me. It was nothing, however, compared to her hungry kiss, trying to devour my lips, once again confirming the fact that it was the quiet ones you needed to watch out for.

However, realizing that there was still a bit until I cum, I decided to pull another trick on her, one that as a healer, she would easily understand the difficulty. I pulled out even as I flared my mana, and when I put my hand on my shaft, it grew three more inches and thickened considerably.

[-246 Mana]

[4 Biomancy]

It was a costly spell that took a lot of expertise, but for me, it was as easy as breathing —partially thanks to my magical theory skill still active, allowing me to draw correct lessons and insights from the earlier practice attempts.

The results were worth it. Her eyes grew in shock. "How," she murmured fascinatingly, but it was immediately replaced with fear as I pressed it against her entrance, threatening to tear her apart. "I can't take it!" she gasped, but that didn't prevent her from moaning as I slowly but steadily pushed her inside her, enjoying a whole new level of tightness.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 36%]

The sudden jump in the companion process, however, showed her rather impressive appreciation. I pushed even deeper, and she moaned, helpless but in ecstasy, her earlier fears discarded under the new sensation. She started trembling, signaling an instant climax.

I knew that she was very appreciative of my already-impressive size, but the fact that she turned out to be a true size queen was a surprise. A pleasant surprise that I was willing to use to the limit, though I made sure to maintain an active observation with my healing just in case.

I pushed, and she moaned deliciously, moving steadily toward another orgasm before the aftershocks of the first one had subsumed. And since I was actively maintaining a Biomancy observation, I decided to apply another trick, and prepared her back entrance for an intrusion.

The way her eyes widened in shock and arousal as I pressed my engorged shaft against her puckered hole was beautiful. "Im-impossible," she muttered, but the crown was already in her puckered hole when she uttered the last syllable, too busy crying in pain and pleasure. I slammed deep, pumped a couple of times, then pulled out and repeated the action on her proper entrance.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 42%]

She was like a precious toy under my control, helpless to resist my perverse merciless assault. Of course, her face, contorted with a thick pleasure, provided an alternative narrative to that dark tale.

She was mine, I decided. Just like Helga, Marianne was mine, and I had no intention of letting her go.

"Tell me who you are," I asked.

"I'm your slut," she slurred, pleasure threatening to drown her completely. "You own me as long as you fuck me like this," she added, once again managing to surprise me with her transformation.

"Good girl," I said even as exploded inside her, filling her to the brim.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 46%]

She looked like she was about to fall unconscious, which was not acceptable, not when we were about to complete the second stage of the companion process. A simple healing spell prevented me from going soft, while another spell provided her with a jolt of energy, enough to keep her from falling unconscious.

"Ready for another round," I said even as I wrapped my arms around her waist and started walking once more, this time directly to the bed, and I laid her on top of Cornelia. Marianne twisted until she was on all fours, her knees and hands on both sides of Cornelia while her tits dangled just inches above Cornelia's.

Another delicious view, I thought for a second even as I plunged into Marianne's tight hole, enjoying the way her moans echoed, but Cornelia was too exhausted to actually wake up, even when my seed and Marianne's juices spilled over her body, covering her legs and stomach.

Enjoying the enhanced tightness of her body, this time, it didn't take long for me to near another climax. Before I exploded, however, Marianne's progress finally reached the critical point, and triggered a welcome notification.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 50% – Second Stage Completed 10000 Exp]

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Count 3. Duration, 8 hours]

Another load was a good reward for her diligence, I decided, even as she slurred with joy, trying to celebrate her second achievement, but too far gone to mutter a coherent word. I impaled my shaft into her tight hole and exploded, filling a second hole with my seed.

This time, when she fell on top of Cornelia, exhausted, I let her be after pulling the cover on her, leaving them wrapped in a dirty hug. They both had enough excitement for the night and deserved their rest.

I also gained some incredible benefits. Levels were always welcome, and I managed to bring possible mana regeneration perks to four, and from the current speed of regeneration, I assumed that my mana pool would be regenerated fully every fifteen minutes when all instances were active.

Meaning, I could the girls allow over fifteen thousand experience points every hour. Once I decided it was safe enough to reveal that secret, the leveling process of the girls would get a lot faster…

And a lot more fun, together…

—

[Level: 23 Experience: 263100 / 276000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 32

HP: 2737 / 2737 Mana: 3265 / 3565 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [92/100]

Master Elemental [75/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 53: Showing Off

It was barely after midnight when I left Marianne's room, and was exploding with energy. Helga was exhausted, and Aviada was not much better after our morning adventure. Titania was unfortunately inaccessible, and the less it was said about Marianne and Cornelia, the better.

I was hit by the surprising realization that I needed to expand my circle of … let's call it 'close friends', the best I could do without being extremely crass.

However, that realization didn't help me in the middle of the night. I could have gone to sleep, of course, but I didn't want to waste the three instances of mana regeneration. Maybe I should go for another hunting trip, this time without Aviada, to properly test my new limits.

Even with that decision, however, I started walking toward the wing that housed the female warriors. I wanted to go out alone, and I trusted my magical abilities, especially with three instances of regeneration active, but a little extra insurance in the form of a masterpiece magical sword wouldn't be amiss.

Sneaking through the empty corridors was trivial, but when I arrived at Aviada's door, I hit a little snag. I could hear Aviada's tone, speaking with someone. A small arcana spell allowed me to peek through the keyhole, and revealed that Aviada sitting on her bed across a redheaded figure whom I could only see her back.

My eyes were sharp enough to recognize her impressive curves. It was Aviada's redheaded friend that I met in the showers —if I could classify that as a meeting. Regardless, considering the compromising conditions of our first encounter, barging in was not exactly a problem.

I managed to sneak inside without alerting them, amusing considering they were supposed to be sharp-eyed warriors. Feeling mischievous, I cast a silencing ward to make sure we didn't alert the whole ward, then spoke. "Hi girls, having a nice evening?" I asked.

The redheaded friend, Carla if I was remembering correctly, jumped to her feet, her hands reaching to her back to get a weapon that was absent while her hand dipped to the side. Just from that move, I could see that she was an archer, trying to get her bow and arrow at the same time. It was an impressive move, too bad that she was only equipped by a long conservative nightie.

Correction, wearing a nightie that would have been conservative if it was being worn by someone less endowed, because both her hips and her breasts were stretching the thick fabric to the limit temptingly.

Before I could enjoy the sight to my heart's content, Aviada spoke. "Honey," she murmured with an exaggerated tone even as she pushed her chest out, her nightie struggling to contain her assets as well, just not at Carla's level. But Aviada was a smart warrior, and discreetly popped a couple of buttons to equalize the situation. "What a nice surprise!"

Her out of character response was amusing. Not the enthusiasm itself, as Aviada could act with a burning need whenever she desired something, but actually using her words to express her emotions. When Carla turned to give her an incredulous look, and Aviada responded with a smugly satisfied one, I understood the reason. Aviada was using me to brag to her friend, who no doubt had been grilling Aviada about our morning encounter.

"So, he just comes and goes whenever he wants," Carla said exasperatedly. "Who is he, exactly?"

Before Aviada could speak, I sneaked behind her, and whispered. "He could speak for himself," I said, and she jumped in shock, unable to catch my movement.

"How?" she stammered, her eyes wide. "I'm a ranger! No one can sneak up to me, especially not when I'm aware of their presence."

"If you say so," I answered with a soft smile, fully aware it was a more devastating brag than actually bragging openly. Carla blushed, but her eyes flickered with anger, but she didn't say anything before I sat down.

"So, what brings you here, sweetie," Aviada said as she put her hand on my shoulder, caressing softly. Well, if she wanted to play, I was going to play. I grabbed her waist and pulled her on my lap, nibbling her neck. "Stop," she giggled, another surprising reaction. "Don't do in front of Carla, she gets jealous."

I smirked at her words. Combined with Carla's flush of frustration, it was easy to understand the reason for Aviada's shift. They were clearly good friends, likely with a long-standing argument about boys and boyfriends. "Sorry," I said to Carla, not bothering to hide my smirk as I wrapped my arms around Aviada, pulling her tight.

"Okay," Carla stammered, trying to look unaffected but failing badly. "I should go, you're clearly going to be busy."

"Actually, you can stay. I'm just here to borrow something and then I'm going to leave," I said. Aviada turned to look at me questioningly, and I nodded. It was only one thing that could borrow from her that would make a significant impact on my prowess.

"Sure," she said as she stood up and reached for her sword, but when she returned, she gave me a flirty wink. I understood exactly what she was asking, when she carefully pulled the backside of her ass, giving me a glimpse of her naked bottom. Just as she was about to sit, I cast a spell to pull down my zipper and free my shaft, only to push it directly into her slit.

If she wanted a sneaky quickie in front of her friend in exchange, who was I to argue.

"I can't believe you're giving him your sword," Carla said, shocked.

Aviada shrugged, which was a good excuse to hide her movement as she tried to fit the entirety of my shaft into her unprepared entrance. To her credit, she managed to struggle without an outward signal. "I trust him," she simply said.

"I can't believe you! You trust him! What do you even know about him? I have never seen him in any of our incursions or classes," Carla said angrily.

"It's expected," Aviada answered.

"Why?"

"Because he's a mage," Aviada simply said. I couldn't help but feel amused at her words more than Carla's shocked reaction. A few days ago, Aviada would have never willingly admitted that I was a mage, thinking it as a shameful detail that needed to be hidden. Instead, she was using that as a humorous detail to mess with her friend to the point that she was underselling my warrior capabilities.

It was an amusing change.

"He's a mage?" Carla countered as her gaze danced on my body, namely my thick arms and my broad shoulders that suggested a lot of explosive power. "Bullshit," she countered. "Mages does not like this, and a mage could never sneak upon to me," she said heatedly, in her anger, missing the fact that Aviada started moving up and down on my lap, struggling to keep her face straight. "And if he's a mage, why does he need your sword?"

"Well, he dabbles with it a bit, and I see no problem letting him borrow my sword," Aviada said, still hiding the fact that it was my 'sword' that she was currently borrowing.

"I don't believe it," Carla said resolutely, the stubborn expression on her face giving me insights about why these two were friends.

"Well, if you need proof," I said. I raised my hand, and cast a small, glowing ball of fire, dancing freely before it turned into water, then pulled the dust particles around to turn into a small but tight piece of glistening rock, only to disappear into the air. It was a simple, but impressive display of elemental abilities.

"Impossible," she murmured as she closed her eyes. "How did you sneak in, then?" she said. "A mage could never beat a ranger when it comes to concealment and observation."

"Never? Are you sure?" I said. "Do you want to bet?"

"Yes, whatever you want!" she answered.

"If you're sure," I said even as I grabbed Aviada's shoulders and pressed her down while I let myself explode into Aviada, making her moan loudly. It was a bit premature, but I wanted to make a point. Then, I raised Aviada's skirt, and showing my presence lodged inside her, making Carla's chin drop in shock, immediately followed by a blush that left her rooted in place.

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Count 4. Duration, 8 hours]

I was expecting Aviada to be a bit dissatisfied, but the sudden shift from sneaky sex to voyeurism had managed to trigger her as well, leaving her gasping and trembling.

"Thanks for the sword, sweetie," I said as I kissed her lips, then pulled out of her and left her trembling on the bed, but with satisfaction on the bed. Normally, she would be asking for the second round, but she was still sated by our morning activities. I fixed my pants, grabbed the sword, and started walking toward the door, only to stop next to Carla.

"So, when do you want to handle the results of our bet?" I asked her, leaning forward just a bit like I was about to kiss her, but stopped before making contact.

"N-no, it doesn't count," she tried to stammer.

"Oh, honey, believe me, it does," I answered even as I put my hand on her thigh, and slowly let it climb up, and she stayed frozen. But just as it was about to touch her wet lips, I pulled back. "I'll send you a message I feel like taking the forfeit," I said and started walking once again, aware that both pairs of eyes were fixed on me, a pair shining with pride, the other with shock.

Then, just as I was about to leave the room, I gave her one last look. "Or maybe, I'll drop by one evening," I said, enjoying her gasp just as I left the room. I dispelled the silencing ward, only for Aviada's laughter to reach into my ears.

Amused by the unexpectedly productive visit, I left the school as quickly as possible. I wanted to be back before the sunrise, and more importantly, I want to use my four active mana regeneration perks to the limit, lowering my complete regeneration time to fifteen minutes.

Sneaking out of school was getting easier and easier as I got stronger. After getting away from the walls, I started running with a mad dash, using my enhanced speed and endurance to a great effect, running faster than a magically-enhanced horse.

That was not without cost, of course, as it drained my stamina quite quickly. Luckily, I had the solution for it as well.

[-120 Mana]

[1 Biomancy]

Recovering stamina was supposed to be a simple spell, but with a simple caveat. The stronger the target, the higher the stamina, harder to recover. And considering my stats were averaging around thirty, my recovery required a lot of mana, not that I cared about the expense, when that amount recovered in less than thirty seconds.

