Chapter 5: Arrival (5)
[We'll reconvene later today and compare notes on what we've found, stay in touch if you find anything.]
Carelessly tossing his phone onto the futon after reading Su Jinglei's message Cayman yawned and stretched out his body, popping a few joints and stretching out his muscles before rising to his feet, formulating a day plan that would hopefully be fairly productive. Or at the very least not a waste of time.
They had agreed last night to split up during the day and expand their search, Yukikaze going with Caren - something the dusky Taimanin had looked none too thrilled about - and Jinglei with Asia, on the theory that they could protect the less combat-oriented members of their party if any of Hoestia's minions were out on the prowl.
Cayman didn't have any such luxuries but since the Sanctuary safehouse was loaded down with enough wards to choke a dragon in order to dissuade any assailants and he wasn't entirely helpless on his own he'd had to content himself with lacking a Taimanin bodyguard for the time being.
He was fine with that, however. Sure, he might get jumped by some overleveled assassin but he'd never be able to get the same amount of experimentation and brainstorming done with a mildly suspicious ninja girl hounding his footsteps...like hell he could explain his gaming abilities.
"Alright, might as well hit the city streets and see what comes my way. First order of business is to see if I can find some kind of antique weapon shop or something, grab a worthwhile spear with what money I've got. Then I need to start figuring out how to earn money and EXP in a way that doesn't have me gunned down or brought in for questioning by the local authorities. I'm playing at being a member of Sanctuary without having any of the actual benefits."
...Oh well, a challenge was a challenge and solutions tended to seek out those that made the time to find them.
With that thought in mind he left the apartment, locking the door behind him and making sure he had his remaining 700,000 yen notes secured away in his inventory before hitting dirt, eyes peeled for any opportunities or sights that may lead to a bit of profit on his part.
Unfortunately almost an hour of skirting the outskirts of Kabuki yielded little in the way of concrete findings, only a few places proving mildly promising.
A gun shop titled Brass Emporium, family restaurant Pegasus Wings n' Brew, pawn shop Crow Sale and - to his mild amusement - arts and crafts store Paper Dreams.
"Quite the eclectic mix to exist within a single city block but I guess that's just business as usual in the big city. Once I get a stable source of income I'd like to see what that restaurant has to offer, hopefully it's good."
Other than that he'd noted with a fair amount of amusement that Japan had greatly loosened their firearm restrictions if the requirements for purchase he'd read on the front door of Brass Emporium were anything to go by...then again, considering the current state of the world that was probably just to be expected.
But for all of his curiosity and interest in the current state of the city and greater social impacts he had a plan to stick to, making his way towards the pawn shop and hoping they had some kind of nifty antique spear or something to buy, or at least knew where to point him.
Not that there was anything wrong with old and rusted rebar picked off the street but he was willing to bet the Magic Spearman class would work infinitely better if he had an actual weapon in hand.
"Guess it's time to burn some of that money I've got...shit, gonna have to start looking for a job after this-"
[Questline portal active!]
Blinking at the sudden notification Cayman glanced down a nearby alley he'd been passing and raised an eyebrow as a silently pulsing portal tinged green and blue greeted his eyes.
"...Okay? That's convenient. And slightly worrying. Hey, can I get a level requirement or something?"
To his eternal relief there was actually an answer, more text crawling across his vision.
[Questline portals will take the user to a different location where they will be introduced to a series of quests they may either complete or ignore. Failure to complete will remove option to return to original location via use of questline portal. Time will pass normally unless locale transported to operates under different time passage.]
[Questline portal details!]
[Recommended Level: 8]
[Rewards: ? EXP, ? Reign, ? Companion, randomized weapons/armors.]
"...Jesus that's rough."
Inwardly sighing to himself Cayman knew there wasn't actually much to think about in this situation, the rewards and need to grow stronger outweighed the risks associated.
Sure, it was a bit outside his level range and he still lacked a weapon but the rebar doubling as a spear had shown that if he got creative a makeshift weapon was always close at hand.
It was now or never.
Although he was privately hoping that the quest wouldn't take too long, it'd be kinda awkward to explain to his quartet of investigator companions that he'd been sucked into a space/time portal by choice and then lost track of time.
