Soul Art Online
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 19: Levelling Up
- Arthas -
I used Soru and reached the last monster and slashed its head from the rest of his body, ending its life.
"That's all of them."
"With that all the first kill bonuses for all the field bosses in the area are ours." Star said.
"Now we just need to do this in rotation until at least half of us are Tier 5." Shiroe nodded.
Three weeks had passed since the fight with the tiger.
We had to delay hunting the bosses for a while because Shiroe had reached his level cap and we had to do the Quest for him to get the Sorcerer Class. It was quite similar to the Knight Quest but had added components as in he had to take a theory exam.
Seriously, this game had an extensive theory for magic.
The most surprising part about it was that… all these magic theories… they were real. As in they were exactly what was taught outside in the human world.
Elaine identified this. She recognised some of the spells as things which she had studied in her time in the Golden Dawn. From there, Bina, Rose and Veena read the texts carefully and found that several other systems of magic were included in the texts too. Overall, it was a hybrid, more advanced system of magic which included several types of magic from the human world to create something completely new… which could… actually be used in the outside world.
The implications of this… were frightening.
Just what in the world was the Game Master thinking?
Since this discovery, we had started to hoard every magic book we could find and make copies of them. We were even planning to explore as many magic classes as possible.
Our team became stronger with Shiroe becoming the next T5 in the town. The Sorcerer had slightly higher power than Mage but its real power lay in field control.
To put it simply, even when I knew I would win against Shiroe in a fight… I would never fight him… because I will be half dead from annoyance by the time I win.
Sorcerers are annoying… if they were fighting against you.
No.
That's not true.
Normal Sorcerers are fine. They can be killed easily.
Skilled Sorcerers are annoying.
Shiroe… he could be mind numbingly frustrating to fight.
That's why we were glad that he was on our side.
The quest to become a Sorcerer was hard too.
The magic theory exam was hard. Shiroe actually took classes from Elaine and Rose to pass the exam and even then there was a matter of luck involved.
According to him, there was a chance that if he took the exam again, he would definitely fail. The fighting was divided into two parts. The first part was not that hard… at least for him.
He had to defeat four T4 Mages alone.
Shiroe had far more skills than an average Mage due to our Sabaody Trip and enough potions to help.
The next part of the quest was to hunt down… the Rhino…
There was however a problem with it too. The maximum size of the party could only be five members and the team would be restricted to T4. My level was locked to T4 and I couldn't use the Man Slayer Class and its Skills during the fight.
That wasn't the only bad thing either.
We had thought that the hole we had our guild members dug while we were going to Sabaody would be enough to take the monster down but as my luck would have it, the hole disappeared as soon as the Quest started so we had to do it the old way.
Shiroe obviously was far more prepared for the monster this time.
I won't lie but it was the best performance from Shiroe I had seen so far.
The guy had the potential to be one of the best magicians in the real world, Veena's words, not mine.
The way he used the environment in the battle, with even the most basic spells to damage a foe which was more or less immune to magic or T4 Class… It was stunning to watch.
For example, there was a time when the monster was about to use an attack in which it raised both front legs and stomped into the ground, creating a shockwave which could throw the enemies around as well as cause temporary stunning effects.
Shiroe used the moment it was raising the front legs to create an earth wall right under the hind legs, making the monster lose balance and fall on its side. Once it fell, we started bombarding it with our best attacks, using poisons and status effects on it.
Shiroe guessed that this Advancement Quest was a test to see if the Mage was qualified to become a Sorcerer. Sorcerers were someone who were masters of field control and that was the only way a team like ours could defeat that Rhino.
Safe to say, I pity anyone who tries to go for the Sorcerer Class next.
Having a Sorcerer on a team was absolutely amazing though. They could make the fights extremely easy.
For example, they had a spell called Shallow Bog which decreased the speed on anyone caught in it.
It made the ground soft and the monsters could get stuck in it, reducing their speed by almost 75% while they were there.
This Spell worked very well with Poisons which Veena sometimes used during fights.
"And how long would that take?" Star asked, while checking for the loot.
"Around half a month. Veena would probably get it in a week at best. The only reason she is even delayed is because she needed to level up both the Mage Class from level 1 while I had a seventeen level lead."
She was also a Level 32 Pharmacist, something which she levelled up by making medicines alone.
The amount of experience we needed grew as we reached higher levels. With more members in the team, the amount of experience also became lower for each person. That said, the safety and speed of hunts increased.
Lives were the most important.
None of us wanted to lose ours because we were running ahead in a hurry.