As I moved, detection spells came quite useful. Without Aviada to protect, I was free to sneak around. Especially with the assistance from some arcana spells to erase my smell and suppress my sound, I managed to ambush several dangerous creatures with very valuable ingredients on the way, my pack getting bigger and bigger even if I just took the lightest and most precious pieces.

However, it was a delight to sneak to a Shadow Wolf, and cut their head with a blast of wind blade, turning the table on the sneaky hunters. For the next hour, I never came across a creature stronger than Class twelve, which was a bit unfortunate. Still, the hunt was plenty, and after the first hour, the items I had picked managed to overwhelm my carrying capacity —if I still wanted to be able to sneak, of course.

[-7530 Mana]

[11 Elemental]

[7 Biomancy]

So, I found a cave, killed the thunder bear that staked its claim, preparing to set up several defenses. At first, I was going to create a temporary spot just to hold for the evening, allowing me to store my items, but then I remembered my last encounter against the necromancers, how I had struggled to hide while I waited for my mana to regenerate.

I needed better hideouts, I suddenly decided. There's no guarantee that I wouldn't have another encounter with the necromancers or another group. Also, having such a spot near the school would be useful I needed to run away. At this point, it wasn't very likely, but still, I would be more relaxed if I addressed it.

So, I changed my plan just a bit. Rather than reinforcing the cave itself, I used my earth elemental to dig a tunnel, and once I reached the target depth, I dug myself a large room, enough to host several people for a couple of days without a problem while also storing the desired items.

After setting up the defenses of my room, the ones in the cave was almost trivial, because unlike the school, I didn't need to hide it from hundreds of mage that was in close proximity, nor I was afraid of someone accidentally triggering something, allowing me to set up stronger and more aggressive defenses with less effort. I engraved flame traps, quicksands, water bolts, explosions of life energies —in case they try to use undead to trigger— and even tracking arcana missiles…

[-5420 Mana]

[2 Elemental]

After adding several wards to hide the magical signature of the defenses and any possible occupants, the hideout was ready. I added another hidden exit just in case —a tunnel that traveled even deeper into the earth, rigged with explosives— my new hideout was ready. It was supremely uncomfortable of course, lacking any furniture, but it was safe. I was happy with the result even if it had used almost all the reagents I had collected.

Safety was important.

When I moved above ground, my mind was already made up about setting up several more outposts in all directions, but not tonight. Tonight I wanted to hunt… So, I decided to get away from the school even more, as even during the night, the surrounding area wasn't exactly dangerous. Running was nice, but I wanted to use a new trick.

So, I spent a great deal of power to create an imitation of a wind elemental —a real one was simply too dangerous, nor I had the time or ability to summon one— and mounted that. It flew close to the earth, easily moving several times my speed, but with a corresponding mana expenditure. In ten minutes, I traveled more than a hundred miles, but also it drained my mana pool almost completely despite the regeneration.

[-6211 Mana]

[Mana: 1211 / 3565]

[4 Elemental]

I stopped in a concealed spot and dispelled the pseudo-elemental, taking deep breaths. I needed a more convenient method of fast travel, I decided. Pity that I lacked the ability to construct it. Maybe I should meet with the Enchanter Aviada recommended sooner than later.

After I rested for five minutes, I started casting wide-area detection spells. I was looking for a big target to test my abilities, maybe something like a Lunar Ursa or even a Goliath that would push me to my limits, when one of my detection spells gave me a result.

A biomancy-based detection spell… Suddenly, I had more interesting prey to hunt…

—

[Level: 23 Experience: 263100 / 276000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 32

HP: 2737 / 2737 Mana: 3265 / 3565 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [92/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 54: Deadly Adventure

The moment I detected a group of undead, a smile appeared on my face, cold enough chill a necromancer if one had been unlucky enough to observe it. Discounting the encounter with the shade, I had faced against necromancers twice, and both times, they had the initiative, forcing me to face dangerous odds.

This time, I had all the control, and I was more than willing to teach them just how big of a difference it would make.

One little drawback about my increased biomancy skills was the increased detection range. I had to travel a couple of miles before I saw the group that triggered my senses. It was a small group, one necromancer, and around a hundred assorted skeletons and other low-level raised creatures. Destroying them would barely take a minute, but one detail prevented me from doing so.

They were dragging several creature corpses toward them. It wasn't the corpses itself that dissuaded me of course, but the fact that they were traveling toward a certain direction. I decided to follow them, hoping to discover their base of operation. After all, it was unlikely that I was the only one who was able to set up a hard-to-detect defensive bastion.

Following them was not a fun affair, not because of danger —as not only it was impossible for the undead to detect me, but also most creatures didn't come too close to the undead, a combination of their negative energy and their smell enough to dissuade the lower-level creatures. This meant that I had a pretty boring trek following them.

Not one to waste time, I started practicing a new trick with Biomancy. Since Biomancy allowed me to use life energy in a variety of ways, maybe it could also allow me to fake the death energy the undead was spreading around. I closed my eyes for a moment, extending my sense to examine the effect in detail, trying to understand the death energy.

Just from a glance, it was obvious that death energy was a corrupted variant of life energy, one that wasn't that hard to create. After examining it for five minutes, I realized that I could easily master its usage after a couple of repeats. It wasn't even that difficult.

The problem was avoiding the effects. I could see the effects of corruption and degradation on the necromancers pretty easily, but that didn't give me an idea about just how easily such effects had started. I wasn't really willing to test it, however. For some reason, a part of my mind was repulsed by the idea. I decided to follow my instincts.

However, that still left me with the challenge of avoiding their detection. Maybe I could reverse the effect, I suddenly decided, enjoying the sudden insight generated by the magical theory —that new perk was definitely proving its worth. I used my biomancy skill not to radiate life energy, but slowly drain it from my surroundings. It was a soft effect, not harming even a bug since it lacked the death energy's persistence, but from a distance, it looked like an undead's death energy.

It would never trick a careful examiner, or even a casual glance from a proficient one, but it gave me enough confidence to try to slip into the skeleton horde after casting an illusion to hide as a zombie. I cast the required spells, and then moved forward.

My hand was tight around my sword, but I wasn't feeling afraid. Why would I, when I could incinerate the whole horde with just a spell? The worst thing that would happen was losing the chance of infiltration. A pity, but definitely not something to be afraid of.

I moved another twenty minutes as a part of the skeleton horde, until it came to a sudden stop. The necromancers moved forward until it stopped in front of a stone, then activated a spell, making a detection wave spread, filled with death energy, enough to break through my poor concealment.

"Damn," I murmured even as I noticed the necromancer dashing forward, with a necrotic bolt already in hand, shining purple and black. I needed a distraction. Then, my eyes fell on the nearest creature corpse, and I cast a healing spell on it. The creature was dead, so it wouldn't resurrect, but it still repaired the body a bit, just enough that when I cast a weak lightning spell, it flinched wildly.

Necromancer's mad dash slowed when he noticed the wildly flailing creature. "Fucking mindless undead," he murmured, threw the death bolt to the creature to make it stop, and turned his back. When he arrived at the stone, luckily, he didn't activate the detection ward once more. Instead, he cast a couple of spells, and the ground suddenly parted, showing a tunnel, much wider than I had created.

If it wasn't for my elemental abilities, I would never dare to step into an underground facility filled with undead, but I decided to take the risk with it. No matter how crowded it was, and how strong the defensive abilities, defensive structures were not impenetrable, especially from inside. That didn't mean it was completely risk-free of course, but the temptation of finally getting some intelligence on the activities of the necromancers was simply too tempting.

With that in mind, I stayed mixed with the horde as we stepped inside a dark tunnel layered with runes after runes, the magical energy getting thicker the further we moved. It was a work of years, maybe even decades. I couldn't help but feel alarmed at such an impressive construction project going unnoticed that close to the school.

The alternative was even scarier, that it was noticed, but their allies inside were able to suppress it. It shouldn't be possible, but considering that they were feeling confident enough to ambush one of the strongest faculty members —and gather the necessary intelligence to do so successfully— maybe they were entrenched enough to actually succeed with that.

Maybe some of the dissident voices were right about the fate of the Empire, and the need for action. If the Empire's most important education organization, responsible for churning its key officials, generals, and mages was lax enough to be infiltrated by the necromancers, what hope was there for the rest. Luckily, it was a problem well-above my paygrade, so I abandoned that track of thought, instead carefully examining my surroundings. No matter how deep we moved, the tunnel hadn't lost its downward slope, so when we finally stopped at a huge cave filled with a veritable army of undead, we were at least half a mile deep underground.

And it was an army. Countless zombies, skeletons, and other low-level monsters were abound, but it wasn't as scary as some huge creatures that interrupted their monotony, goliaths, giants, and dragons. I felt a chill as I looked at the endless piles. One mistake, and I had no chance of escape.

The members of the group I was hiding split. The ones that were pulling the dead creatures continued deeper into the cave, while the others joined the army. The necromancer, after giving the orders, took a side corridor.

I stayed with the mass army for the moment, examining the cave. The scariest part of the army was not just the size itself, but the fact that I could see undead creatures moving back and forth through several tunnels, suggesting that this might not be the only cavern.

It was an army that I had no hope denting. Even worse, I didn't even know the school could resist a full-powered assault from them. Ideally, it should be able to, as there was a reason the Silver Spires stood tall for centuries, despite every type of danger. However, their allies inside were a cause of concern.

What if they were high up in the chain to be able to sabotage the defenses?

I wish that I could solve the problem directly, but even with everything I had, I couldn't make a dent in the army in front of me. But I had to be at least ten levels higher to make a meaningful impact before I heroically died. Winning against such a huge army was an impossible wish.

Luckily, however, a direct intervention was not the only option. Currently, I was in the middle of their base, and they were unaware of my presence. I might not destroy their huge army, and while killing the necromancers leading them was tempting, I couldn't kill enough of them to make a difference.

That still left an excellent way of damaging their effort. Intelligence.

The more information I could bring to Titania, the better response she could organize. Even better if I could get some strong evidence to convince the Headmistress about the danger we were facing, allowing me to make a credible first contact.

Of course, none of them was as important as me getting away from here alive…

As I moved forward, I couldn't help but feel glad to have Aviada's sword with me. If things devolved worse, it might give me the edge I needed to stay alive until I cut myself an escape. I moved into the same tunnel the necromancer had gone, and found a long, deep corridor, conveniently empty.

And more importantly, conveniently bereft of magical protection.

I decided to create a pocket of action. I quickly draw a temporary rune in the air to hide my magical presence before I put my hand on the wall and carved a small room, only to immediately erase the wall behind me. Then I tunneled deeper, hoping that their construction was sufficiently shady.

[-420 Mana]

[2 Elemental]

After moving almost three hundred meters deep into the earth, and drawing several more permanent magic-concealing runes and wards —expanding even more of my dwindling stack of reagents— I found out my guess was only half-correct. They did have defenses underneath the base, but it was sloppy enough that I was easily able to penetrate it without raising an alarm.

[-1637 Mana]

Okay, I had to admit, spending twenty minutes and wasting enough mana to destroy a squad of bone dragons didn't exactly count as easy, but I was annoyed, and wanted to mock them a bit. After competing for that, I started moving to the north in a direct line, digging a tunnel of three miles —layering with anti-detection runes and other protective measures— to ensure I avoided tangling with anything important. Only then I created a tunnel upward, careful to avoid entanglement with their wider tunnels. When I finally created an exit to the fresh air, I couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. They might have worked for years to create an impenetrable base, but it took me only a night to break it.

[-2320 Mana]

[6 Elemental]

Now that I had an escape route, I felt more confident. I reinforced the exit point with another trap before taking the tunnel down once again, returning to the base.

About fifty feet before the base entrance, I created a larger room, piling it with traps filled with life energy, ready to explode the moment an undead stepped through the gate. I stayed there for almost half an hour, filling the room with traps twice, enough to eviscerate anyone who dared to step through. If I got caught, I needed to scare them, and an apocalyptic explosion of life energy would doubtlessly do the trick.

[-6750 Mana]

I moved only after my mana was full once again —though I was a bit sad that the first instance of my mana regeneration, the one I received from Helga, had expired— just to make sure I was prepared in case something went wrong. I once again started pulling life energy to fake their necrotic energy, and soon, I arrived at the entrance and took a deep breath, steeling my nerves.

Even with all the preparation I had made, a mistake, and I was a lifeless undead… Still, I continued forward…

—

[Level: 23 Experience: 263100 / 276000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 32

HP: 2737 / 2737 Mana: 3265 / 3565 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 55: Saving Private Dragon

For once, I was glad of the necromancer's predilection toward using mindless undead as guards rather than living troops. It was the only reason I even risked going into the base once more. Undead were stupid. As long as I pulled a cloak to my head, and hid my life signature with a simple biomancy trick —simple in terms of mana costs, as it was complicated enough to strain my newly-expanded capabilities to the limit. Though the existence of the escape tunnel helped me to relax as well. As long as I stepped out of the base, I was confident of escaping. After all, it wouldn't be the first time I avoided the search of an undead horde.

Still, even with those advantages, my heart was beating like crazy as I walked deeper into the base, feeling the oppressive death energy getting thick enough to instantly kill a low-leveled person. Even with my resistance, I could feel my lifeforce getting damaged. Worse, I was afraid of using a healing spell, as such a pure flare might pull the exact attention I was trying to avoid.