"Alright...here we go."
He stepped through the rift-
-and blinked, surprised at the smooth and uninterrupted transition to another location without so much as a mild twinge of nausea.
And it was certainly another location, all ethereal forestry with twisting branches, oddly colored plants and a strange...glow to the place that made it look as if everything was haloed by sunlight, regardless of angle.
"Alright...so where's this? Underworld? Demon Realm? Moon Cell?"
Cayman sighed, scratching the back of his head and bemoaning the fact that while it allowed for quite the sprawling lore and storytelling opportunities the fact that Fate, DxD and Taimanin had about five billion different locales that overlapped a fair deal meant he was going to be doing a lot of flying by the seat of his pants for the foreseeable future...not that he hadn't been doing that already but it's not like he wanted to keep doing so.
"Whatever, time to improvise."
Finding a sturdy branch lying on the ground as well as a reasonably sharp rock he got to work, using the stone to sharpen the wood as well as find a few sturdy lengths of vine in order to fashion a makeshift spear.
He was fairly certain the knowledge on how to do so was a result of the Magic Spearman class having inherent information seared into his brain because fashioning stone-age tools from scratch was definitely not something he'd known beforehand...in fact he was curious if the Summoner class had something similar attached to it because that would make things a lot easier once he got around to actually messing with the discipline.
Eventually he had a wooden spear with a sharp chunk of rock attached with interwoven lengths of vine, his spells exclusive to the Spearman class becoming available as it fulfilled the necessary conditions to be considered a pointy bit of pain.
"Well...time to start walking, I guess."
Without any real compass or objective marker to go off of Cayman settled for simply winging it, picking an arbitrary direction and beginning his trek, keeping a watchful eye out for anything that may want to turn him into a midday snack.
Thankfully he didn't have to go very far, maybe ten minutes passing before he heard distant snarling and feminine screams from up ahead, the male pausing in his hike for a brief second before nodding in affirmation.
This was likely his point of interest.
Picking up the pace Cayman gave up on stealth, sprinting through the forest as the sounds of conflict grew ever louder, the Gamer eventually entering a small clearing and coming upon a fairly one-sided battle.
Large quadrupeds with tough brown skin and shaggy black manes were descending upon a group of three fluttering women ranging from fifteen centimeters to twenty in height, gossamer wings working overtime to keep them ahead of the pursuing creatures and their oversized claws.
They didn't meet with much success, two being snapped up by the monsters and unleashing agonized shrieks as pressure was applied-
-and they were snapped into pieces, brief sprays of blood and gore staining the creature's muzzles while a few delicate limbs fell to the ground below.
The third was mildly more fortunate, escaping her pursuer's teeth but catching a swipe from a meaty paw across the legs with a soft CRACK that had her impacting the ground hard, limbs bent at awkward angles as the creature drew close, tongue running over its drooling teeth as the woman stared upwards in naked horror-
CRUNCH!
-and what Cayman recognized as a Dark Beast from the Taimanin universe shuddered and convulsed as his spear had punched straight through its eye socket, digging deep into the creature's skull.
"[Flame Wheel!]"
A burst of fire finished the job as nasty-smelling smoke and embers poured from the newly created orifice, a euphoric grin leaving the man at the beast's death as he noticed that he got a level up, new stats reading,
Cayman Lute, LVL 3
HP: 200
MP: 900
STA: 300
STR: 30
DEF: 40
AGI: 60
MAG: 110
MAG DEF: 120
REIGN: 2
EXP: 250/300
"Looks like these things provide a decent chunk of EXP. Unfortunately…"
Staring him down were now two very upset and no doubt very lethal predators, beady and carnivorous eyes watching him with naked threat as the gamer cast his bastardized version of Structural Analysis, assumption all but confirmed by what he discovered.
Dark Beast, LVL 8
HP: 800
MP: 200
STA: 500
STR: 100
DEF: 100
AGI: 95
MAG: 30
MAG DEF: 25
That they were vulnerable to magic was heartening...that they were faster and much physically tougher than he wasn't.
"And still no ability to inform me of skills or hidden traits. This version of Observe ain't very observant."