I had however kept up my levelling speed despite being the highest level character here due to the experience bonuses.
"The next in line to get a T5 Class will be Star. Followed by Suikazura-san and Whistler. We can move to the next area then. By then things with the Guild will also be established."
Coming to the Guild.
Fairy Tail was doing more than just good.
The Guild Members had loved the Guild Dorms idea. In fact, just because of this there were several other people who had come and inquired about when the next Guild recruitments will be. Both of the Fairy Tail dorms have been renovated and the second dorm started operating just three days ago.
In fact, seeing the popularity of this system, we bought another rundown property and began the renovation to accommodate new members when the Guild levels up.
At the rate we were going, it would probably be in two more weeks at most.
Elaine, Bina and Rose were extremely good assistants while Veena was excellent in management. Under them, our guild was getting quests all around.
I on the other hand spent most of my time in levelling up my skills. Kenneth accompanied me whenever he could but apart from that I even fought the City Lord a few times.
Arnold Straight, the City Lord of Llyne, was a Level 50 Lord Knight.
I understood what Kenneth meant when he said that the guy was given the position of the City Lord because he was as strong as a T6.
That guy was a beast, a true monster in terms of fighting. He was well balanced in every aspect, whether it be offence or defence, strength or speed. His reflexes were lightning fast and instincts sharp enough to match mine with Observation Haki. It was as if there were no holes in his fighting style at all.
I was always getting beaten up by him but that also meant that my Skill level increased rapidly and I welcomed this.
Fighting him not only gave me Skill Levels but also experience.
For a game which was mostly about gaining Classes and Skills, it focused too much on learning the things rather than just using the menu to cast the skill. In fact, there was even a way to invoke skills by just using our power instead of using the menu and while it might be harder to do so… once practised, it was a lot faster.
The detailing given to the game was insane.
Due to these spars, I came to know more about Arnold. He was actually someone from a very humble background, the son of a woodcutter.
He was almost killed by a monster when he was a kid and he was saved by a kingdom knight.
That's when he decided to become a Knight himself… and what a Knight did he become. He performed exceptionally in a war and was offered the position of a City Lord. The Knight who saved his life was actually Richard's father and that's why he asked for Llyne as his territory when he was given an option. Too bad Richard's father passed away a few years later. He seemed like a nice man from Arnold's words.
As for Arnold, he was a very humble and down to earth man when he was not on duty. This made him quite famous with his Knights compared to some other stuck up nobles from the Kingdom.
He was the reason the Knights of Llyne were so cohesive.
x_
My sword clashed with Arnold's once more as I was pushed back slightly. Getting my footing, I kicked him but he twisted his wrist and let my sword slide to the side and turned aside, dodging the kick.
Our shoulders pushed against each other while we tried to gain an upper hand in the match of strength. While I might be at a lower level than him, I had plenty of passives to put me on his level… well almost there.
I suddenly sensed the movement of his mana and he made some distance between our shoulders and I understood what he was doing and responded in kind.
A sound of crashing sounded in the battlefield as our shoulders clashed.
This guy… he was using Knight's Charge, basically a charging attack at such close range to throw me and make me lose my balance.
Thankfully, I had similar skills… I responded with the same skill and matched him. We both were pushed back several steps due to the recoil from the impact.
"Much better. Then… shall we start getting a bit more serious?" He said as he held his sword straight and took his stance. "This is a skill which makes Lord Knights and Grand Knights so powerful. Go all out or you will lose." He warned as his sword took on a slight glow.
I didn't hold back either and directly used Armament Haki to reinforce my sword and got ready to face him directly.
What I wasn't expecting was his speed…
Thankfully, both my Observation Haki and Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū were both things designed to assist me in high speed combat.
I clashed with him but this time, I was sent skidding several steps back from the clash.
Damn that was a heavy strike.
He didn't hold back and we began clashing. I was pretty sure if I didn't have Armament Haki, my sword would have been flung away by his attacks.
Still, there was only so much I could do.
Over time I was overwhelmed and lost the grip on my sword but the fight… It was definitely the best one yet.
My Armament Haki rose by one level in that fight alone.
I sat down on the ground, heaving for breath. "That… was something else. I still have a lot to catch up to."
He took a seat in front of me. "Eh, I wouldn't say that. You are doing far better than I had expected. In fact, no other Knight in Llyne could have done what you just did… well obviously other than me…" He laughed.
"What is that Skill?" I asked.
"It's called Battle Aura. More than a Skill, it's a special way in which we use our Magic."
"Magic? But I thought Lord Knights didn't use magic. That was only for Magic Knights and Holy Knights."