[-13 HP]

Since I didn't have a map, I decided to follow the unusually-thick death energy toward its source, which, despite the inherent risk, was better than walking around without a direction in the huge expanse of the base. There must be something interesting at the source, maybe evidence strong enough to convince the Headmistress about the seriousness of the subject.

The sooner I find something convincing, the sooner I could leave this oppressive place.

With that in mind, I walked forward, doing my best to stay in the shadows. It was a pity that I didn't have a skill to enhance my sneaking abilities, but luckily, my extreme agility was enough to compensate for its lack, at least when they were not actively looking for me. Still, all the while, I continued to get damaged by the aura of the place.

[-39 HP]

I hid in the shadow of an open door, helped by the fact that the lighting conditions of the base were rather horrendous, to a point that I suspected it was an ecstatic choice, to make the place seem even more dramatic. Regardless, it helped me to avoid the attention of two necromancers that walked just a foot away from me, their attention on each other as they argued about the best way to reanimate a goblin.

I let them disappear around the corner before I started following the sound of their footsteps. They came from the same direction as the first necromancer, which meant that they were out patrolling, and likely was about to report.

My carefulness turned out to be a good idea, because soon, another set of footsteps joined them, and they came to a stop in a large room. I stayed away as I could see they weren't the only occupants of the room, but even from the distance, I could see that the room was special.

First, the rest of the rooms and tunnels were barely more than natural caves. They had been clearly created in a hurry, with no care about the quality or details. That room was different. It was chiseled much more carefully, walls covered with dark gray marble, with several obsidian pillars to add some gravitas.

It was interesting to see that even in their half-dead state, necromancers were not free from the grasp of the vanity.

Unfortunately, vanity wasn't the only reason for the obsidian pillars. Even from a distance, I could feel the thick magical presence of several wards dancing around the room. At first glance, I could see that none of the wards were related to combat, instead of focusing on secrecy.

I would have preferred offensive wards. The current anti-spy setup prevented me from using magic to hear them. To make it funnier, I doubted I was the target. Considering the lack of security in the rest of the compound, they clearly didn't expect a hostile force to slip in, meaning the security measures were targeted to each other. I was a victim of circumstances.

If the room was less crowded, I might have tried to avoid the wards, as most of the spells were geared in for preventing remote spying attempts. However, while my acting abilities were fine, they were certainly not enough to bluff a group of necromancers in a dangerous secret mission that I was a surprise addition to their mission, sent by higher-ups, or something equally ridiculous. I doubted I would try that anything less than Grandmaster Speech, and even then, it would have probably been crazy dangerous, rather than plain impossible.

In the end, skills were not infallible.

With a sigh, I decided to continue toward the source of death energy that covered the corridors. Finding their operational headquarters was nice, but ultimately pointless without any physical evidence. If me being an eyewitness was enough to earn the trust of the Headmistress, I wouldn't have taken the risk of infiltrating the base this deep.

I moved toward the source of the death energy, the closer I got, the more painful the passive assault of the death energy became.

[-61 HP]

Even then, I smiled viciously when I arrived at the source. My destination turned out to be another huge cave, not as big as the one that kept the undead army, but still rather huge. There were exactly a hundred obsidian pillars around the room, each radiating death energy, but they weren't as interesting as the seven cages in the middle of the room, holding seven dragons —six corpses, and one alive.

I couldn't help but feel my eyes widen as I saw an actual living dragon, its emerald scales gleaming under the flickering lights of the cave. The bone dragons I had faced during my battles were nothing, mostly because they were raised from the corpses of the dragons that had died ages ago, and their powers were limited. As a faction, necromancers were a threat because they had managed to discover several historic dragon graveyards, using these millennia-old corpses to create the backbone of their armies.

An actual live dragon was something completely different.

One reason for the difference was their strength. Unlike most of the creatures, it was hard to guess a dragon's strength from the surface. They did not have the telltale signs of power, so battling against one was always a gamble. And just to make things worse, even the weakest one could probably contend against my current strength and could get away alive, if not victorious.

The strongest ones, according to the legends, were able to destroy whole armies and ruin cities.

Another reason was their mysteriousness. It was a relatively well-known fact that dragons provided no experience when killed —bone dragons did, but since they were necromantic constructs, it wasn't surprising. Of course, that didn't mean that a relatively weak dragon wasn't a good target for hunting. They might not provide any experience, but their bodies were arguably the best magical material in existence, easily worth a fortune.

With their intelligence, however, it was really hard to catch them. That part, there was no real agreement. Some claimed that they were even more intelligent than humans but held back by their aggressive nature, the others claimed that they were just very intelligent animals, with a particular leaning for low-cunning, but regardless, it didn't change the fact that the dragons were hard to find, and even harder to capture alive.

The fact that necromancers had managed to capture one alive was rather scary.

It was obvious the whole cave was designed to force its conversion to undead, but it didn't look like a regular reanimation —which only created bone dragons, which, while dangerous, nothing really groundbreaking. Since they were going through that much effort, wasting enough mana to create a deadly miasma just as a side-effect, there was no doubt that they had other ideas.

[-163 HP]

The dragon was the only thing that was alive in the room, but not the only one that had a consciousness. There were eleven liches in the room, seven of them were wearing white robes and carrying bone staffs, their empty eye sockets glowing with an eerie blue. Each was sitting on top of a cage, and channeling the energies of the ritual they were conducting, the death energies invading the body of the dragon more and more.

The remaining four were wearing black robes, and carrying huge, ceremonial staffs from mahogany, watching the perimeter carefully. There was no doubt that they were strong, but I didn't how much. I was willing to test, however.

After all, I just found the distraction I needed.

I stood still for a moment, carefully examining the obsidian pillars, trying to understand their connection to the ritual. Deciding to take a risk, I gathered the smallest amount of mana I could push out while still maintaining connection, and slipped it toward the nearest pillar.

[-2 Mana]

I was caught the moment my mana touched the pillar, but not by a target I expected. The dragon's eye met with mine in a subtle movement, and suddenly, I was sure of something. Dragons were definitely intelligent creatures. At least, this one was, because I could see its expression shifting slightly, one that conveyed its request for help despite its monstrous face. And it did so without alerting the liches.

That level of subtle communication was not something an animal could achieve.

I nodded, then gestured it to wait. It was partially a test to see whether my understanding was just an illusion, but when it nodded subtly, I decided to accept my plan was correct. I made a few gestures, and it responded with subtle shaking of its head or the movement of its eyes, until we had a very rudimentary sign language, enough to convey the basic ideas.

Then, I turned my attention to the obsidian pillar, and slowly pushed more and more of my mana inside it, once again, tantric skill providing its worth. Drawing my own runes on the pillars was the better method of breaking a ritual, but I didn't trust myself to that while four liches with mahogany staff watched the perimeter. It was a small miracle I wasn't already noticed.

[-70 Mana]

Of course, while my direct invasion was much harder and wasteful, it also had a certain advantage. It left no direct evidence of my intervention. Of course, a determined examination might reveal that the source of mana was different than the others, but it was much less noticeable than the presence of a glowing rune.

I stood still for twenty minutes, slowly spreading my magic while trying to ignore the effects of the death magic on my body, but in the end, I managed to infect fourteen obsidian pillars through my connection with the first one, while sweating horribly. My body was hurting all over from the stress of controlling all those different sources of magic, and the erosion effect of the death miasma that already drained more than half of my health was not helping.

[-4423 Mana]

[-1277 HP]

Still, I made sure to keep my mana pool near-full, because I was going to need that during the next part. I was confident in breaking the ritual, but the rest was total chaos. I didn't know how strong the necromancers were, and I didn't know how much energy the dragon had remaining. I hoped that it was enough to make it move.

I took one last breath, making sure my mana was distributed across the nearest pillars, still unnoticed by the necromancers.

Then, I gave the dragon the signal to act.

The dragon was a prisoner for a long time, cramped, exhausted, and tortured by the death energy that was constantly channeled by a cabal of liches. Even then, when when it raged, I understood the reason for the legends about them. It might be exhausted, but when it smashed against the bars of the cage, the shock traveled across the room, forcing the four liches to turn inward to help their fellows suppressing it. Even then, for a moment, despite all of its disadvantages, it looked like the dragon was about to get its freedom, the cage cracking under its assault.

That impression didn't last for long, however. When the four black-robed necromancers raised their staffs and cast their spells, a complicated web of black energy fell over the dragon, wrapping its wings as it extracted a furious roar. Their staffs glowing brightly as they prepared to subdue the creature. The white-robed ones that were channeling the ritual were suitably distracted by the sudden rage of the dragon as well.

It was an excellent opportunity for me to act, one that I hadn't squandered. I flared my mana, an effect that spread through twelve of the fourteen pillars I had managed to infect with my mana.

They exploded simultaneously.

The chaotic shouts of the liches put a smile on my face, especially when their gazes danced on the remaining eighty-eight pillars. Eighty-six of them were starting to flicker, so naturally, they grabbed their attention first, not the two that maintained their stability.

A big mistake from their end, because these two still contained the majority of the mana I used to infect the ritual. A ritual that was conveniently going out of control with some pillars already destroyed and others flickering out of control. A ritual that connected me to the dragon.

I used the connection to send the mana to the dragon.

It was the trick I first used on Titania then perfected on Helga, with great benefits. So, while using the trick, helping the dragon get stronger wasn't my only objective. I also wanted to use the opportunity to probe its abilities, and maybe unravel a couple of mysteries about it. Maybe even get a peek into its soul space if I could manage.

However, the moment my mana touched its skin, I lost control of it, turning the second part of my plan impossible. Still, that was only a side benefit. The more important part was the sudden shine in the dragon's eyes as my mana touched its skin before letting out another roar, this time even louder.

The roar wasn't just sound, however. No matter how strong a roar was, it wouldn't just unravel the defensive wards around it like they were made of summer clouds. The necromancers tried to cast their spells, but they were too distracted by the sudden reversal of the ritual. They were a second too late to prevent the dragon from bursting out of the cage.

The dragon's first action in freedom was to open her mouth and spew out a flame so hot that it was bright white. Its flames spread around in a circle, hitting all six cages around it simultaneously, immolating the dragon corpses that were being used as a focus for the ritual.

Some of the liches that were sitting on top of the cages were quick enough to defend themselves, but not all of them. Two of them evaporated immediately under the raging flames. The rest managed to protect themselves from the flames, but not all of them did that flawlessly. Unfortunately, the one that was standing on top of the dragon's cage, who was clearly the leader, had survived. I had a feeling that it was the strongest one, evidenced by its survival despite the dragon directly targeting him in its follow-up attack.

However, that retaliation cost the dragon quite a bit. The black-robed ones used the opportunity to retaliate, each letting out dangerous bolts of necrotic energy, all from close quarters. Despite the closeness, the dragon dodged two of them, showing surprising agility considering its size, but the other two connected with its bright green scales.

The attack pushed the dragon back as well, but luckily, it moved toward my side. So rather than trying to resist, actually moved with the blow, leaving the necromancers behind.

"Stop it," called the leader, but he was unable to do so, because I had decided to leave one last gift, and used the two pillars under my control to further wreak havoc into the ritual, much easier considering I didn't have to care about not killing the dragon accidentally.

The dragon managed to enter the tunnel as the ritual started to collapse, and all liches turned their attention to stabilize it, preventing it from exploding. As much as I wished to go and kill them, revealing my presence would be counter-productive if I couldn't take all of them before reinforcements arrived. Even with the ritual collapsing, it was a long shot.

Then, I turned my attention to my unlikely ally.

—

[Level: 23 Experience: 263100 / 276000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 32

HP: 1126 / 2737 Mana: 3152 / 3565 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 56: Nerdy Visit

I couldn't help but feel alarmed as I looked at the dragon. Yes, it acted as a nominal ally, and showed a surprising capability toward communication, enough to convince me about its intelligence, but that didn't remove the risk of a sudden betrayal. It didn't give a sign of doing so, but considering I was betting on reading the body language of a creature I first saw today, my stress was rather understandable.

However, when I stopped for a second to examine it, those concerns flew away. Even just a glance was enough to show that the dragon was near death. Most of its emerald scales had lost their luster, giving a rotten feeling instead, which was probably the effect of its extended exposure to death energy. Its claws were trembling badly enough to remove their threat. Its every breath was labored, showing its exhaustion.

Examining it carefully, my earlier fear was replaced with a new one. Just how much distraction the dragon could be in its current state. I sighed as I came to a decision, one that required me to bet on the goodwill of a mysterious creature with a sketchy reputation. In the end, I decided to trust my instincts.

"Hold still for a moment, I'm going to heal you," I said even as I put my hand on its body. It trembled under my touch, but made no move of pulling back. I gathered most of my mana together to cast a strong healing spell.

[-2329 Mana]

The dragon let out another breath, this time somehow smoother. Some of its scales regained their shine, and its trembling stopped. It was still far from the optimal condition, but that was the best I could do under the lack of time.