Faced with such unfavorable odds and a bit of a lopsided battle on his hands - never mind that [Flame Wheel] was still on cooldown - he did the sensible thing.
Namely turning tail and running, pausing only long enough to scoop up the injured Fairy in his free hand and sprint like hell through the forest.
Apparently the beasts hadn't expected that maneuver, a precious few seconds passing-
-and with alarmingly deep barks of predatory malice they took off after him, heavy paws crashing through the underbrush.
"[Accelerate!]"
Making use of his Summoner class's only available spell his AGI shot upwards, legs moving just that much faster...but not fast enough to outpace the Dark Beasts as they closed the distance with surprising swiftness.
Gazing down at the frightened sprite carefully clutched in his hand Cayman shouted, "Don't suppose you have any ideas?!"
"T-the river! There should be a river leading to a waterfall nearby, they might not chase us through there!"
Not having any better of an idea Cayman did as advised, dashing towards the distant sounds of running water and deciding that looking behind him wouldn't be all that conducive to his nerves, the heavy breathing of the Dark Beasts sounding alarmingly close.
But within seconds he was at aforementioned river, running along the bank at high speeds as he tried to find a spot both deep and fast-moving enough that the creatures might elect not to follow him.
"There, up ahead!"
Trying not think too closely about the fact that he was fairly certain one of the pursuing monsters had just tried to take a bite out of his ankle Cayman took a flying leap into the frothing and roaring waters, making sure to keep the Fairy held firmly in his grasp and head above water as stinging cold liquid hit him with all the force and subtlety of a sledgehammer.
"Thank Christ I learned how to swim or this would be a really stupid way to die."
Kicking off the ground with a powerful push of his legs Cayman dove towards the fiercest part of the river, letting his head pop free of the surface and instantly began scanning for any incoming attacks.
To his relief the Dark Beasts hadn't jumped in after him, merely prowling along the banks and growling at him with bass snarls, a few seconds passing before they darted further down the river, no doubt in an attempt to cut him off where it was perhaps narrower or less violent.
"A-aren't you going to do anything about the waterfall?!"
"Oh, right. Forgot about that."
"How did you forget about the-"
Ignoring the Fairy's disbelieving cry Cayman looked towards where the river was carrying him, noting that he had maybe ten seconds before being swept over the edge into an unknown drop with unknown danger awaiting him at the bottom.
"And I don't feel like reenacting the Emperor's New Groove right now."
Thinking fast - and making sure to still keep the Fairy well above the surface - the Gamer rammed his spear into the rocky bottom of the river, using it as an improvised lever to force his way closer to the bank's edge, gritting his teeth and mustering every iota of strength he could muster as he slipped over the edge of the waterfall, the Fairy shrieking in terror-
-and with a swing of his legs and motion of his arm the improvised lance stabbed into a rocky overhang, allowing him to swing into a slight alcove that was built into the rocky cliffside of the falls, landing heavily in a damp but thankfully concealed cave that could comfortably fit three if they were comfy, certainly large enough to accommodate him and the Fairy still held in his grasp. And on that note...
"Are you alright? Sorry, that escape was kinda rough, huh?"
Gently setting the blinking Fairy down in a way that didn't aggravate her leg injuries he quickly divested himself of his sweatshirt, placing it on the rocky floor and grabbing the makeshift spear, murmuring, "[Flame Wheel]" before setting the article of clothing next to the lit tip of the weapon, carefully moving the tiny woman atop of it so as to better dry off...while he hadn't dunked her plenty of spraying water had managed to pretty effectively drench the winged female.
And it was heartening to note that aside from the 100 MP activation cost keeping the flame burning at a comparatively low intensity barely had any upkeep at all. No need for torches in his game, apparently.
"No, that was actually really impressive! Thank you!"
Finally afforded a chance to give the Fairy a closer look Cayman was surprised at how her voice sounded, soft and sweet but not squeaky as he might have first anticipated...in fact he'd go so far as to say it was kinda seductive and regal in equal parts.
Although her looks were certainly what he expected from the Taimanin universe.
