I wasn't a trailblazer in system mechanics. Nor did I have the psychology background to scientifically test my change in instincts from skills and parameters. It took Fister's meddling to realize the danger of skills.
We are so quick to put our fellow men into categories based on their professions that the man behind the job is rarely seen. I sold insurance, but I had a thing for games, books, and history. When I say I had a thing for history, I watched Youtube videos about historical wars. That's to say, I wasn't a lunatic that enjoyed burning fields and people.
But when I lit that town on fire, I enjoyed it like opening up a new fleshlight after a two-month wait. I didn't feel a drop of remorse, and to this day, I haven't. Parameters are only half of the equation.
It's difficult to put myself in the mind of my former self. Skills change our very instincts, and the higher we level our skills, the stronger those instincts become. After leveling Root Of Black Dragons, my first idea to deal with King was to burn down Flank Town. Once I joined the event to stop a world of zombies from gaining spaceflight, I burned their resources without a second thought. The fact that those resources were a living sapient species was only incidental. Burning them had felt soothing to my soul, and even pained by my collar's deadly electrical shock, I enjoyed the experience.
Watching the fires burn reminded me of my childhood spent with my grandfather. It reminded me of grabbing a smoking stick when my grandfather told me not to and my quiet retreat afterward. Back then, I refused to show him it hurt me even though he watched me slink back inside afterward. Fire reminded me of time spent with family, the pain of disobeying my elders, and something magical.
Root Of Black Dragons took that feeling and magnified it tenfold. The higher the rank of our skill, the more pronounced the effect. Clashing skills can destroy a system user's mind and make them do terrible things. I wouldn't make this connection for some time. But, like many, I was a leaf thrown into a hurricane.
…
Silent's breathing acted as a lighthouse in a storm. I narrowed down my senses until the world returned to normal. Pain from dozens of muscle cramps was only a nuisance to me now. While my vision tinted red, it wasn't enough to bother me. As I adjusted, I could feel the changes. While the sensation from the air itself fed new information to me in ways I didn't expect, it didn't leave me frozen like a deer staring down a pickup.
I held up my hand and inspected it with my enhanced vision. My skin didn't look different, and the tattoos covering me remained untouched. However, as my vision focused, I began to see a blue glow emanating from my skin. This was Force Aura, the ability that protected me from bullets. Without it, even with my Constitution at its current number, bullets would have been a problem.
My nose tingled at a delightful smell, and suddenly my thoughts of introspection went blank. I turned to Silent, who managed to kick her covered off in her sleep. Before I could stop myself, I was already at her side. This woman had teased me viciously throughout our date. It was about time I did some teasing too.
Her admittedly cute pink striped, black clit laid halfway off the bed, still a little slick from our earlier lovemaking. I licked my lips at the drooping organ. Something so odd-looking had given me pleasure, unlike anything I'd ever felt. Yet, something was forbidden about its shape, the way it dangled off the bed and the small clear drop forming at its end.
I moved like a striking cobra and caught the drop on my tongue. That's where the sweet smell originated. It tasted of Silent's desire to learn magic and grow closer to become a magical girl. An image of her dressed in a pink frilly dress waving around a wand with a heart-shaped end sporting an erection came to mind. For some reason, the pink striped monster seemed to fit right at home in a pink frilly dress in my head.
Taking hold of her still slick 13in cunny still violated my psyche. No matter how I looked at it or smelled the sweet honey dripping from its lipped opening, it looked phallic.
"This isn't gay," I whispered the words in my mind three times like a mantra.
Ding!
New Skill
Mantra lvl1
Type: QI
Rank: F
Description – Prayers to yourself or real individuals to empower a goal or belief. Some say this is the cornerstone of a god's power. However, they are missing a few steps.
ATL – Whisper prayers of deep belief to empower your resolve. Items that reflect your resolve can enhance your prayers.
Abilities
1. Immature Will – +10% chance to fulfill a task without wavering in resolve.
Yes, the game was fucking with me again. I could stop this at any time I wanted. My tongue lapped at Silent's slit. I began making out with Silent's organ and licking her entrance just to taste her. This wasn't a sex thing, despite how it must look.
Ding!
Mantra lvl5
I ignored the message as the taste began to really leak out. There was something there that I just couldn't place a flavor that made me want more. No, I wasn't addicted, and this still wasn't a sex thing; I wanted more, and just licking wasn't enough. So obviously, my only course of action was to get the engine running.