"Hah? Who told you that? We all use magic. It's such a powerful thing. Why should we ignore it? What we don't use is Spells like Magic Knights and Holy Knights."
"Eh?"
"Confused right? Well let me explain in detail. Holy Knights use Holy Magic to cast Holy Spells. Your Holy Blade is an example of that."
I nodded.
"Magic Knights use their magic to cast spells like enchanting their blades with magic or throwing fireballs with the swing of their swords."
That's at least what I had heard.
"What we Lord Knights do is use our Magic to enhance our bodies and swords' power. This allows us to achieve strengths, speeds and defences far beyond any of the other two Knights. In fact, one of the requirements for a Lord Knight to advance to a Grand Knight is learning and completely mastering Beginner level Battle Aura."
"Is it a Class Skill?" I asked.
"Yes but it's a tricky one." He smiled.
"What trick?"
"Oh, want to become a Lord Knight?"
"I like to keep some options open for myself."
"Hahahaha you cheeky brat. Well, this is something you will have to find yourself. I have already told you more than I should have. To be honest, discovering the way to unlock Battle Aura is a test in itself and it would be cheating if I told you."
"Well… fair, I guess."
"By the way, what was that Skill you used to match my Battle Aura? I don't think I have ever seen that Skill here."
"It's called Armament Haki."
"Ah… the one used by the people from the other side of the Reverse Mountain. Yes, I have heard of it. I have heard that they have a very similar style of fighting to Grand Knights although I haven't had the opportunity to fight one myself. It's a good skill, quite similar to the Battle Aura. You should master it. In fact, let's polish it in our fights. I need to get my Battle Aura to the maximum level before I can apply for the Grand Knight Assessment too. Don't let me down, my friend."
"Sure." I nodded. I mean, isn't this exactly what I wanted? And now he has come out and said it himself.
No reason to look the gift horse in the mouth.
"By the way, do you have any advice for me? Which skills should I learn? Which skills should I concentrate on more?" I asked. The guy had been a Lord Knight and a City Lord for a couple of years. He would know things which others wouldn't.
"Hmm… rather than concentrating on individual skills, I would advise you to concentrate more on fighting style, like that Swordsmanship Style of yours. Obviously, if you want to learn Skills, try to go for those which enhance your abilities instead of one hit damage skills like Armament Haki, Battle Aura and other such skills. They obviously give lower returns at the start when compared to other skills but when trained to the peak… all your normal attacks hit like Skills. Your body's defence and speed increases as if you are always using some Skill. As for Skills, getting something to deal with your weaknesses should be enough."
"My weaknesses?"
"Yes. For example, Lord Knights are not good against spirit, long ranged or flying type enemies. You can learn attacks which can harm them or something which can attack from a distance to make up for those. Oh and something to heal yourself if you can. Those are incredibly rare though. Learning a hundred Skills is not the way to get stronger. What you should instead focus on is to master the ones you already have. Don't be a Jack of All Trades but master of none."
I nodded.
"Also, the Skills almost always have an extra bonus when they are fully levelled up. Some of those bonuses can completely change the Skill. It's incredible. There is also a very less known fact that completely learning and mastering some skills could even unlock new classes."
"Wait, really?"
"Yes. Didn't I just tell you that one of the requirements for a Lord Knight to become a Grand Knight was to master Beginner Battle Aura?"
"I… yes." That's something I didn't even think of before.
"People often ignore these classes because mastering a Skill takes a lot of time. I have been stuck at the peak of Lord Knight for the last three years doing the same. You need patience and will power to stick to this because there are some classes which become unavailable to those who choose other options like Shield and Sword Knight cannot become Lord Knights. Not everyone has the willpower to do this when there are other, easier means to grow stronger in front of them."
We talked for a while after which Rose returned from her own training with the Knights.
Normally outsiders weren't allowed inside the Knight Academy but she was allowed because she was with me.
"Finished your spar?" I asked as she approached us.
"Yes." She nodded after bowing to Arnold.
"Alright. I was done for the day too. Thank you for the spar, Arnold." I said as I got up.
"Anytime my friend." He replied as he stood up and dusted his clothes. "Oh by the way, Arthas. Before I forget it, you should go to Greenfrost with me next month. There is a gathering of the nobles under the Marquis of Greenfrost. You are a baron now and I have the same rank. It would be good for you to join us and at least show your face."
"A gathering?"
"Yes. It's an annual thing. Nobles under the Marquis of Greenfrost gather together on his birthday, get to know each other and discuss the political situation of the empire and business. You have acquired a territory, haven't you?"