An hourglass figure with long, heeled boots trimmed with gold while ornate bikini bottoms of the same coloration hugged an alluring 'V' between her thighs, full breasts - despite her fifteen centimeter stature - as light blonde hair adorned with silken ribbons framed an ethereally beautiful face, gossamer wings sprouting from her back.
"Are you sure? Getting tossed around like that with broken limbs wouldn't exactly feel great."
The little lady beamed, lightly moving around aforementioned limbs in a showing of surprising dexterity as she responded, "No need to worry, Fairies are extremely resistant to pain and heal quickly."
"Well that's good to hear."
Now that his adrenaline wasn't pumping and he could think rationally Cayman did indeed recall that in the Taimanin universe Fairies were actually perfectly capable of having sex with larger creatures on account of their durable nature and ability to reform their bodies provided they had an accessible source of magic...even gain pleasure from such copulation, as strange as that was to think about.
Setting aside such thoughts he returned his attention to the tiny woman as she bowed her head, commenting, "My thanks for saving me from such a dire situation, stranger. My name is Till, princess of the Fairy land Till-tiel."
"Cayman Lute, pleasure's mine."
He did a quick check of her status and raised an eyebrow at what he discovered, surprised at the amount of power she apparently held.
Till, Fairy Princess, LVL 35
HP: 300
MP:8000
STA: 10,000
STR: 5
DEF: 10
AGI: 500
MAG: 800
MAG DEF: 900
Sure, her physical aspects weren't anything to get excited about but that clearly wasn't where her true strengths lied...and who was he to judge? He was still a measly level 3. And while his memory of the individual before him was hazy at best he vaguely recalled that she was a character from one of the spinoff franchises, so she was of at least some importance to the overall plot. Maybe.
"What of your companions, are they going to be alright? I've heard that Fairies can revive themselves if they have a source of magic nearby that they can claim as their own, but…"
An expression of obvious grief colored the Fairy's features, tone full of regret as she stated, "We were too far away for that to have occurred...they are indeed dead."
While it was hard to feel any real sympathy for strangers he'd just stumbled upon Caymen saw no reason to be an asshole about it, inclining his head before saying, "My condolences."
A chilled shiver ran through the woman's body despite the proximity to the fire, Cayman swiftly rubbing his hands together to create a generous amount of friction before lightly cupping the Fairy within them, Till smiling at the gesture as she relaxed slightly.
Cayman was just impressed at how good her body felt, despite its small stature. Soft skin and athletic muscle pressing against his flesh while her sparse attire tickled and rustled against his palms.
"U-umm...are you going to do something to me?"
Snapping out of his rumination at the woman's hesitant inquiry Caymen asked, "What do you mean?"
"I can, erm...feel your lust. Directed at me."
Blinking in surprise before inwardly kicking himself the male resisted the urge to sigh, belatedly remembering that Fairies were sensitive empaths and could get a vague reading on a person's emotion by simple proximity...and he had definitely been thinking less than pure thoughts.
"Sorry, I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable. But you're a very beautiful woman and that caused my mind to wander."
Thankfully able to sense the honesty in his response - or at least the part that mattered - Till smiled, blushing a bit before replying, "N-no, that's okay! I've never had anyone be interested that much or that way before so it's...new."
Nodding in acceptance of her response Cayman let the silence build for a few seconds, eventually asking, "So what now? I doubt those Dark Beasts are going to let us go so easily, especially if they still have our scent. On that note what were they doing chasing after you three? Targets of opportunity or something more specific?"
A tiny sigh left the Fairy, words distant as she informed him with, "My people have been under a fierce attack by Dark Beasts and other Demons for several years now, far more than usual. And while we can usually find allies or friends to form contracts with and help guard our lands this time around we haven't been so lucky...my two companions and I were going to an isolated location spoken of in legend to enact a ritual that would directly summon a hero to us so that we could form a partnership with them."
Till sagged a bit, tone morose as she said, "You saw how well that worked out…"
"True enough."
The woman perked, violet eyes alight with enthusiasm as she announced, "But then you appeared out of nowhere, rescuing me when all hope seemed lost! I may not have been able to complete the ritual but you must be the hero we desired regardless!"