Pity I couldn't cast another spell even if my mana recovered. The only reason I was able to cast such a strong healing spell was the ritual that went out of control, and its effects were enough to prevent detection. However, I had to cast a protection spell to fend off the death energy when the ritual pulsed dangerously. Using the opportunity, I cast a healing spell on myself, even though it drained my mana further. With three instances of regeneration active, all I needed was to resist for twenty minutes for my mana to refill completely, making it a reasonable risk.

[-416 Mana]

[623 HP]

"Let's move," I said to the dragon as I cut directly toward the nearest exit, and the dragon followed me immediately, smart enough to realize I was its only hope. I took a route opposite of the headquarters, wanting the necromancers to abandon that section as much as possible.

The first minute, we managed to avoid coming across anyone. I used a biomancy trick to hide our presence from their detection skill, which was a bit risky, but I was hoping that it would be attributed to the dragon. I was lucky that the dragon was relatively small, at least enough to silently move through the tunnels with its wings folded. It was still rather large, taller than a human even when it was all fours, but the tunnels were large enough to allow it to move.

Then, our luck turned, as I heard the shouts of necromancers, mixed with the unmistakable sounds of a bone dragon's stomping. They weren't too far away. "You try to get their attention, and I'll hit them from behind," I said as I pulled my sword and doubled back, looking for a connecting tunnel.

Dashing full speed, it took me less than half a minute to hit the ambush from behind, Aviada's sword gleaming under the flashing lights of the spell battle. However, much to the misfortune of the four necromancers that was leading the skeleton brigade —and two bone dragons— a raging dragon was a distracting sight. Distracting enough to miss a warrior charging with a gleaming two-handed sword until it was too late.

I was so glad that I stopped by Aviada to pick up her sword, because with its assistance, one cleaving attack was enough to kill all four necromancers, though I slashed a couple of extra times to make sure before casting a flame spell and burning their remains. I didn't want to leave blade wounds in their corpses.

[-23 Mana]

Meanwhile, the dragon was under the assault of two bone dragons, barely able to resist their assault, while the skeletons leveraged the opportunity, trying to stab its legs. I jumped up, climbing on the back of one of the bone dragons, breaking its spine as I climbed upward. It raged, trying to throw me from its back, but my twenty-five points of agility were not for show, so I easily climbed up to its head, destroying it with one mighty smash that would make a barbarian king proud.

Without the support of its mindless brethren, the other bone dragon failed to resist the raging assault of the emerald dragon. Meanwhile, I cleaved through the rest of the skeletons, which took me less than ten seconds. "Do you mind burning the remains?" I asked kindly.

The dragon sent me a gaze, and I had to suppress a laugh. I was amused because its suspicion was almost a physical thing, and receiving such a look from a monster was amusing. Still, it followed my small request, burning the remains with its breath before we started running once more.

We have dealt with three more blockades until we arrived at the entrance of the tunnel which led outside, every encounter making me more glad that I actually brought the sword with me, allowing me to save my mana. I even transferred some more mana to my unlikely ally, who was more than happy to receive the extra boost. As a result, when we managed to break through another hasty barricade and came near a tunnel that led outside, I was rather confident that it would be able to escape with its life.

"The exit is here. The rest is up to you," I explained to the dragon, not even bothering the possibility that it wouldn't understand me. Its actions until now had proved its communication capabilities.

I wasn't surprised when it raised its claw, and wrote in the air with flaming letters. 'I owe you one.' After fighting together several times, it was clear to me that the dragon was much smarter than a regular human, but reluctant to show it for some reason. The fact that it knew how to write was not a surprise.

The only interesting part was the alphabet it had used, which belonged to one of the ancient languages, and even among the mages, only a minority used it. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go into the details of it with an actual army of undead trying to find us. The dragon turned and left after one last nod, and I waved after it, before turning back and moved toward my own target.

The presence of the dragon was godsend in my infiltration attempt, even though they were alarmed. Whenever I came across a large group, I let them pass first or circled around them, and whenever I found a small group, I killed them using the sword before burning their remains with a low-grade flame spell, weak enough to avoid their attention.

As the raging cries of the dragon mixed with shouts and explosions, my journey got easier and easier. I was curious about whether the dragon would be able to survive, though it didn't slow down my steps. I had more important things to do than their survival.

When I arrived at their operational headquarters once more, there were only two necromancers there, neither of them a lich, both standing guard. Sneaking to them under the constant interference of explosions was almost trivial, especially when they were standing on the other end of the corridor, not even paying attention to the entrance. I could have killed them easily, but I let them live. I didn't want to arouse suspicion by killing them.

Without any guard, walking into the room was a trivial activity, since the wards weren't designed to keep someone away. And once inside, all the anti-espionage wards actually worked for my benefit, preventing my spells from being noticed. I rapidly cast duplication spells to copy every document I was seeing, which detailed a number of plans. Some were clearly in cipher, but solving them was the later issue. However, for one of the documents, I stole the original while leaving back the copy.

It was the detailed breakdown of the ward scheme of Silver Spires.

I couldn't help but frown as I saw that. The presence of it put a frown on my face, because the number of people that had complete access to the defense plans should be limited. It might be that the headmistress was the only one that had access to them, or not. Regardless, I decided to talk with Titania first and discuss the documents before deciding on what to do.

There was a determined expression on my face as I escaped the headquarters, though not because of the escape itself, which, despite my earlier expectations, turned out to be rather easy. To be fair, it was easy to sneak around when there was a raging dragon loose inside. I used my escape tunnel to climb up, sighing relaxedly only after I took a deep breath of fresh air.

Still, even as the landscape blurred under my feet, I couldn't help but feel that this wasn't going to be my last encounter with that dragon…

For the first half an hour, I just run without casting a spell, doing my best to avoid attention. I healed myself and purged the remaining necrotic energy in my body once my mana was full, then summoned another pseudo-elemental as a mount. It cost a lot of mana, but the speed it provided was much more important, especially since I was a couple of hundred miles away from the school.

The journey took a while, especially since I had to take a break midway. I couldn't help but sigh relaxedly as I finally saw the walls of the school in the distance. I dispelled the pseudo-elemental I was using as a mount even as I examined rays of the morning sun coloring the impressive —but not impenetrable, especially with the help of the plans in my hand— walls of the school.

I slipped inside easily. Compared to sneaking around in a necromancer base, it was nothing.

It took me less than a minute to sneak through one of the weak spots on the walls, which once again proved the complacency of the Silver Spires. No doubt the Necromancers were feeling confident enough to gather around. However, I had more important issues than the general overconfidence that infected one of the most important bastions of humanity. I needed to talk with Titania.

I met with a nasty surprise when arrived at the dead-drop location we agreed on non-urgent communication. There was a note from Titania, mentioning that there was an emergency, and she would be away for a day, maybe more. I bit my lips in disappointment, trying not to let out a cry of frustration. It wasn't just her absence, but the fact that she didn't bother mentioning anything about the mission, or how long it might last in the worst case.

The only happiness that I doubted the necromancers would be able to put another ambush together after my little surprise. I was able to browse through their plans on the way, and while many details were still encrypted, I was able to decipher enough to understand that the dragon I had saved to create a distraction was a crux in their plans, to be used as a ram against the weakest part of the magical defenses —which was discovered through detailed blueprints— by leveraging its magic resistance.

Running full-speed or trying to hold onto pseudo-air-elemental wasn't exactly the best environment to analyze a bunch of papers, after all. But even if I had the opportunity, it would doubtlessly take a lot of time.

Luckily, I had someone clever enough to help.

When I arrived at my room, Helga was still sleeping, so I put all the documents on the table, hung Aviada's sword on the wall, and had a quick shower in the corner of the room. Water spells were sure handy, especially when I could use some earth magic to create a drain and other amenities.

After showering, I didn't bother wrapping a towel around myself as I went and kissed Helga. "Good morning, sleepyhead," I said.

"Good morning," Helga answered with a huge smile, not bothering about the cover that slipped away, revealing her naked body underneath. After sharing an extended kiss, however, she pulled back and frowned. "You look tired. Were you out the whole night?"

"Yeah," I said, and chuckled at the flash of jealousy that passed her face, which was understandable. Just because she agreed that she wasn't going to be the only woman in my life didn't mean that she wouldn't feel any jealousy. Even if I had an actual good reason for it.

I was tempted to tease her a bit about her jealousy, but unfortunately, we had bigger problems, and not enough time. "I found the base of the necromancers last night," I said with a grave tone.

She grabbed my hand, tight enough that her fingers turned bone-white. "Explain," she said, so I gave her a five-minute summary of my adventure, not particularly bothering to disguise the risks I faced. It made her panic, but I needed her to have an accurate background before she started working on the documents, just to give her a better idea. "You're a madman, or have a martyr complex," she gasped as I explained how I freed a dragon as a distraction just so that I could raid their headquarter.

I shrugged. "Hey, I'm not exactly loving the risks as well, but it's not like we can just escape," I explained.

"Can't we?" she asked.

"Not if we still want to leverage all the benefits of the Silver Spires," I said. "And even if we're willing to give up all the benefits, do you really want to see what else they would do after the school has fallen. The Empire is already nothing more than a loose collection of cities, and the Silver Spires is one of the few places that is connecting them together. The royal family is strong, but they are barely able to stall the destruction, not reverse. I really don't want to see what would happen if we lost our most important training facility," I explained, then added with a smirk, "Even if that facility was elitist and pointlessly traditionalist one."

"You're right," she said with a sigh, but when my smirk got wider, I earned a slap on my shoulder. "But you don't have to be an ass about it."

"I know, but it's fun," I said, which earned a playful giggle that made me wish I wasn't about to collapse from exhaustion. Even worse, I only had a couple of hours to rest.

"So, you want me to decipher them, any particular priority?" she asked.

"Anything that pertains their contingency plans, I doubt that they would act immediately with their biggest weapon lost."

"Are you sure the dragon has managed to escape?"

"Not completely, but even if it failed to escape, the ritual is definitely ruined. Even if they managed to capture it, the best they could have is a huge delay, and more likely, they had to kill it and raise it as another bone-dragon. It might be a bit stronger with its skin still intact, but it will not be anything close to their initial design."

"Makes sense," she said and just as she was about to turn, I grabbed her for an extended kiss, one that I used to drain my whole mana. Since I was about to regenerate it while sleeping, why not use it more efficiently. It wasn't enough to make her Level Up again, but almost four thousand mana pushed her quite a bit in the distance. Also, I used the opportunity to examine her soul space, making sure that there was nothing wrong other than some harmless instability.

Still, a level a day should be a limit for a while, I decided, at least I could be certain about the side effects. I had managed to Level Up several times in a day, but my condition was rather unique.

"Have a nice sleep," Helga gasped as I closed my eyes, her arousal clear. Pity that I was really exhausted, and didn't want to abuse biomancy tricks to force myself awake.

"Wake me up in two hours," I told her and closed my eyes. I was falling asleep when I felt a gentle kiss on my cheek.

—

[Level: 23 Experience: 263100 / 276000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 32

HP: 2737 / 2737 Mana: 373 / 3565 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 57: Best Alarm Ever

I was expecting to be grumpy when Helga woke me up. After all, not only had I been up the whole night, but I had also gone through a rather harrowing and challenging evening filled with adrenaline. The total amount of mana I spent through the night had left its mark as well. If it wasn't for my incredible constitution, I would have likely received a permanent injury from having strained myself. Even with that, my body was hurting, suggesting me to take it easy for the next day or two.

However, despite all, I woke up in a good mood, solely thanks to the method Helga chose to wake me up with. She didn't poke me until I woke up, nor did she try to wake me up with a kiss. Well, technically, she was kissing me, just not my cheek or lips. No, I woke up feeling an incredible heat covering my crotch, giving me the most pleasurable alarm I had ever felt. I cracked my eyes open, only to see Helga's blonde hair pooling on my lap while her head bobbed.

"That's a beautiful alarm," I murmured, still feeling the haze of sleep, one that I was in no hurry to dispel. After last night, I had earned the right to be lazy for a while before I had to meet with Aviada and gave back her sword. Helga said nothing, her mouth occupied with a task much more important than providing me with a pointless statement, but her hand tightened on my thigh to signal she had heard my statement.

She stayed there for another minute without saying anything, before she suddenly pulled out. Before I could say anything, however, I felt her tongue on my stomach, trailing my abdominal muscles as she climbed up, leaving a delicious trail behind until her lips reached my chest muscles, only to stay there for a while. I couldn't help but snort softly. For all her explicit distaste toward warriors and their direct ways, she had no problems enjoying the benefits of the same track.

That snort earned a slap on the shoulder as she was smart enough to understand the root of that snort, but her annoyance was definitely not high enough to separate her lips from my body. Instead, she started moving back down once again toward my crotch while her hands caressed my biceps. Her tongue slathered lower and lower until it reached my shaft, which was starting to feel neglected.

Her grip around my biceps tightened suddenly, fingernails digging into my skin, but I barely felt a stinging sensation —inevitable considering the gap between my Constitution and her Strength. Still, combined with the warm sensation of her mouth engulfing my cock, it made me moan. I could actually feel the self-satisfied smirk that tried to appear on her face on my shaft. She was enjoying being the one in control. I pushed some mana through my shaft, rewarding her much better than a pat on the head. It was a good change of pace to lay back lazily while someone else did all the work once in a while, especially when I was still feeling the exhaustion from last night.