I nodded.
"And you have a guild too. You can make some good contracts and get jobs for your Guild if you go there. Not to mention, not going could be considered a slight to the Marquis so be ready."
"I…"
"Yes?"
"I don't have any invites." I asked, hesitantly.
"Oh you will get one in a few days, don't worry." He patted my shoulder, laughing.
"Alright then. I will be there. I haven't even seen my territory yet. I don't know where or what kind of place that is." Veena had asked me to check that place either way.
"Good."
We talked for a bit more and I asked him about a few more details after which I left for our home.
Veena had reached level 40 and was out to get information about her Class Change Quest and Bina was in the Guild so it was only Rose and me at home.
"I am going to take a bath or would you like to go first?" I asked.
"I need to go to the Guild for a while so you can be first. Bina needs one of the files at home."
"Oh, alright." I nodded and she left with the file.
I too went on to take a bath.
It was the peak of summer and enjoying a cold bath was always a pleasure.
Since no one was at home, I left the bath, humming a song while drying my hair with another towel.
It's when I left the room and got to the living room that something unexpected happened.
The door opened and in came Bina and Rose.
Both of them froze at the sight of me and I paused.
The ice was broken when Veena came in from behind. "Oh, you have taken a bath already? Good. I can't wait to take one myself. It was tiring."
She continued speaking as she walked past the two girls as if there was nothing wrong with the scene. But then again, knowing how she was, it probably wasn't anything special for her.
Her words broke the tense atmosphere and I quickly wrapped the towel around my waist and excused myself and quickly went to my room.
This was something which couldn't be avoided with the small house.
It wasn't the only awkward thing either.
The house was small with only two rooms which shared a wall… and no soundproofing. This meant the ones living in the other room could… hear us when Veena was loud… and she could be loud sometimes. What it results in is me getting embarrassed looks from Rose and a more stoic Bina the next day.
Veena was however not bothered by these things. It was just another day for her.
I did want to get a bigger home but Veena rejected saying that we were probably going to shift in a month or two and it would be a waste to buy the house.
Bina agreed with it too.
Rose, that girl was too polite to impose… also, she was the kind who would never spend a single penny more than necessary so she was also against the whole plan.
That's why we are stuck in this situation now.
In fact, this was not the first time something like this has happened.
Twice before when they were new and I still wasn't used to them living here, I had awakened late at night to drink water or just go to the toilet and encountered Rose or Bina.
I wasn't used to wearing clothes when sleeping, partly due to the heat and partly due to Veena's influence… and that's how I encountered them.
Safe to say, the sight drove away all sleep from our eyes.
It didn't help that both Bina and Rose were gorgeous and they dressed lightly due to the heat too, the thin white dress sticking to their bodies due to the sweat revealed their figures clearly.
The sight… was quite stimulating. Unfortunately without any clothes, my stimulation was clear for them to see.
I felt too awkward the whole day to even look them in the eye.
As for Veena, she had just laughed loudly when she had heard of the incident.
I got dressed and came out of the room.
The atmosphere was slightly awkward but thankfully all of us ignored it.
"How was your quest?" I asked as I opened a book in front of me. It was a book on magic, something which Bina and Rose have been teaching me.
I had time and I was interested so the two taught me magic. It could be helpful in the future maybe. I did have the Mage Class and most of all… I am the Guild Master of freaking Fairy Tail. It would be odd if I didn't learn magic.
"I passed the theory exams. Next part is killing a T5 Monster using poisons and magic only. We cannot physically attack it or the quest fails. Same five member teams and T4 restrictions as before."
"...that's…"
"Yes. This means Shiroe's guess was on point. Each Class Advancement Quest is actually aimed to check if the individual indeed has the talent for that Class. Such a feat should be easy for a Witch who mainly fights indirectly through poisons and magic."
"Don't tell me it's the Rhino again."
"No, thankfully it's not the Rhino. We can kill any of the eight bosses around Llyne."
"I don't understand it." Rose questioned, making all of us look at her.
"What?"
"I don't understand why the Game Master is doing such a thing? What's the point of all this? If he wants us to play games then why add real magic in the game, why do all Class Advancement Quests have to be so… realistic?"
…
I had thought of this too. In fact, I had thought about this more than once.
Several ideas had come to mind, both good and bad.
I mean the guy was just doing what he wanted. Playing God.
A typical reincarnator who reached that level of power where he could fight the whole world by himself and is now causing trouble… but I shook this thought off. While it was very probable, I just couldn't believe that he would go through so much effort to create a game, a game which was no less than a real world… all for the sake of fucking around.