Cayman raised an eyebrow at the winged female's enthusiasm, inquiring, "You're an empath, right? Or at least able to get a general reading on someone's personality and qualities, right?"
He crossed his arms with a skeptical motion.
"Then surely you can tell that I'm not exactly 'hero' material. Certainly not in the conventional sense."
To his surprise Till merely shook her head, seeming completely assured of her decision as she replied, "No, I saw your face when you killed the Dark Beast and felt what you felt...I can tell you're not a white knight, yes. But my people don't need a paragon of justice or perfect representative of chivalry."
She met his gaze directly.
"We need someone who can save us and won't go mad with power or try to exploit us as badly or worse than our predators would have in the first place."
Cayman considered that, mulling over Till's logic.
It was actually fairly accurate, even if the basis for his reasons were a bit less altruistic than she probably imagined. He had leapt into motion as quickly as he did because he assumed her rescue was the main quest, under other circumstances he would have been far more cautious, taking the time to at least check the stats of the monsters attacking them.
But, to use a rather apt description, he was no Kirei Kotomine. He found the act of killing euphoric, seeing the light swiftly fade from a victim's eyes with the brilliance of a swift kill...but that was his only true vice and had sparingly pursued it in his last life. Other than that he had found happiness and fulfillment aplenty, no getting off solely on torture and murder.
Frowning in consideration Cayman asked, "What would this contract between us entail? Obviously I would be expected to fight off your enemies but is that a full time job? And what do I get out of it?"
Till seemed only too happy to answer his questions, eagerly explaining, "A contract between us isn't a permanent thing nor would you be expected to live within Till-tiel for the duration of the contract, although you would be more than welcome too if you wanted!"
The miniscule woman briefly hesitated.
"Although I'm not so sure if that's what you would want to do, honestly. The Demon World can leave a normal Human corrupted and turned into a twisted monster within just a few short days, it's that corrosive. Someone with your power could probably go a few weeks but it's best not to linger."
Cayman nodded, briefly wondering if one of his Gamer abilities would protect against that transformation but decided it wasn't worth the experiment, at least not now. Instead he asked, "And the combat?"
"You take shifts, obviously! And we'll let you know ahead of time what the schedule is going to look like so you're not caught off guard, although if there was ever a truly dangerous threat to come our way we might need you to take, umm...overtime?"
Smiling in amusement Cayman replied, "You make a battle for your survival sound like a 9-5 job."
"W-well it tends to make people more at ease with things if we describe it in familiar terms, you know!"
Chuckling at the Fairy's protests Cayman lapsed into silence, thinking it over with a pensive air.
There were a lot of unknowns to this current deal but in all honesty that wasn't anything new, his entire daily routine was basically a big fat ball of uncertainty that he had thus far managed to improvise through but this was a certain, no-nonsense deal that held the potential for great benefits.
Sure, he was going to be asked to fight against Demon World monsters that would likely be a bit outside of his weight class for awhile - or for all he knew would always be more powerful than he was - and that was risky but on the other hand he would have a powerful and highly useful bunch of allies with the Fairies.
Demon World denizens that probably knew all sorts of weird magic and interesting people, who would no doubt be grateful for his aid? Yeah, that was a roll of the dice he was willing to gamble on. And besides…
Grinning down at the apprehensive Till the male couldn't help but be enraptured by her beauty and erotic appearance, made only more enticing by the meta-knowledge that she was absolutely fuckable and could even enjoy getting kinky with him.
"U-umm...I felt that…"
Shrugging with an unapologetic air Cayman replied, "I'm not about to apologize for admiring perfection."
"E-eh? You, umm...think I'm pretty?"
Gently reaching out with a finger to softly stroke her silken hair - an action that left the winged woman blushing heavily - Cayman asked, "You're the empath, you can sense my honesty, right?"
Flushing and fidgeting in a manner that the Gamer thought was positively adorable Till rallied herself, announcing, "A-anyway! Are you at all interested in being my contractor?"
Losing some of his teasing demeanor Cayman simply nodded, replying, "I am. Do I need to do anything?"
Switching from bashful to ecstatic the Fairy announced, "No, nothing whatsoever! Just let me carry out the ritual and we'll be done!"