[-120 Mana]

Still, the sense of discomfort as I channeled mana was an unwelcome reminder of my exhaustion, like a muscle feeling pain after a long exercise. I decided to keep it down a bit. I had done nothing but lay with my eyes closed while the smell of arousal slowly filled the room, her movements getting faster and faster. It was good to have confirmation that I wasn't the only one that was enjoying it.

She was clearly not in a hurry, because rather than pushing deep, her lips stayed around the head of my shaft, massaging me determinedly with the assistance of her tongue. I couldn't help but feel that she had been practicing on some lucky vegetable while I was away. She was too obsessed with perfection not to do that, and her increase in skill was too pronounced.

"Holy shit," I murmured, unable to keep my mouth closed after a particularly inventive swirl of her tongue. Her only response was to moan naughtily as she continued to tease the crown of my shaft. As much as I wanted her to quicken, I let her set the pace, not even guiding her by touch. After working hard, she deserved to deliver her show without interruption.

"You're amazing," I murmured as she moved deeper. She deserved every compliment I could give her. My cock was throbbing hard under the soft treatment of her pouty lips, beautiful enough to inspire a thousand artists. Her cheeks stretched out lewdly each time she descended on me, taking more and more of my shaft. The way her breasts softly rubbing against my thighs as she moved made it even more delicious.

She moved farther, but with torturous slowness, while my exhaustion slowly dispersed. Even the strain on my body lessened. While it didn't disappear completely, it was still an amazing development. I would have said that it didn't make any sense, but considering the rest of my leveling experience, I wasn't exactly in a position to claim that. It was certainly more reasonable than helping the girls level up through a rough fucking.

I couldn't help but feel disappointed when she pulled off of me, but her head stayed close to my crotch even as she smiled at me smugly, happy with the impact of her treatment. I smiled naughtily even as I let my impatience show, wanting to encourage her inventiveness. When she brought her lips close again, she didn't wrap them around my girth. Instead, she started licking my length slowly, tasting and savoring the texture of every ridge and vein. Her lips occasionally wrap around the side of my shaft, delivering an interesting treatment from the side. At that moment, I couldn't help but imagine Marianne on the other side, delivering the same treatment, their lips touching each other, occasionally even sharing a kiss.

I immediately added that to my mental bucket list to be done at the earliest convenience. Having two blonde beauties, delivering a combined massage was definitely something to be arranged later. "It's becoming unbearable, honey," I moaned, signaling that I was nearing the end of my patience. Still, I let her continue at her pace rather than grabbing her head to initiate a rough deep-throating session. I liked the other girls, but Helga was my actual first, and she had a special place in my heart. Not to mention, the personality of the others didn't allow for something like this. Marianne was far too skittish to actually take the lead, while both Cornelia and Aviada were too obsessed with power and control. Allowing them to control the pacing would have lowered their opinion about me at this early stage.

"Too bad," she answered as she raised her head, giving me a naughty smile before lowering to continue the same treatment, doing her best to drive me crazy.

"You're pushing your luck, you naughty bunny," I said, but my tone stayed teasing rather than domineering.

She pointedly sucked me harder for a moment before pulling back, signaling that she had no intention of giving back control. Even when she pulled out and wrapped her fat tits around my shaft, moving up and down, her movements were pointed and deliberate, slowly moving up and down while her beautiful eyes stayed firmly fixed to mine, making the situation even more erotic. Her confidence was simply enchanting, especially when she still maintained her slow pace despite her own obvious growing arousal, signaled by her panting.

Then, without a warning, her grip tightened around my thigh before she lowered herself hard, so much that I felt her nose pressing against my skin while she devoured my full length with surprising ease, signaling that the vegetables she had used to practice with had seen some intensive usage. Not that I was dissatisfied with her assault, not when I could feel the tightness of her throat around my shaft, rapidly pushing me towards an explosion. I thought that to be the end of it, only for her to pull out at the last second.

"That's a bit rude," I said with a chuckle as she pulled out, leaving me throbbing and wanting.

"Don't be impatient," she answered as she stood up, giving me a glimpse of her body, wearing nothing but a pair of panties, her fingers already hooked around the edges. She started removing them slowly, bit by bit revealing her delicious entrance to my gaze, already sopping wet. "We still have the second round.

She took a long time removing her panties, and even longer as she turned her back, giving me a full view of her bountiful yet still tight ass. Soon, her entrance was pressing against my crown, perfectly positioning her for some fun time in reverse cowgirl position, about to entertain me with the excellent curves of her ass while she rode me. However, once again, she was very slow as she slowly lowered herself, her pussy as tight as ever. A moan rippled off her lips as the crown slipped in, forcing her tunnel to widen to accommodate my girth.

My cock was already throbbing as she impaled herself slowly, turning it into a truly delicious torture. On the positive side, it worked excellently to remove more of the strain I had been feeling after the last part. Another moan escaped her mouth, a rather artificial, practiced one that was designed for seduction. It worked nonetheless, but I continued to lay still, liking the anticipation of being served. As she lowered herself deeper and deeper, I let my eyes feast on her naked body and its beautiful curves, from the elegant curve of her back to the delicious view of her dangling boobs, most of it hidden by her own body, only a part of it peeking out deliciously. Her smooth, long legs were parted to the side, trembling slightly under the strain of maintaining the perfect angle, all crowned by the perfect lines of her heart-shaped ass.

"You're a goddess," I worshiped as she moved in a circular motion, riding me slowly but determinedly, adding more to my pleasure every passing second. I crossed my hands behind my head, raising my head just a bit to enjoy the show perfectly.

"And you're a stallion," she answered, unable to keep her gasps contained. "And I'm going to ride you slowly until you're tamed and begging," she added. I just smirked at the challenge, confident in my abilities —though I doubted I would share the same confidence if I hadn't shared the bed of four different ladies in the last twenty-four hours, which went a long way in curbing even my voracious appetite. I doubted I could resist even half of it if I had been on a mission for a few days.

I was getting rather used to my new way of entertainment, after all.

Still, I didn't bother to resist the desire to explode as it built up. Instead, it was Helga that stopped whenever my shaft started to throb noticeably, signaling another explosion. She had long become adept at recognizing the signs, pulling out just before my explosion was about to happen. She turned back to meet my gaze, a smug smile on her face, only to meet with my comfortable position. "You need to work harder to break this stallion," I answered lazily, which roused her competitive spirit further.

"I'm going to show you," she uttered in steely determination, waiting for a minute for my strain to dispel before lowering herself once more, this time slipping in much easier. Her circular motions got even slower as she brought me toward the climax. I was a bit late to my meeting with Aviada, but I wasn't in a mood to care for being challenged explicitly.

Several minutes later, she stopped once more, but this time, I was yet to reach the edge. "Is there something wrong, sweetie?" I asked smugly.

"Shut up," she murmured without bothering to turn, stopping for a moment, but it didn't prevent her walls from tightening further. She wasn't the only one that could read the other party, and considering my overwhelming stats and experience, I was able to do it much more efficiently. She was already tethering on the edge, and the small break she took was hardly a solution. When she started, she tightened even more.

When she pulled out once again, I recognized the sudden change in her mannerism, a sudden ride in aggression, mixed with some delicious anticipation. "Are you ready to-" I tried to ask, intending to ask whether she was about to surrender, only for her to silence me the fun way, by smothering me with her bosom.

"Shut up!" she repeated, even louder as she impaled herself with my erection once more and started to rock her hips, the sound of flesh hitting flesh exploding as she ramped up the aggression. Since it was impossible for me to say anything while smothered, I decided to put my mouth to better use, and started licking and sucking on her breast while traveling toward her nipple. Once I reached my destination, my teeth joined the game, gently biting her rock-hard nipple.

It proved to be the last step to push her over the edge, and she tightened around my shaft. Impressively, rather than slowing down, she picked up even more speed, her out-of-control cries making me glad for the judicious amount of silencing wards I had added to the protections of my room. "Someone is determined to break her stallion," I commented in amusement when her back arched with pleasure, leaving my mouth free.

"Silence," she ordered as she stuffed my mouth with her breasts —not that I was complaining— and continued riding me without giving an inch. My shaft was enveloped completely by her wetness, every push making me knock on her cervix like a particularly impatient visitor at the door. She was loud without the fear of being overheard. Really loud, enough to make my ears hurt, though I liked the feeling. It was good to see that I was able to break her even without moving a muscle.

"Finally," she murmured in victory as I finally exploded, filling her insides, though her victory was tainted by the fact that she climaxed at the same time, allowing me to clinch victory as strong as she clenched around me.

[Achievement: Patient Participant. Sometimes, patience is a virtue. 1 Wisdom. 200 Experience]

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Duration, 8 hours]

[Skill Share perk activated. Target Skill: Basic Mana Manipulation. Copied: Duration, 24 hours]

[Temporary Skill: Basic Mana Manipulation (25/25)]

The achievement put a smile on my face. The text was amusing, and while experience reward was completely negligible, extra stat points were always welcome. The temporary skill was also interesting. I could feel my mana getting even more flexible, which was always a benefit. However, the previous temporary skill I had received from her was lost, which, while expected, was a bit of a bummer.

She collapsed against my chest, her head snuggling into my neck. I laid under her —negligible— weight, enjoying the casual comfort of her touch as much as I enjoyed the high of a recent orgasm, proving that our relationship was evolving in an unexpected direction, not that I was unhappy about it.

"That was nice," I murmured lazily while I gently extracted myself from under her. "Maybe next time, you can even give me a challenge."

"Asshole," she uttered as she slapped my naked chest, but it was impossible to erase her huge smile through fake annoyance, especially after a gentle kiss to her cheek. "What's the plan for today," she asked as she stretched in the bed while I used a water spell to clean myself, watching me with clear enjoyment in her eyes.

"I'm going to commission a new weapon," I answered as I finished my quick shower and started dressing. I pointed at the sword. "Borrowing from Aviada is a temporary measure at best, not to mention it's hardly hidden. I need something that fits better with my style."

"Isn't it a bit risky, you need to reveal yourself to yet another high-level person," Helga asked as she tried to get her breath back.

"Not as risky as continuing to walk around without a weapon. Hopefully, I will be able to sell a bullshit explanation, or failing that, bribe the crafter for their silence," I added. I lacked money, but that didn't mean I was poor. Even after using most of them to set up the wards, I still had a decent amount of magical ingredients from last night's encounter, especially if I added them to my existing stash. "You just stay here and focus on the wards, especially the weak areas they identified. If we know these locations, we can reinforce them in an emergency."

After one last kiss, I left the room, dressed as a nondescript warrior, Aviada's sword in its scabbard, an illusion on the pommel to make it look like a boring two-handed sword rather than the masterpiece it was.

I really needed a new weapon.

—

[Level: 23 Experience: 263300 / 276000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 25

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 33

HP: 2737 / 2737 Mana: 3588 / 3588 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 58: Hidden Naughtiness

I missed the promised meeting time with Aviada, so she wasn't in her room —once again sneaking in through the convenience of illusion spells. The ease I was having sneaking around was a bit of a bummer, highlighting yet another problem with the security. Normally, I would have been happy with it, but the looming necromancer threat made me change my opinion. After centuries of safety, the school had become arrogant.

I just hoped that wake up call wouldn't be deadly.

While Aviada was not in her room, luckily she left a note about her location, saving me from making the effort to find her. After leaving the room, I dispelled the illusion and walked around as yet another warrior student —highlighting the lack of security and ease of spying even further— toward the small arena the students used to test themselves. As I arrived, the cries and jeers got louder, with no small amount of insults mixed in.

When I arrived, I wasn't too surprised to see Aviada in the middle of the arena, holding a two-handed practice sword, trying to defend herself against three male students at the same time, each equipped with a sword and a shield, trying to flank Aviada, but failing to close in as she danced around while raining merciless attacks on their shields. I didn't even consider stepping in because Aviada had a large smile on her face as she kept three people away, avoiding them with a grace she had lacked when we first met.

The boost she received to her Agility and Speed during the second-stage Companion process was showing its worth.

I watched as Aviada played with them for a bit until one of them made the stupid mistake of calling her a whore. A bad mistake, as not only did Aviada have an explosive temper, but she also wasn't using her Strength stat to the limit intentionally. A war cry escaped her mouth as she lunged forward, swinging her sword with her full might. The first one tried to defend himself with his shield, only to find himself flying back, while his friend suffered the same fate a moment later.

"I didn't mean-" the remaining one —who was also the one stupid enough to call her a whore— stuttered, only to be silenced when Aviada's sword connected with his shin, the distinctive sound of a bone-breaking filling the opening.

"Anyone else want a challenge?" she called out angrily, only for the crowd to fall silent. Aviada threw her sword down and walked out of the arena. Aviada was by no means one of the top warriors in the school without her magical sword —at least not yet— but the stronger ones tended to avoid her challenges, afraid of their reputations even if they managed to beat her. Unlike the magic side, people of martial pursuits were usually sexist, which was part of the reason why Aviada was rather desperate to prove herself. Not to mention she didn't have a lot of friends, hence her midnight hunting trips before we met.