Like in every hentai or porno I've ever seen, I bobbed my head. That did it. I felt her begin to leak her sweet tasting honey gush in my mouth and drip down my throat. Her musky, sweet honey was filled with something I couldn't place, it tasted sweet like honey, but it wasn't overpowering. I shoved my tongue into her opening and felt her walls grind against my sensitive tongue. Every ridge, bump, and tender ripple dripped with her unique flavor driving my tongue into barrel rolls.
"Fine, I'm up. But, damn it, Red, I guess you're the reason my dreams about magical girls turned hot." Silent yelled.
Before we could go any further, there was a knock at the door. Silent wrestled her clit out of my mouth with an embarrassing pop. I stared at her, twitching, dripping, opening with the eyes of a man starved. Her scent, flavor, and even the sounds of Silent's squelching pussy had driven me to suck her slit like a waitress on a date with an NBA star.
This position didn't feel right.
She grabbed a pillow to cover her member and hustled to the door. Upon opening it, an unfamiliar hyenoid poked her head through the door.
"Oh, big sis, you look radiant this morning; how was that slave's throat? I heard human males are a little squeamish around a hyenoid pussy." She cupped her mouth. "But when broken in, they give the best blowjobs. Was it as mind-blowing as mother said?" Silent's sister asked.
"Why are you here, Mischief?" Silent asked.
The excited hyenoid's ears drooped. "There is talk of disappearances, Blue Blood clansmen who look the other way, and a purge of foreign vampires. Even we are no longer safe at night, Mother is worried, and you're the captain of the scouts. Silent of the Spotted Pack mother commands your presence to report to her what you know of the situation." Mischief said.
Silent yawned and turned around. Her erection was nearly large enough to swallow a horse's dong. Her shoulders seemed to sag in defeat.
"Tell mother I'll report to her presently with an eye witness to back up my statement. I will give her the truth as I have perceived it and leave the rest for her to judge as a good daughter should." Silent said.
"You have an hour to make yourself presentable. If you are crazy enough to portray the words of your slave as credible." Mischief giggled in a way that released her nerves. "Just make sure he knows how to show respect. Human males can be willful, as I'm sure you know." Mischief said.
She shut the door leaving them in silence. "I like her. At face value, you have an adorable, caring sister." I said.
"At face value, your right. Mischief does appear to care about me deeply and worry about how I appear to our mother." Silent said.
I nodded before shoving my dick into her opening. Watching her pink stripe stretch as I entered her was positively erotic. If I wasn't positive this city was boned, I'd try to have sex with Silent all day. But, instead, she relaxed to accommodate the hilt before her powerful clenches rocked my world. And I spent a quarter of our hour filling her pussy.
Ding!
New Skill
Docking lvl1
Rank D
Type: DEX
Description – The aligning and linking of two objects for an exchange, whether vehicles, machines, or the user's penis with an alien's vagina.
ATL – Aligning and linking with another object. The more difficult the link, the more experience gained.
Abilities
1. Repetition – Every successful Docking increases the likelihood of a new success.
My mind had finally begun to clear up after my exchange with Silent. Post nut clarity had hit me hard, and I couldn't figure out why I did the things I did. Even as we walked down a hallway on expensive Persian rugs that probably had another name. I couldn't get over the why.
Hyenoid soldiers stood on edge, spears in hand.
That was another thing that I didn't understand. If this place had the technology to pull the moisture from the air, why couldn't they develop propellant weapons? Though I suspected they'd need something with a lot more kick than my AR15. To take one of King's clones down, they'd need a railgun. Though with magic, that might be possible.
I really should check the shop for one. That kind of weapon would make King's flesh displacement useless. No, I didn't know the skills name; it might be using something like flesh craft or an ability of that skill. Neither my bullets nor my fists did enough damage to matter. When that minotaur jumped in, I felt relieved that someone else took over. I had cast of my responsibility when I thought someone could do better.
Silent's hand squeezed my hand, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes moved toward her black dress and what lay beneath. I felt my body shudder at the memory of what I'd done. Not only did I suck her off, but I enjoyed it.