Testing out her limbs the female decided they were in perfect condition, wings softly buzzing and leaving glowing trails of light as she took to the air, approaching his face with a maidenly hue coloring her cheeks pink, eyes drifting closed as she whispered something in a language or...something that wasn't really language, the male wasn't sure.
What he was sure of was that when she flew forward, placing her lips over his own was that the Fairy smelt like mint and some kind of citrus incense, as well as possessing lips that were to die for...and he just might, if he ended up in a fight way over his head.
But all those thoughts were put on the wayside as a new, completely foreign sensation erupted through his body once Till finished claiming her kiss. Not a bad one, but definitely different.
It reminded him of what it felt like when you drank a particularly nasty shot, something that could be classified more as jet fuel than anything fit for human consumption. Burning, racing fire suffusing every bit of your body...but warm, exciting.
[Questline Activated!]
[The Fairy Champion!]
[Details: Quests relating to the security of the Fairy realms will be periodically initiated with time constraints regarding completion. Failure to complete any of aforementioned quests will result in significant REP/?/? Loss with associated faction.]
[Rewards: EXP ?, Fairy Till as contracted companion, ? Reign. Rewards will be scaled for future quests.]
That pretty much fit what Till had told him, what was new and somewhat unexpected was the latest popup that displayed across his vision.
[Contract Completed!]
[You are now contracted to Fairy Till and will receive a 5% bonus to Mana, Magic and Magic Defense. These bonuses will increase as bond between contractor and contractee are increased.]
"Well I'll be damned, that fits rather nicely into my build of being a Magic Spearman and Summoner."
Setting those thoughts aside for the moment he focused on the blushing and fidgeting Fairy directly in front of him, eyes shifting and darting as she no doubt tried to think of something to say.
He saved her the trouble, leaning forward on impulse and planting a chaste kiss on her soft but athletic navel, the Fairy squeaking as he favored her with an amused smile.
"Contract complete, princess. I guess first on the agenda is making sure we make it out of her alive."
So saying he gently cupped his palm and guided her to his shoulder, the Fairy offering up a maidenly smile of bashful happiness as she nodded in affirmation, asking, "You have a plan, then?"
"The makings of one. Feel like living dangerously?"
+40 REP with Till, [40/100]!
Inwardly smirking at the large increase he kept his attention on his Fairy companion as she bobbed her head in agreement, stating, "I can cast a couple of barriers and other protective magic if you need it."
"For now I think I'll just need a shield the moment we leave this cave, those Dark Beasts might just be waiting for us if they're as smart as I'm willing to bet they are…"
He smiled at the sound of rushing water, eyeing one of the new Magic Spearman skills he'd unlocked upon leveling up.
"Not that smart though. Ready?"
Swallowing nervously before putting her game face on and hugging his neck - Cayman marveling at how such a small woman could still be so busty and arousing simply by pressing herself against his flesh - Till announced, "Ready. And don't go dying on me, I just got a contractor and I'm not losing him now!"
Smiling at the adorable sentiment he grabbed his makeshift spear, took a deep breath-
-and sprinted out of the small alcove before throwing himself into the air, entering freefall with the shore a fair distance below.
"[Galeforce!]"
Aiming his spear downwards the burst of air that emanated from the tip of the wooden lance managed to break his fall enough that he landed without too much difficulty, preparing to make a run for his destination-
"[Fairy Contract!]"
-and a shimmering blue pane of energy erupted into existence on his left, the charging Dark Beast that would have taken his head clean from his shoulders instead colliding with the shield and merely bowling over Cayman instead of outright murdering him, the Gamer regaining his feet and shouting out, "[Flamewheel!]" before hauling ass to the river bank, the predator faltering in its pursuit for a priceless two seconds as it shied away from the flames.
In this kind of fast-paced chase two seconds were worth their weight in gold.
Skipping across a few upraised rocks and landing on the other side of the churning waters Cayman whirled around just in time to see the Dark Beast that had initially chased him alongside the newly arrived monster splash into the liquid, the relatively shallow channel allowing them to barrel towards him as he grinned in triumph, Till yelping in fright as he stabbed his makeshift weapon into the river-
"[Volt Thrust!]"