I followed her as she walked towards one of the empty balconies that overlooked the arena, happy to note that it was a bit concealed. I followed her, only to realize I had a follower of my own. A familiar curvy redhead was following her. It was her friend Carla, the one that I had been acquaintanced with rather memorably. She was trying to stay concealed as she watched me, no doubt still feeling rankled after the way I had picked to prove the lack of her observational skills. She was trying to avoid my attention, and her tricks were not half-bad. It was a pity that my perception was off-the-charts.

I acted like I hadn't noticed her, and walked to the balcony Aviada was in. "You're late," Aviada said as I closed in. I would have been impressed by her perception if I hadn't known about her ability to feel the presence of her sword. It was possibly the reason she picked a concealed balcony, allowing us to talk without getting too much attention.

"Sorry about that," I answered. "But I wasn't as lucky as I had hoped."

"No prey?" she asked, surprised. Her surprise was justified considering I had been hunting alone in the night, which was a very active time period for hunting.

"The opposite actually," I answered, which earned a curious glare from her. "Undead again," I whispered, low enough to make sure Carla wouldn't hear it. She opened her mouth, but I was faster. "Later," I said, adding a warning glare to convey my seriousness. I definitely didn't want to discuss such a sensitive topic where everyone could hear us. "Thanks for the sword, it helped immensely," I said even as I passed it back to her. She visibly relaxed when her fingers wrapped around it, though I didn't take it personally. The fact that she trusted me enough to lend her sword when I went for a midnight hunting session, making it very easy to steal it, conveyed her trust completely. Still, the sword was a big part of her fighting prowess, making its absence rather uncomfortable.

"Finally," she murmured, not bothering to hide her relief.

"Do you have some free time?" I asked. "Maybe we could visit the crafter you mentioned before."

"We're a bit early for that," Aviada said with a chuckle.

"Does she have a class in the morning or something?" I asked, only for Aviada to chuckle.

"She doesn't wake up before noon, and she needs at least one hour for her hangover to pass. We should wait at least until dinner."

"Did she have a party last night?" I asked.

Aviada laughed again. "I know that they had their weekly card game last night," she said, laughing.

"And was it a particularly fun one, or was she celebrating," I said.

"Drowning her sorrows for losing, no doubt," Aviada answered. "She's a rather poor gambler. Worse, she's an enthusiastic gambler as well, making it easy for her to lose a lot of money. She usually uses fortified wine to drown her sorrows."

"A gambler and a drunk," I said, unable to hide the quirk of my eyebrow. "She sounds better and better. Are you sure she's the best one?"

"Despite her faults, she's good at her job. And she's always in debt, so she'll be open to your commission without asking too many questions as long as the payment is good enough," she explained, sending me a dissatisfied smile, not enjoying my doubt.

"Okay, okay," I said with a chuckle, raising my hands in mock surrender. "We'll do what you say. But we should go early so I can cure her hangover. No harm starting our partnership on a positive note."

"Smart," she answered, then smirked at me. "We still have an hour. Why don't we go back to my room, and discuss the rent you owe me for borrowing my sword."

"No need, I like it here," I said, and she frowned, reading my response as a rejection, which faded instantly when I stepped behind her, pressing my body against hers. "Don't you think so?" I whispered.

"Do you think you can keep me here," she replied, pushing her hips against my crotch even as she said so. I leaned forward, grabbing her wrists even as I pressed my lips to her neck. She tried to move her hands, using her full strength, only to fail spectacularly. But rather than feeling dejected, her arousal got even stronger, enjoying her own helplessness and my display of power.

I said nothing as she struggled, which included a lot of unnecessary repeats of her hips rubbing against my crotch. I said nothing, enjoying the treatment even as I cast a mirror spell to allow me to discreetly observe my back. Carla was standing in the shadows, her shock obvious despite her stealth, no doubt unable to process our daring. After all, all it would take was a curious glance from the crowd below to create a scandal. Neither her nor Aviada knew that I had already cast an illusion spell on the balcony to hide us from the view of the students below. I wanted Aviada to feel excited, but not at the expense of displaying her delicious body to a bunch of assholes.

It was the best of both worlds.

For a while, I kept Aviada's wrists pinned against the railings while she continued to rub herself against me, waiting for her to get into the mood, which didn't take long thanks to a combination of a rain of kisses to her neck, contrasting greatly with my rough grip around her wrists. "I'll kill you," she murmured when I forced both of her hands behind her back, but there was no hiding the desire in her tone.

"I wonder what I should do to prevent that," I stated amusedly even as I weakened my grip. "Maybe I should let you go." The angry growl she let out in response was simply beautiful. "Or maybe, I should teach you your proper place again," I whispered. "You have a tendency to forget it." She growled once again, this time impatient rather than angry.

I ignored the soft gasp that came from behind, realizing Carla was responsible for it. Her shock was understandable, as I was using my free hand to unbutton Aviada's pants, feeling pity that she wasn't wearing a skirt, which would have given me much more convenient access. Another gasp from Carla reached my ear when Aviada's panties followed the destination of her pants, giving me an excuse to caress her legs. I pulled down my own pants with a simple spell, ignoring the discomfort.

[-1 Mana]

Then, I pushed inside her hard, still keeping her hands behind her back. My shaft slid in easily, my earlier rough treatment working wonders as foreplay, turning her sopping wet. Despite her best efforts, she moaned, struggling to stay on her feet as I ravaged her insides. I could have kissed her, as a method of silencing, but watching her struggle to keep silent would be much more fun. "Try to stay silent if you don't want any observers sweetie," I said as I leaned down to her ear. "Other than Carla, who is already watching us," I added, this time using a spell to make sure Carla wouldn't hear it.

[-2 Mana]

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 73%]

"I'll kill you," Aviada answered, but there was no mistaking the arousal in her tone, not to mention the enthusiastic way she pushed her hips back whenever I slammed in, or the way her legs widened a bit to allow better access. She still struggled to get free, of course, but it only made her wetter.

Despite her best efforts, another moan escaped her mouth when my free hand slipped under her blouse, caressing her stomach slowly to contrast my furious slamming, making her moan repeatedly. "I can use a spell to silence you if you can't handle it," I helpfully offered, not bothering to hide the mocking edge in my tone, only to receive a threatening growl back. She pointedly stayed silent, amusing me with the ease I could tease her. She might have lost some of her prejudice toward magic, but that didn't mean that she wanted to use magic to solve a challenge, however trivial.

I used another mirror spell to take a glance at Carla, curious about what she was doing, only to meet with a pleasant surprise. It wasn't her shock, or the fact that her blush was deep enough to rival her beautiful red hair. However, when I noticed her legs were pressed together tightly, rubbing each other furiously, I smiled. Apparently, the concern Carla was feeling toward her friend's ambiguous relationship didn't prevent her from enjoying the show.

To her defense, it was an impressive show.

But since we once again had our familiar voyeur, there was no harm putting on a bit of a show. I let my hand climb upward under her shirt, revealing more and more of Aviada's beautiful body, enough to reveal the functional bra she had been wearing underneath. I even changed our position slightly so that Carla would be watching us from the side, getting a much better view than what she had been seeing from our back.

Then, I conjured a rope, and tied Aviada's hands behind her back. Thankfully, her dislike of magic didn't extend to indirect effects. Then, I pushed her to her knees, forcing her down, grabbing her hair to keep her from collapsing. A flick freed her beautiful breasts from the oppression of her top. I started pushing inside her long and hard, though unfortunately, not hard enough to make the sound of our flesh hitting together explode. I could have used a sound-dampening ward, but it would have ruined Aviada's challenge.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 74%]

"You like it, don't you, slut," I whispered into her ear, loud enough for Carla to hear. "You like it when I use you like a toy, putting you in your proper place under me."

"You're courting death," Aviada answered between her squeezed teeth, which would have been scary if it wasn't for the thick arousal coloring her every word. Staying silent was taking her full concentration.

"And what are you going to do about it other than obediently taking what I'm dishing out until you cum like a helpless slut," I asked. "You even have your friend here to watch your humiliation," I reminded her. Meanwhile, the friend I had mentioned was watching us with rapt attention, her fingers caressing her inner thighs over her pants. She clearly wanted to do more, but lacked the courage to do so.

"I'll kill you-" Aviada tried to say, only for her body to betray her, climaxing explosively. Since she was such an obedient little girl, I let her get her reward, filling her up, just as a wall of notifications filled my sight.

[Companion Acquisition: Progress 75% – Third Stage Completed 15000 Exp]

[Mana regeneration perk activated. Count 2. Duration, 8 hours]

[New Perk: Skill Share]

[Skill Share perk activated. Target Skill: Legendary Sword Mastery. Copied: Duration, 24 hours]

[Temporary Skill: Master Swordsman (100/100)]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Grandmaster Melee (Requires 5 Points), Basic Swordsman, Expert Subterfuge]

I focused on the wall of notifications even as I captured Aviada's lips in an effort to silence her. There had been a lot going on with the notifications I had received. The first thing I focused on was my own progress, of course, as it needed an immediate response. After a brief consideration, I chose Subterfuge, considering the rapid challenges I had been facing, faking a new personality wouldn't exactly be a hindrance. Enhancing my melee abilities was tempting of course, but not at the cost of locking myself for the next five levels. My flexibility was the only reason I was alive, and I had no reason to change that. Specializing further by picking the Swordsman skill was definitely out, especially since I had already received such a welcome workaround.

The skill share perk was not a surprise after already experiencing it with Helga, but its application was still a bit surprising. After all, rather than getting a basic skill, I had received a master skill. I could already feel that skill connecting to my already existing Melee Mastery, suggesting that I could receive specialized skills in this manner.

Very convenient, I thought even as I considered the possibilities it presented with Elemental and Cornelia, as well as Biomancy and Marianne. It was potentially a huge power boost with seemingly no drawback. A bit inflexible as it needed planning, but considering its potential implications, very much worth it. More importantly, it had some very interesting possibilities for training. Even without swinging a sword, I could feel a flood of information filling my mind about how to be a better swordsman, some I was hoping to remember even after I lost the skill, though it needed further practice.

"I got a new-" Aviada started with a fascinated expression on her face, only to receive a warning glare from me. She was justifiably excited as she just received a new achievement. I checked her soul space, only to see it was very similar to what Helga had received during her third-stage completion, a two-point increase across all of her physical stats, to a total of ten points. Considering a lot of people would gleefully sell their mother, sister, and grandmother for ten stat points, I couldn't fault her, but she should know better to discuss that when she was aware of the little voyeur.

There was a reason I was yet to reveal my leveling trick to her.

She visibly wilted under my warning glare despite her euphoria, which showed that despite all of her shows of resistance, she firmly accepted her position under me. I kissed her once more to bring her mood back up. I continued to kiss her, only to receive yet another notification.

[Achievement: Vivacious Voyeur. Intentionally let a little voyeur enjoy the show you're putting on. 2 Perception. 500 Experience]

Amused, I raised my head, only to meet Carla's gaze, whose hand had finally disappeared in her pants, and looking like she had just experienced an orgasm of her own. She froze, realizing she had been caught. "Do you want to join us for the second round, or do you want to keep watching?" I asked amusedly. Carla stood frozen for a moment, then dashed away without saying anything.

"She's a bit shy for a peeper," I said, and Aviada laughed. Then, I leaned in for a kiss even as I started pumping into her once more…

—

[Level: 24 Experience: 278800 / 300000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 27

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 33

HP: 2856 / 2856 Mana: 3792 / 3792 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Subterfuge [50/75]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 59: Sneaky Fun

We spent another half an hour on the balcony after Carla's shocked departure, which reinvigorated me completely. We could have continued, but I was excited about finally getting a weapon of my own. Inevitably, it was going to be inferior to Aviada's, but still, it was a good trade-off for continuous access.

I followed Aviada from a distance as she moved toward a stocky building near the center of the campus, once again dressed as yet another warrior student, which worked wonders to avoid attention.

[1 Subterfuge]

A smile popped on my face as I read the notification, feeling nostalgic. It was barely more than a month ago when I first received my Subterfuge skill, which allowed me to carve a place for myself without trying to fend off scalpels of curious experimenters. Even now, it allowed me to play a game that was above my potential. I had to admit that it was a true shock. When I was below level ten, I was sure that level twenty was an unreachable goal, one that would ensure my safety once reached. That turned out not to be the case. I was level twenty-four, with an unbelievable stat distribution to boot, and still needed to stay concealed. The stronger I got, the more threats I faced.

Apparently, there was a reason the world was teetering on the edge of a collapse despite countless heroes. Under the impressive sheen of legends and magic, lay a dangerous rot.

I focused on the present as we entered the building dedicated to the craftsmen. The first thing that got my attention was the noise. It was unbearable. The shouts of the servants, the clanking of the metal, the low hum of the wards, and even the occasional explosions. A crowd of servants was bustling around, carrying trays and cases filled with half-processed materials. The crowd occasionally parted, letting one of the core craftsmen pass through, with great variety. Enchanters, blacksmiths, wardmasters, each giving off a subtle aura of expertise.