I had other guesses but those required more proof for me to verify.
"It could be role play. You truly underestimate how far ardent role players can go." I shrugged. It was one of the ideas too.
"Role Play?"
"Oh yes. Haven't you heard of it? Pretending to be someone you aren't for the sake of fun." I asked.
"I think I have heard of it from Zeo. One of his new harem members was into something like that. She pretended to be a captured nun asking him to play the big bad devil. I thought it was quite amusing." Veena laughed.
….
Rose turned full red and I was pretty sure I saw a twitch at the corner of Bina's eyes too.
"Well… that's one way to do role play. But sometimes players decide to act like the characters they play, speak in the manner their game character speaks for a more… authentic experience."
"Either way, it means that if the game were to end someday… we would have thousands of trained and yet unaffiliated magicians on our hands. Safe to say that the Supernatural World's exposure would be imminent unless all Pantheons take action together." Bina said, making the whole atmosphere tense again.
"That will happen when it happens. No reason to worry about it now. Not to mention that there would be nothing we can do either so why worry? All we need to concentrate on now should be how to complete the game. Only after that would anything else matter." Veena said, calming things down.
Yes.
What we needed to concentrate on now was how to win this game.
"If that's the case then we can try hunting the bear. It was the easiest one of them all."
"Hmm, I was thinking of that too." She nodded. "Anyways, we can plan for that tomorrow. How were things on your end?"
"Oh, quite fruitful actually. I found some more information from Arnold." I told her all I had learned about the Skills and Classes Arnold had told me. Then came the topic of the nobles gathering.
"Arnold wasn't wrong. Such gatherings are very good places to establish contacts, especially for one such as us. Just a couple of contacts can help us level our guild at a much rapid pace. You should definitely go there. In fact, we can go there in advance and check your territory and even start work there. We were planning on going there either way."
"Then let's go there after you complete your Class change quest."
"Hmm."
We worked on our own things and had dinner before we retired for the night.
It was hot so Veena went on to take a bath before bed while I undressed and she entered the room after a while, wrapped in a towel.
"Mmh, what should I wear today?" She asked while looking through the wardrobe. "Oh! Should we try that roleplay thing too?" She asked, her face lighting up at the idea.
Now… I am not exactly into roleplay but… I would be lying out of my teeth if I said that I wasn't curious too.
"Oh and what role do you want to play?" I asked.
"Hmm, actually, how about a Knight rescuing a maiden and then getting rewarded?" She smiled. "Or we can try something like a maid servicing her Lord and Master. I even have the dress for that" She smirked.
Although inadvertently a face appeared in my thoughts and my dick twitched.
"Oh, you like that idea. Then let's do that… Master~"
Hiding my embarrassment, I changed the subject. "Where did you get a maid uniform?" I asked.
"I got some for the girls who work at the Guild because I thought they looked nice. I have some leftovers." She directly switched her clothes using the Game Menu instead of wearing them normally. "How do I look?"
"Wonderful." I praised, not lying one bit.
"So… what may I do for you today, Master?" She asked, suddenly in a more serious tone reminding me of another person… sleeping next door.
Well, since she was so excited about the role play thing, let's do it properly.
"I am stressed from work today. Help me relax." I replied as I got up and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"As you command, Master." She replied, still in the same professional tone as she kneeled down between my legs, and grasping my length.
I got more comfortable as she jerked me slowly, keeping that professional look on her face. It was a surprisingly great turn on.
"You will have to do better. I want to be relieved today, not in a week." I spoke in a bored and imperious tone, keeping to the noble persona.
"My apologies, Master." She bowed slightly before leaning forward and kissing the tip and then licking it.
"That's it." I encouraged her.
She took her time, licking my length all over, running her tongue from the base of the balls to the tip before taking the tip in her mouth and began sucking on it.
I suddenly thought of something and held her hair, making her stop. She looked at me confused so I told her to wait for a moment and dragged the table in front of the bed and then made her get under it.
She raised an eyebrow at my action but then understood what I was trying to do and a smile came on her lips.
I summoned a book and placed it on the table before looking down. "Get to work."
"Yes Master~"
And boy did she get to work.
The book stayed untouched on the table as I could only hold the edge of the table to control the pleasure.
I didn't stay passive either and used my toes to caress her panty clad clit.
She increased her efforts too, taking me deep in her throat, her drool trailing down my thighs and balls.
I couldn't hold on much longer and held her hair and pushed her into my crotch, her face pressing against my crotch as I shot ropes of cum into her throat.