-and both monsters convulsed amidst a sharp, popping crackle that filled their surroundings, muscles locking up and bodies spasming as an electrical charge raced through their forms courtesy of the Gamer's newest spell.
Sure, he doubted [Volt Thrust] had all that much power behind it since it was a beginner's spell and he was still relatively weak...but it wasn't the strength of the electric shock that killed people, it was the duration. People could survive fucking lightning strikes but dropping a toaster into a bathtub was a surefire recipe for death.
Thus, it was inevitable that after just a few short seconds of violent jerking the Dark Beasts collapsed without a sound, corpses heavy enough that they weren't carried away by the current as Cayman released a trembling, euphoric breath at the kill.
"Yeah...THAT shit is the stuff."
"Wow...you actually killed them both so easily…"
Riding high on his adrenaline rush the Gamer reached behind his head, cupping his palm and carrying the Fairy to the front of his face as he grinned widely, replying, "With a little help from my latest Fairy princess, of course. I think this is going to be the start of a wonderful new partnership, Till."
+10 Rep with Till, [50/100]!
And the blushing Fairy wasn't his only prize, the EXP from the two monsters was nothing to scoff at as he was pushed to level 5 from the dual kills.
And speaking of levels…
[The Fairy Champion 1, COMPLETED!]
[Details: The first threat to the Fairy realm has been conquered and their princess is now your contracted companion, future threats will soon arise!]
[Rewards: 600 EXP, 30 Reign, Steel Spear.]
That was a bevy of interesting rewards he'd just gotten and catalogued, never mind the flash of light that he'd automatically reached out to, feeling something solid land in his palm. And the Gamer's grin only got wider as he saw what was held within his grasp.
Just like the description had stated within his hand was a length of contoured steel, about as long as he was tall and possessing a flared and pointed head, gleaming with lethal intent and a far more impressive sight than his makeshift stick of wood.
"Woah, how did you manage to make that spear appear out of nowhere?"
"I'm just full of surprises, Till. Also let's just call it a quirk of mine."
The Fairy gave him a sullen look, grousing, "Not even a hint?"
Smiling back at her he shrugged, replying, "To be totally honest I'm not even all that sure myself of how it works."
"Ooh, a mysterious contractor and daring escape all in one day? This is going to be exciting!"
The Fairy seemed inordinately pleased with herself, Cayman amused by her reaction as he asked, "So what's the current plan, princess?"
Seating herself on his shoulder as the male gave his new weapon a few experimental twirls the winged-female explained, "I need to return to my people and tell them of what transpired and then I'll rejoin you wherever you are. Since we're contracted I can hone in on your magic no matter what place you're at~!"
"Sounds good to me. Need an escort back home?"
"Nope, we're close enough to my land's borders that I can directly teleport there."
Fluttering directly before him the Fairy gained yet another dusting of pink across her pale skin, beaming vividly as she said, "I'll be with you soon, contractor!"
In a fit of daring - at least for her - Till swooped forward, planting a quick kiss on his nose before she vanished in a flash of light, the Gamer blinking at her departure before feeling his lips curl upwards in a grin.
"Yeah, today wasn't too bad at all."
A shifting and churning portal manifested directly before him which would no doubt lead him back home now that the quest was over - which was convenient, as he bealtedly realized he didn't have any way out of the Demon World - Cayman eyeing his status as he strode towards it.
Cayman Lute, LVL 6
HP: 350
MP: 1100 + (55)
STA:600
STR: 45
DEF: 55
AGI: 100
MAG: 155 + (8)
MAG DEF: 180 + (9)
REIGN: 35
EXP: 450/600
Okay, I'm pretty sure I did the math correctly on this chapter in terms of level up and stuff but I edited it really lazily, on account of having visited my buddy this weekend and having WAY too much of a fun time before remembering it was upload time.
Binge watching Eighty-Six (Great fucking show, go watch it, seriously) and forcing ourselves to beat Halo CE LASO makes for a fun time but one that's pretty draining.
...
The funniest part about all of this justification is that in the time it took to write this I probably could have just gone and checked all the numbers myself. Christ.
Also Till is a 10/10 sweetheart.