However, I noticed something interesting. There was a great variety of experts in the building, but in no area other than the main corridor, the building was clearly separated into areas, and I could see no expert from a different discipline. Each expert clearly preferred their own group, and the others even avoided the side corridors that connected. Even more, whenever an expert came across another, the tension between them was clear. Alchemists avoided blacksmiths, engravers glared at tailors, the leather workers disdained enchanters…

Weird, I thought, doing my best to listen as Aviada guided me deeper into the building. Their distaste for each other was clear, but understanding the reason for it was a bit more difficult. Meanwhile, we walked until we reached the stairs, and used them to go down four floors, each floor showing less and less movement, as the space underground was mostly used for storage. Even so, as we moved down, I could sense the wards around the storage rooms weakening, which implied that they were using those rooms for less precious knick-knacks rather than anything precious.

We left the stairs after arriving at the fourth underground floor, the place was empty other than a few servants trying to pull some items from storage. Since there was no one around us, I started walking next to Aviada once more. "What's the deal with the craftsmen avoiding each other?" I asked.

"Something about guild budgets and the number of candidates they are allowed to host here," Aviada explained dismissively, once again showing her direct personality. I sighed. She had an excellent mentality for combat, wasn't afraid of risks, and her loyalty was certain, but still, I couldn't trust her with anything important in other areas due to her dismissive attitude. If it wasn't something she could cut down with her sword, she wasn't interested, which made her a poor assistant for anything complicated.

"Guilds?" I asked, feeling curious. I had been planning to do some research about the production facilities before I visited, which unfortunately went awry due to my repeated lack of luck. Trying to figure out my new Tantric skill, or investigating the necromancer activities took priority. If it was even two weeks ago, I would have rescheduled and done my research no matter how much I needed a weapon, but with my power, there were only a few people I still feared in the school, such as Titania, and the mysterious Headmistress.

"Yeah, the craftsmen are not a part of the student body, so they need to get permission from the school to operate here," Aviada explained carelessly.

That explanation didn't clear up my confusion. "But why are they so against each other's presence?" I asked.

"Something about limited spots and competition between the guilds," Aviada murmured with a shrug. "Oeyne explained it before, but I don't remember. You can talk to her about it."

I sighed, not bothering to hide my disappointment. True to her personality, Aviada didn't care. It was doubtful whether she even noticed. We covered the rest of the distance in silence, moving deeper into the floor, so much that even the occasional servant carrying stuff disappeared. When Aviada mentioned that Oeyne didn't like to work with the other craftsmen, I was expecting a slight distaste, not a total social shunning. Not that I had any problem with that. As long as she was skilled, her lack of connections worked to my benefit.

"We're here," Aviada said as she stood in front of a door that stood out from the other doors on the floor, which were gray and featureless. The door was made from pure iron, and engraved with silver. It radiated magic, so it was not just a door but a magical artifact. She might be ostracized and have a gambling problem, but that didn't mean she was poor. After all, for a skilled blacksmith, it wasn't hard to get extra funds as long as they were willing to work hard.

Interestingly, however, other than the door, which was a standalone artifact, the rest of the wards weren't particularly strong. So, she either used the door as an advertisement of her skills and wasn't afraid of danger, or she didn't have any capable helper for the wards. I was quite curious about which, because the latter part gave me an in to prove myself. "Have you talked with her about me?" I asked.

"I mentioned that you're a friend who needs a weapon and willing to be very generous in terms of payment," Aviada answered.

"Good," I said. "Then, as far as she's concerned, I'm a mage that chose to branch out as a warrior just to annoy my family," I said. She looked at me questioningly. "I might need to show off some of my magical abilities, and if I also show myself as a full-fledged warrior, my magical abilities and their implications would make her suspicious," I explained. Magical abilities were different, especially if I stick to Arcana and avoid Biomancy.

"If you say so," Aviada answered with a shrug, not really interested in my tricks. Earlier in our relationship, it would have earned a more explosive reaction, but she had been farming quite a bit of reward from my sneaky approach, which went a long way to mollify her distaste for subterfuge.

She knocked on the door, only to be met with silence. She waited a minute before knocking again, this time stronger. Again, silence. "Maybe she's not in her workshop yet?" I said. "Should we try her room instead?"

"This is her room," Aviada answered with a scoff, and knocked on the door once more. However, this time, she used the pommel of her sword rather than her hand, making a truly unbearable sound, even leaving a mark on the metal door.

That earned a response. "Who the fuck is it at this forsaken hour," came a groggy voice from the other side of the door.

"It's already afternoon, Oeyne," Aviada shouted back.

"It's still early. Why are you here?" her shout came back.

"We already talked about this. I have a friend with me to commission a weapon. Do you want him to go to the Blacksmith Guild to commission one?" Aviada shouted back, but she was smiling.

"If he wants me to do anything this early, he can go fuck himself for all I care," she answered back.

"Charming lady," I commented, unable to keep my smirk contained.

Aviada laughed. "Even if he can cure your hangover?"

The shout that replied was different, replacing annoyance with enthusiasm. "Why didn't you tell me that first, you silly girl," she shouted immediately. As we waited, we heard a couple of doors being slammed, followed by more profanity.

"Do you want me to stay, or can you handle it?" Aviada asked.

"I'm sure I can handle it," I answered. If her enthusiasm about the hangover cure was any indicator, I didn't need Aviada to break the ice between us, and considering I was going to rely on my mage persona to further my relationship with her, she couldn't exactly help me.

Then, the door opened, giving me the first glimpse of the mystery blacksmith, making my eyes widen slightly, along with a notification.

[75 Experience] 25% Penalty!

The experience is nothing much at my current level, but the fact that I received any experience meant that she was level twenty-four just like me, making her a true powerhouse craftsman. I didn't know a lot about the Blacksmith Guild and other organizations, but I was willing to bet that they weren't filled with powerhouses like that, making her ostracization a true mystery.

But the political ramifications took the backseat as I turned my full focus to examine her, unable to keep my smirk as I did so. I received to experience the moment I saw her, because she was wearing only a dressing gown, its front loose enough to show her lack of a bra, instead of giving me a glimpse of her spectacular, caramel-colored bosom, looking delicious enough to eat.

To make things even more interesting, before I could raise my eyes to look at her face, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside, hard enough to break the arm of a weaker man. She was very strong. Even from a casual pull, from the ease she achieved it, I was confident that her Strength was above twenty, but I wasn't sure about the exact number. "Are you coming, girl," she said without bothering to look at Aviada, who was watching us with a mischievous smile, clever enough to realize the ultimate ending for her friend.

I was so lucky that I had fucked jealousy out of Aviada.

"I have a mission, so no," Aviada answered, and closed the door, leaving us alone.

Oeyne grunted in response as she pulled me toward a seat in the corner, and sat down, looking exhausted. "Cure, now, or I break you, boy," she grunted even as she pressed her hands to her temple.

I was curious just how much she drank last night. She was clearly strong, and as a blacksmith, I doubted that her Endurance was below fifteen. To make her feel such an explosive hangover, she must have imbibed a tub. However, rather than trying to estimate it, I pulled out a bottle that was filled with a purple fluid which I created through biomancy. It was basically a concentrated solution of minerals that would help replace the loss of energy. All she needed was to drink it, and her hangover would be gone in fifteen minutes.

However, that was the plan before I saw her. Even with her brown hair disheveled horribly, her face contorted in discomfort, and giving out a thick smell of alcohol, she was beautiful. She certainly wasn't young, probably in her forties, but like the wine she was clearly fond of, the years just made her tastier. She was almost six feet, making her just a few inches shorter than me, and her body was toned to perfection. Thanks to the supernatural nature of her strength, she wasn't overly muscular, making her tight body delicious, especially combined with her caramel skin tone. I couldn't wait until I could get a taste.

"Here it is," I said as I raised the bottle. She grabbed the bottle immediately and was about to drink it. Suddenly, I understood why Aviada liked her. They were both recklessly forward, making me wonder how the hell they managed to survive in such a dangerous world. Maybe there was a hidden luck stat, and theirs were off-the-charts?

I decided to leverage her direct personality. "If you drink it, it'll take effect in fifteen minutes, or I can apply it through your neck and use magic to activate it, and it'll work in a minute."

She said nothing, not that she needed to. She gave me the bottle before turning around, and pulled her dressing gown enough to give me a glimpse of her shoulders, making my erection grow even after the hour I had spent with Aviada. "Hurry up," she said.

[150 Experience] 25% Penalty!

I quickly poured the potion on her shoulders before starting my massage, my fingers already dancing on her shoulders. Since Aviada mentioned Oeyne had some magical abilities, I couldn't be as direct as I wanted to be. Using my healing abilities directly wasn't an option, as it would raise a question about the need for the potion, not to mention I was trying to sell myself as an Arcana expert.

Thankfully, my magical abilities were more than enough to trick such an amateur. I used a large amount of Arcana-natured mana to blanket her senses, making the magical signature of the potion too chaotic to sense. Only after, I used my healing abilities to ease her hangover, while simultaneously making her body absorb the potion. However, even that part was a distraction, as if noticed, it wasn't exactly hard to explain. I wanted to reach into her soul space, getting a glimpse of her skills and abilities.

Since she wasn't relaxed enough for that, I decided to help her with that aspect first. Repeated sessions with Marianne had made me an expert on the subject, so after I let my hands free on her neck and shoulders, it didn't take long for her pained moans to be replaced by satisfied grunts. In a minute, her back was arching sexily as my fingers destroyed knot after knot in her back. She desperately needed a massage, it seemed. Not surprising considering the physical strain of being a blacksmith, combined with her drinking habits. But her sexy moans made it hard for me to keep my hands in safe places.

[300 Experience] 25% Penalty!

[2 Subterfuge]

Rather than trying to sleep with her, I used the opportunity to slip a small stream of mana into her body, finding her soul space. She was too strong to process without a better understanding, especially since, unlike Titania, she wasn't exhausted due to mana overuse.

The sensation of her soul space surprised me. It was significantly more defined than the girls, reminding me of Titania. Unlike her, however, Oeyne's soul space was stiff, which meant that she had reached her level cap. A glimpse of her stats showed that she was primarily physical —no surprises there— with a particular focus on Strength and Endurance. However, her mental stats surprised me, because she had three stats over ten: Intelligence, Perception, and Wisdom. Intelligence and Perception were barely above ten, but still, it was impressive for a primarily-physical fighter, nothing I had seen before in someone else —though I couldn't say I had a large pool of examples. Combined with her Level, it made her truly formidable.

So, formidable that, rather than trying to turn the massage into something more heated, I pulled my hands back after getting a glimpse of her skills, which were mostly crafting related, a specialized melee skill, and one advanced Arcana to give her some utility. I pulled back, not wanting to risk getting caught. She was strong, beautiful, and most importantly, clearly lacking in allies, making her an excellent prospect. I didn't want to ruin it accidentally.

Also, it was always a good strategy to make a lady be left wanting…

"That's it," I said as I pulled back, cutting her moan off halfway. She looked back, her eyes widening slightly, only then realizing the inappropriateness of the situation. She fixed her dressing gown, though even as she did so, she managed to surprise me once more. Rather than pulling it on hurriedly as Marianne would, or doing her best to look impassive like Titania, Oeyne fixed her dressing gown slowly, bordering inappropriate, a curious smile on her lips.

"That was rather impressive," she said, her tone soft and silky now that she wasn't shouting angrily. "I'm going to ask you to wait while I put on something more appropriate, wait here, and don't touch anything," she said, her tone sharpening at the last part. Still, any possible sting from her words disappeared when she turned around. She did so quickly, making her dressing gown rise, giving me a glimpse of her beautiful thighs, riding high enough to reveal that her bra wasn't the only missing piece of underwear…

[75 Experience] 25% Penalty!

I smiled as I watched her disappear into her bedroom. I liked Helga and the rest, but Oeyne's mature, confident gait was a breath of fresh air. Working with her was going to be an interesting experience…

—

[Level: 24 Experience: 279400 / 300000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 27

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 33

HP: 2856 / 2856 Mana: 3792 / 3792 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Subterfuge [52/75]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Chapter 60: Busty Bargain

I finally let my gaze wander around the room as I waited for Oeyne to get ready.

Just a glance was enough to detect that the place was a modified warehouse, but had gone through a severe renovation. Apart from her living quarters, her workshop was an open-plan space. A huge forge, clearly expensive, stood in the middle of the room, bubbling with magic even in its inactive state. It was old enough to show the signs of age, managing to survive past the standard expiration date for an ordinary magical item through maintenance. It paid to be owned by a blacksmith expert. Interestingly, the forge was clearly transported here recently, and the rest of the renovations weren't that old. Her move couldn't be any earlier than a year, and I was willing to bet for six months.