I pulled back after several seconds and looked at her.
The look on her face made me hard instantly.
Hair dishevelled, drool and cum running down the corner of her lips and there were some tears in her eyes.
I pushed the table back and ordered. "Get up."
She followed the order quickly getting up.
I pushed her on the table, making her sit on it and spread her legs before raising her skirt, revealing her leggings clad thighs.
My cock twitched once more at the sight in front of me. I noticed however a patch of wetness on her panties and touched it.
"Mmhhh." A soft moan escaped her lips.
"Were you enjoying yourself, Maid? Did sucking my dick make you wet?"
"Y-y-yes Master." She replied, pretending to be shy.
"Go on, you did a good job. I wish to grant you a reward. What reward do you want?"
"I…"
"Hurry up, I don't have all day."
"I want your dick in me, Master."
"And where do you want me?"
"In… in my pussy."
"Good girl. But I have a condition. I want you to tell me everything you feel."
"Yes Master."
I lined myself to her sodden core and looked into her eyes.
"Are you ready, Maid?"
"Yes."
"Then say the magic word."
"P-p-please…"
With that I pushed in and a loud moan erupted from her mouth.
- Rose -
She blushed deeply at the sounds coming from the other room.
It wasn't something new. She still remembered the first time she had heard it was during the trip back from Sabaody.
And it had become a daily thing since they started staying here. But even now, the sound made her turn red from embarrassment.
It was kind of unbelievable that those sounds were made by Venelana Gremory… that calm and composed woman who always had such a motherly smile on her face.
Veena was very open about her sex life with Arthas and while no one outside the residents of the house and Elaine knew about this relationship for sure, everyone had their doubts with the way they behaved outside.
These sounds always brought raunchy thoughts in her mind. After all, it was easy to let the mind wander after hearing the moans.
Veena was a gorgeous woman and Arthas… he was very handsome too.
The scene from the morning flashed in her mind and she became red again.
His muscles looked as if chiselled from stone and yet his body was slender, not very bulky like most of the warriors from Asgard and then there was that part… down there.
Were all men supposed to be like that? So… big.
How could such a thing even go inside her…?
"Yes yes yes, right there. Ram it in, Master." Veena's pleasure filled voice broke her thoughts and she became redder when she realised what she was thinking.
Master?
Were they… roleplaying as Arthas had said earlier?
A Master Servant role play?
The sounds of flesh slapping against each other got louder and so did Veena's moans, begging Arthas to go rougher.
The scene of Arthas' body from earlier flashed into her mind once more.
She had been in close contact with him several times, when teaching him or when training with him.
While thinking of this, her hands slowly crept between her thighs and touched her core and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her.
Rose hadn't done this before, always concentrating on work and her studies. That had obviously landed her the job as Odin's bodyguard but at the same time prevented her from getting any friends or… boyfriends, earning her the title of the Virgin Valkyrie.
She had always ignored them but now… now she had neither a job nor a boyfriend.
The thoughts angered her. Did she really waste her time? Now she didn't even know if she would be able to leave this place out alive?
Would someone even worry about her?
Granny would… but other than that she couldn't think of anyone else…
Sigh… just what had she done all these years?
The moans broke her thoughts again and she looked at the wall connecting the two rooms. Well, at least someone was enjoying themselves.
Veena and Arthas also knew the situation and yet they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
She had asked Arthas if he wasn't afraid of what would happen when the game ended and Sirzechs Lucifer confronted him.
"I don't even know if I can get out of this game alive. If I am going to die then I'd rather enjoy whatever time I have to the fullest so that I have no regrets later on. What comes later will be taken care of later on."
Yes.
There was a high chance she could die… or worse, end up in a situation like before.
If that were to happen, wouldn't she have lived her life in vain? Always working and never getting any chance to enjoy her life.
What was the use of such a life?
The more she thought, the faster her fingers moved until she reached her peak and the world around her turned white.
Rose experienced her first climax that night.
- Kuroka -
"Nyahahahaha one more drink." She laughed as he downed another cup of beer.
"You are drinking too much, Kuroka-san!" Gaspy shouted on her side.
"But you just became a Blacksmith today, Gaspy. We have to party."
It surprised her a lot and would probably surprise anyone else in the Game too.
After all, Gaspy hadn't killed a single monster and yet, he had become a Blacksmith, a T4 Class through crafting alone.
All his Skill Levels from Apprentice Blacksmith were maxed out.
Sure he wasn't the first player to get the Blacksmith but she could bet one of her tails that he was definitely the one with the best skill in the game.
Kuroka herself hadn't been slacking off either. She hunted day and night, getting any quests she could do and it had shown its result.
She had reached Level 28 T3 Thief and would soon be getting a T4 Class soon too. After the last debacle and close shave with death, she had started working far more cautiously. She often changed parties, not staying in any party for more than a few days to not let anyone know of her address.
This allowed her to form contacts with many players in the town. Then she used her contacts to bring customers to Gaspy, helping him earn both money and experience from crafting.
At this point, she was just waiting to get a T4 Class and they can then move on to Greenfrost. Gaspy's experience gains were slowing down the more he levelled up.
Greenfrost was a bigger town and there they could easily get better commissions for Gaspy and would help him level up faster.
At the rate she was going, it should probably take another week at best to be ready to move. She had already started preparing for the move.
"By the way, do you know which Class you are going to get after Blacksmith?" She asked.
"I… no. I don't know about any Classes." He answered nervously.
"No matter. We can always find what you will need. In fact, I will go and find more information tomorrow. I need to find options for my T4 Class too."
"O-okay."
"But today… today we party!" She hugged him to her side and cheered.
x_
She checked around and found the road clear and quickly snuck into the Black Market entrance building.
Treading the paths she had become quite familiar with, she reached the place which sold information.
A shady looking man sat there. He looked up at her and his eyes widened in realisation. "Cat… has been a while since I have seen you here. I personally thought you kicked the bucket after that last hunt." He spoke with a creepy smile on his face.
"A Cat has nine lives, Keith. I am not that easy to kill."
"Oh good good. After all, you were becoming one of my favourite customers. I was so sad when I thought you died."
She rolled her eyes. "You are the kind of man who would sell your own mother for money. You, being sad about my death? Don't joke."
"Well, that's not wrong exactly but that's also why I was sad. You bought information on so many people these past months. I was missing the flow of money."
Yeah, she had thought as much. In fact, she had a large doubt that this guy was the one who had sold her whereabouts to those people too. But right now she needs him. As much of a scumbag as he might be, he was also the best information merchant in this town. If she wanted information about potential Classes for Gaspy and herself, he was the best option."
"So, whose information do you want today? Another adventurer or is it a merchant or craftsman this time?"
"I don't want any of that today. What I want to know is the information about the Advanced Classes of Thief and Blacksmith Classes."
"Oh, Class Advancement. Sure sure." He presented her with the rates and her eyes twitched at the price but she had money. She had more than enough money after that bastard Herbalist had returned Gaspy's money and some extra.
Twenty Thousand for a T4 Class Tree and two hundred thousand for a T5.
Fortunately, they had the money.
She checked the Class Advancements available for her.
Assassin and Rogue.
An Assassin focused on hunting people while a Rogue was better at hunting monsters.
When she had received the Thief Class, she had accepted it as it gave her a quick path to power. But the last few months had given her time to think.
Maybe she was mellowing out due to Gaspy's presence.
Sigh…
At this point, she was basically given a choice.
What did she want to do going forward?
Did she want to continue on the path of killing people or did she want to change…
She paused as several thoughts went through her head.
The reason she had become a criminal in the real world was because she was forced to by the circumstances.
Did she want to continue that life…
Even in this game? A place where she could do what she wanted?
That life had separated her from her sister and from what she had found out from Gaspy, Shirone was afraid of that Kuroka… did she want to meet her sister as an Assassin or did she want to choose the path of a Rogue?…
Closing her eyes, Kuroka took a deep breath and made her choice.
Next came Gaspy's Classes.
A Blacksmith had two options.
Master Blacksmith or a Magic Blacksmith.
A Master Blacksmith needed a Blacksmith to get all their Skills to Max. Level while a Magic Blacksmith needed a Blacksmith to get the Mage Class.
Kuroka knew how to get that one but she doubted Gaspy would agree to leave home and hunt monsters to level up the Scholar Class for thirty levels.
That only left Master Blacksmith… which he would have gotten if he continued working either way.
…did she waste two hundred thousand gold coins… for this?
Sigh…
"Did you get what you wanted?" The man asked.
"Yes. That will be all." She paid the money for the transaction and left the Black Market directly. The longer she stayed there the more danger she was in.
Getting out, she changed her clothes and slipped through the alleys back to their home.
There was a lot of work to be done.
- Akeno -
"That was amazing, Arthur. You are doing very we just need to complete your Quest and you can become a Knight." Marielle praised.
Well, obviously he was amazing.