The rest of the workshop paled compared to the forge, but that didn't mean that they were of low quality. She had some alchemy tools on a corner, which was useful in processing magical reagents collected from the monsters. It was possible to process them without any equipment like I had been doing, of course, but not only it was much costlier in terms of mana consumption, but also it was quite wasteful. Other than that, a number of tools were spread around the room, giving it a messy feeling. Too messy for an expert, unless she was used to working together with assistants and apprentices to handle those things.

It made a certain kind of sense with Aviada's offhand comments about the argument between Oeyne and the craftsmen guilds. She was clearly an accomplished blacksmith, the half-completed weapons resting on the table were exquisite enough to prove that fact. I didn't know whether she was always living at Silver Spires, or moved here after her fight with the Guilds, but whichever was the case, I doubted that it was something simple if the Guilds were exerting enough pressure to actually prevent her from finding an apprentice to help her.

It also gave me an opportunity to gain her favor.

I could see a bookcase filled with books, and a soft probe made sure that there was no magical protection. Since half of the objects were warded in the workshop, I guessed that they weren't very valuable from her perspective. I walked to the shelf, and pulled a book, only to see it was the notes of a previous apprentice, focusing on basic techniques and procedures. As I read, I couldn't help but quirk my eyebrow. Whomever the apprentice was, they had excellent notetaking capabilities, not only recording their lessons but also comparing them with more common techniques, followed by a detailed breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages. I read it, because while the library had quite a number of books about blacksmithing, they were much more focused on theory. The guide in front of me was giving me a lot of interesting insights.

Of course, since they were personal notes, the writer neglected to explain the simpler points, sometimes just abbreviating things into single letters. Most people would have been helpless against it, but it was different for me. With my Wisdom allowing me to fill the blanks and my Intelligence helping to connect the dots, I had gained a lot of insights about being a blacksmith just by reading. I wouldn't be forging my own sword anytime soon, but it was definitely a benefit.

When I heard her bathroom door open, I put the book back and moved to my seat. Instead, I pulled a valuable piece of material from my bag, and started processing it by applying my Arcana abilities, fashioning it into a keystone for a medium-powered defensive ward. It wasn't the full range of my abilities, but it was still a task that would challenge usual people that managed to attain Arcana Master skill. Not everyone had almost forty points of Charisma to power their spells.

A minute later, the bedroom door opened, and revealed Oeyne, wearing a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was collected to a simple ponytail, and a pair of combat boots competed for the ensemble. However, despite the simple and boring description, her clothing was anything but. Her pants were made of leather, and certainly too tight to be comfortable working in a workshop unless it was enchanted. It wrapped tight around her body, displaying her beautiful legs in full display.

Her shirt was made of thick linen, and was much looser, though it still strategically tightened enough to display her hourglass figure. More interestingly, a huge gap in the middle traveled down, creating an aggressive cleavage, deep enough to reveal the continuing absence of a bra. I made no attempt to hide my gaze as I examined her figure, pausing on her cleavage for a couple of seconds before finding her face.

Even if I had failed to understand her aim earlier, her smile, supported by her enchanting gait, told the whole story. She was teasing me, and if I was reading correctly, with no intention of actually carrying me to her bed. So, she either wanted to take revenge for the massage session in kind, or she wanted to unbalance me before our negotiation. Maybe, both of them were her aim together.

Whichever was the case, I was more than happy to contend against her in her chosen battleground.

Supporting my earlier detection, she plopped herself next to me without saying anything, close enough for our arms to rub together, which was certainly not proper. She smiled at me seductively, and while it was tempting to play the simpering fool, she seemed like a gal who would enjoy pushing my buttons. It might have been an option under different circumstances, but with the pressure from the necromancers and their mysterious allies, I didn't have the time to play the lovesick teenager for a couple of weeks.

I met with her seductive smile with a confident one of my own, making her smile freeze for a moment before it widened a bit. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, with just a little bit of gasp that sent a tingling across my body. For a supposed blacksmith with a wild look, she was surprisingly adept at the game of seduction. Her willingness to show skin enhanced her game to the next level.

"Please. I'm the one that came early and disrupted your rest. I should be the one apologizing," I said, not keeping myself from catching another glimpse of her impressive cleavage since she was kind enough to lean forward. I raised my hand, and showed the mostly-processed reagent in my hand. "It's not like I was wasting my time," I said.

"Hmm," she murmured as she turned her attention to it, her eyes widening slightly as she took a note of my expertise. I wasn't a dedicated alchemist, but that didn't mean my work was something to be dismissed. It was certainly far above what she could manage with her skills. "Impressive work," she admitted. "It's not easy to process the tooth of a golden lion without a complete set of equipment, even for a dedicated apprentice."

"I do my best," I said with a soft smirk. "I'm glad that it's good enough not to be an eyesore to a true master of the craft like yourself," I added, and she smiled, though she wasn't impressed by it. As an expert blacksmith, she must be used to compliments and people playing nicely while trying to commission a sword.

"So, what are you going to use it for, as an offensive node for a larger ward, or something more interesting?"

"Certainly something more interesting," I answered. "The tooth is useless in defense, but it has strong attack quality. By using seven of them, I can establish an attack ward. It will be a one-time effect, but it will certainly be impressive."

"It should be, if it's going to consume seven golden lion teeth," she suggested. "It's a bit on the costly side, of course," she added.

She delivered the latter part of it without any fluctuation in her tone, perfectly flatly, which would have convinced a lot of people that it was just an offhand comment. Not me. I easily recognized it as a good attempt to assess my net worth. She was more sly than my first impression suggested, though it made me even more excited about the prospect. "It's just golden lion teeth," I said dismissively. "They are at most uncommon."

She nodded at my answer, but her smile widened at my dismissive attitude. If she was as terrible in gambling as Aviada suggested, it wasn't surprising for her to get excited about my potential wealth, especially with the guilds blacklisting her.

"I'm not familiar with the carving method," she said. "Is this a way to connect with the nearest node?"

"Actually, no," I answered. "Through that carving, I'm planning to connect it to the other six teeth directly, establishing a tighter formation. That way, it can explode spectacularly."

"As long as you can keep it until the last moment," she countered, her eyes tightening. She wasn't a magical expert, but as I expected, she had good instincts about ward establishment. In the higher levels, it probably shared many fundamental concepts with blacksmithing. So, I didn't dumb down my explanation too much as I explained to her how I was planning to stabilize the attack formation by relying on neutralizing the pressure by using the other teeth. It took ten minutes, and she listened in rapt attention, though she continuously touched my arm and shoulder, playing it as a distraction.

"I wasn't expecting a warrior student to have such a deep attainment in the magical theory," Oeyne commented after I had finished my explanation.

"I saw myself more of a mage than a warrior," I answered. "It's a bit shameful, but I have to admit I first picked the sword as a part of a childish rebellion against my family, but after realizing the potential of versatility, I continued to develop it," I said. "A stronger selection of activities is certainly useful."

"A commendable approach," she said passionately. It personally resonated with her, but it was too early to easily ascertain whether it was a candid emotion, or she was just using the opportunity to subtly make fun of the guilds without being committed to the idea herself. It was a mystery for another day. "And I'm guessing you're here to get something better than the garbage you have on your waist."

"Exactly," I answered. "Since I'm going to do something unusual, I better do it with a true masterpiece in my hands."

"A good approach," she said. "It's a pity you're going to be disappointed though," she added, making a show of looking sad.

She clearly had something in mind, and while I could guess where she was driving at, I decided to play oblivious. "That's a pity," I said with a sigh. "I was hoping to wield a sword shaped by your masterful hands."

She sighed loudly. "It's not that I don't want to help, but I'm currently in the midst of a small dispute with the guilds, and I don't have a helper to assist me. I can still make something strong by myself, but it won't be something that deserved to be called a masterpiece." I waited a bit, making a show of looking disappointed, wordlessly inviting her to breach the subject.

[2 Subterfuge]

A smile appeared on her face, like she had just an idea. "Actually, you are not bad when it comes to preparing reagents. You waste quite a bit, but the final quality is more than satisfactory. As long as you're willing to help me, we should be able to create something I would be proud of."

"That's a tempting offer," I said. "I accept." It was quicker than I would have normally liked. Despite her attempts to conceal it, she was clearly enthusiastic about having me as temporary help. I had no doubt that helping her while she was being blacklisted by the guilds had some dangerous consequences. I could have used those potential consequences to extract several concessions from her, but at the cost of revealing my true nature, which would have made her cautious. Also, I didn't want to join a craftsmen guild, and even if I changed my mind, I could easily apply to a position through brand new identity.

It was for the best if she thought I could be manipulated by a flash of tits and promises of a better weapon. They were currencies I was more than happy to deal with as well, though the cost itself was going to be much higher. "Do you have any preferences?" she said.

"Actually, I do," I said as I raised my steel sword, letting my Arcana energy to flow freely, giving the otherwise mundane sword a dangerous feeling.

[-57 Mana]

"Interesting," she murmured as she watched the magic flow. "But ultimately, very wasteful."

"That's because steel is a terrible medium to conduct magic, and it corrodes too easily," I answered. "If we use something more malleable like alchemical silver with several reagents added to keep the magic from radiating uselessly, it should be much more effective."

She frowned. "Still, isn't it strictly inferior to a traditional magical sword? While it would be cheaper, it would still be impressively expensive. On the added side, you won't waste any mana while using it."

I said nothing as I raised my sword, repeating the trick once again, but this time, adding some fire nature to my Arcana trick. It wasn't a full elemental spell —which wasn't an ability I wanted to reveal her— but it was still impressive. Best of all, it was possible to do through Arcana. She watched the trick with interest, and just to drive my point, I quickly cycled through multiple elements, using lightning, water, and wind in quick succession. It barely lasted more than five seconds, but the rapid change turned the steel sword into useless molten slag.

"That was rather interesting, and certainly hard to replicate in a magical sword," she commented. "I can see why you want that. Follow me."

With that, she stood up and walked toward the forge, and I followed her a step behind. Her earlier measured gait was replaced by a determined walk, too focused on what I had shown to remember her seduction game. I was a bit bummed at the temporary loss of my entertainment. Thankfully, even without her intentional seduction attempts, her ass looked great in her tight leather pants. When she reached the forge, she grabbed a leather work apron from a drawer and put it on, which unfortunately concealed her beautiful cleavage.

"About the payment," she suddenly added, realizing that in her excitement to work on a new theory, she had forgotten to talk about such an important topic. I nodded, waiting for her to continue, leveraging her impatience. "I want to receive two times the material that has been used consumed in the process of forging your items," she said.

It was certainly a steep price, one that she used as an aggressive negotiation opener, so, my answer surprised her quite a bit. "Sure," I said casually. "It's not a big deal."

Her eyes widened, her thoughts reflected on her face. She was clearly cursing herself for being impatient. It was easy to read her emotions. If she was as open when gambling, her losing streak wasn't simply bad luck. "Okay," she murmured, unable to hide the sense of defeat. After all, she couldn't raise the price above what she had offered after I accepted, not without destroying the goodwill between us, at least. "You already managed to surprise me once when it came to using magical reagents. Do you want to try again?"

"Why not," I said as I dug into my bag, and started pulling some select items. They weren't the most expensive materials I owned, but they certainly weren't the cheapest as well. Still, since I was planning for another hunting trip tonight —this time hopefully without stumbling on another wild conspiracy— I wasn't conservative dipping in my savings. Most were already gone, either to my own wards, or the escape tunnel I had set up for the necromancer base.

"Interesting," she murmured as she looked at the materials that spread out over the table—and two piles with the same materials placed in front of Oeyne. Her pouty lips parted in excitement as she reached for the piles that were was going to be her payment, followed by a sigh. However, her happiness was a bit exaggerated considering her position and potential wealth. I couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with her gambling problem, maybe she owed the others some money. Then, she spoke, forcing me to focus on the present. "It's an impressive ward, but I think I'm unable to connect some of the details. Why don't you explain it to me."

I did so, and after some time, she interrupted. "It looks like a good idea, but it wouldn't work on a forged item," she offered. I needed in understanding. It was my first time working on metal, and there bound to be surprised.

"How about now?" I asked, and she countered once more, which started a rather interesting discussion. My visit was turning even more interesting than I first assumed.

We have talked for half an hour, discussing various theories until we finally agreed on a set of features. The implementation of the ideas was solely her responsibility, of course. Embedding magical abilities during the forging process was much different than enchanting them afterward, or using wards to replicate the effects. My contribution was already well-above what was expected.

"I'll alert the girl once the dagger is ready, but it might take a few days," she said after the discussion, not even offering me to watch the process. Understandable considering her secret techniques, but still a pity. She didn't even ask for my help to process the reagents, as we tried to keep the requirements for the dagger considerably low, since it was still an experimental product, with no great material requirements.

"Any chance for a rush order," I said, only to receive a deadpan look from her. I chuckled. Her response was understandable, as even the simplest magical item normally took weeks to forge, and she was going to forge an experimental one in a few days. It was enough of a miracle as it was.

"See you in three days, then," I sighed as I left the room, but not before feeling a playful slap on my bottom.

I couldn't wait to respond to that in kind.

—

[Level: 24 Experience: 279400 / 300000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 27

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 33

HP: 2856 / 2856 Mana: 3792 / 3792 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Subterfuge [54/75]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share