He was the descendant of Arthur Pendragon. It would be surprising if he wasn't good. Still, a month to go from level 5 Squire to Level 30 was quite a feat. Although, he did have the advantage of having high levelled party members which they didn't have so it was still understandable.
In fact, Akeno noticed that Arthur was far more skilled than even Yuuto with a sword. He could take down a monster at the same level as him by his swordsmanship alone, even without using any extra skills.
"Thank you, Marielle-san." He bowed politely.
"Mou… just call me Mari or Mari-nee like everyone else. You're too stiff. Look at Nao-kun here. He always has so much fun."
"Yes yes, Arthur. Chill out a bit. Actually, let's go out and… ouch. What did you hit me for, Akatsuki-chan?" Nao-kun rubbed his head, looking aggrieved.
"You were probably going to say something stupid."
"Hah! How do you know that? I was obviously going to just… ouch. Hey now!"
"Don't say it."
"Now now, Akatsuki-chan. Violence is not good." Mari chided and Akatsuki-chan looked away from Naotsugu with a huff. "What were you saying, Nao-kun?"
"Ah yes. We could totally go and check out some chicks in the entertainment district."
"See… I told you he was going to say something stupid."
"Ara ara, is Nao-kun interested in girls now? If that's so, Mari-nee can help him out." Mari held his armoured arm and pushed it between his breasts with a smile, making Nao-kun nervous.
Akeno chuckled at his reaction.
She wondered when the fool would realise that Mari was actually interested in him. Looking at her usual flirty behaviour, no one would realise how shy Mari actually was.
"Eh… I…" Nao-kun looked troubled when Arthur came to his rescue.
"I will pass. I still have to train my skills today." He apologised.
Nao-kun obviously caught the chance and changed the topic.
As they were walking, Akeno noticed something but didn't halt her steps. She threw a look towards Arthur who nodded almost imperceptibly at her.
"Mari-san, I need to go to the market for something so I will separate here."
"Oh, I also want to go that way." Arthur spoke up.
"Alright, join me."
"Take care, you two. Be back before dinner." Mari waved at her as they left towards the orphanage on the other side of the town.
Both Arthur and her looked at each other and walked to the other side and got into the alleys, and hid behind some barrels.
Sure enough, some people stopped at that place and looked around.
"Did you see where those two went?" One of them, a taller and lankier man asked his partner.
"No. You go and check that alley and I will check the next one. Dammit, why do we have to follow them around like this. Why can't we just ambush them in the forest like others?"
"Well, the boss likes the two girls. Especially the black haired one with huge breasts. He has heard that a noble, a Viscount, in the nearby city likes girls like that and he plans to capture them and offer them to the noble to get his support. With that, not even the City Lord of this small town will be able to do anything to us and we can do as we want in the town. Knights will not interfere if we can have the Viscount's support. And with their team out, our Dark Fiends group could easily take over the town. They are the only players who could challenge our group in this town."
"Oh and their potions business is great. Do you know how much money those brats make without even having to go out and risk their lives? It's not fair, you know. We slave around and can only earn a handful of coins and they laze around all day and earn more than us."
"Yeah… so go and check on them. We will launch an attack in a week when we know their hunting route."
"Alright. Meet me here in five minutes then."
"Kay."
The two dispersed and she got out.
Arthur looked at her and she saw anger in his eyes too.
"When are you doing it?" He asked.
"No time like today." She replied and he nodded in agreement and left the place together.
Five minutes later, they walked by the same place where those two goons had gathered and caught their attention.
As expected the scumbags followed them towards the forest.
Both Arthur and her hid behind the trees and waited for them to come to the place.
When they did, she directly used the Spell Heavy Spark.
Heavy Spark had a 20% chance to paralyse a target for 5 seconds. Luckily for her and and unluckily for them, both of them were paralysed from the spell and froze.
Arthur used this chance to use Paralysis Powder on them. When it looked like the other person was going to break from the paralyse, he used his Heavy Blow Skill.
Heavy Blow could stun the target for 4 seconds. Akeno used this chance to use even more Paralysis Powder and stun both of them completely…
With the two enemies being unable to move, she brought out a rope and tied them up.
And then began the questioning…
x_x_
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Author's Note:
I am back with another chapter of 'Soul Art Online'.
So, several things happened in this chapter.
Arthas is learning.
Shiroe got even stronger than before.
Veena is going to be a T5 soon.
Rose made some resolutions.
Kuroka made a life changing decision.
Akeno and Arthur… well, they are facing their own share of troubles.
We will see what happens in the next chapter.
Good Day, Peace Out.