Yes, she's all female, but the look of it. The long black flesh, pink stripe, and gentle opening at the end had driven me crazy. Not to mention the smell; it had nearly wrecked me. I couldn't let anyone know about this. If my brother found out, my life would be over. The worst part was, it wasn't gay, but it looked gay.
Was I like the gay dude who said no homo before he fucked another man's ass, or was I like the guy who's only gay in prison? Neither seemed good, in my opinion.
Her hand squeezed harder, and I looked up. We were standing at the end of the long hallway before a set of sandstone double doors. Hieroglyphs covered the door depicting hyenoids in a strange pseudo-Egyptian society.
"My mother doesn't think much of males of any species. She is one of the high alphas of our pack and expects her daughters to reflect her perspective. So if she asks you to do anything no matter what it is, obey her, please." Silent said.
I felt my face twitch between a smile and a frown. Would the milf even see King as a threat? On the other hand, if she thought so little of males, especially those of other species, then she might do nothing. Either way, I was just Silent's witness here.
The sandstone doors opened, revealing a well-lit room and five thrones.
Silent's mother had gray fur with patches of blond with black spots. The woman's breasts were large but still firm, and her muscular body looked aged, giving the hyenoid a matronly appearance. Nevertheless, she bore herself naked with her large, scarred member hanging between her legs.
To this milf's right were two hyenoids decked out with five rings on each hand, three necklaces, an open cut robe with a layer of chainmail beneath, and over their laps were wands with flat-topped heads. At the top of their wands in clear view was an etching reminiscent of the opening of a hyenoid vagina.
To her left were two bulky humanoids covered in the metal plate under thick robes of their own. At their sides were a hammer and ax, respectively. Finally, standing midway between the entrance and the thrones was a slave man whose chain connected with the throne.
"Indeed, males should only speak in my presence when spoken to." She stared at me with the contempt she might give a flea. "I can smell my daughter all over you. She must have been gentle; most of my human slaves die too quickly. Well, speak up. Has my daughter been gentle with you?" The matronly hyenoid asked.
"No mistress," I said with sincerity.
"No, well, you certainly look undamaged. There is quite a bit of meat on your bones as well. Humans make poor partners, but their meat is tender, and their bones are filled with such fatty marrow." The chained man in the corner began weeping.
It was the first time I noticed him, which was strange. My perception should make noticing them easy. I could count the cum stains on Silent's mother's throne. So why did this slave evade my attention until now?
An elbow from Silent returned my attention to task.
I had no idea what she was on about. But then again, maybe I wasn't the best measure for what was human anymore. So far, I was bored out of my mind by this big titted milf's attempts to tease me. Before, I hadn't been used to Silent's dick. Ok, it looked like a penis at first glance, but it clearly wasn't. Finally, though, she peed out of it.
This had nothing to do with King, and I wanted to take out my phone and play pokémon or something until the conversation became relevant. I wondered if I could somehow get behind Silent and use her to block my phone. My eyes glanced down at the milf's pussy, and I felt a stirring between my legs again.
Great, somehow, my dumb lizard brain thought hyenoid pussy was viable now. That was all I needed a harem of dicks. I'm sure I missed Kale's giant horse dick somewhere. She was probably a hermaphrodite knowing what this crazy system got up to with me. Were we even going to talk about King at this point? Of course, at this point, my dick had become fully erect.
"Oh, Silent, you sure know how to pick them. I might break him right here in the council room if you aren't careful." The milf said. "Would you like me to break you in front of my daughter?" Suddenly Silent burst into giggles.
I sucked in a breath and bit my tongue until my rampant libido calmed down. "No, I was led to believe you required a witness of King's atrocities. If you wanted to proposition me, you should go to my owner. This dick isn't free; it's a silver a day."
"Oh, your rented property, how novel. You should be careful not to get rented to a minotaur. I hear they love to break in humans. Your screams would make for an exceptional aphrodisiac for the couples struggling for children. I know quite a few I could recommend going to your master. How would you like to mitigate some of the damage one of your kin caused?" The milf said.
I honestly expected this kind of bullshit. The intelligent thing to do would be to bow my head and beg for forgiveness. We weren't here to start any fights, and I didn't want to cause any problems for Silent on my last day. However, I did have a solution to the problem like controlled radiation to a cancer patient, I'd hit King where he lived. He needed flesh to increase his HP and for his clones. By getting rid of that, King couldn't recover HP, and winning became possible.
"Oh, I have a way to mitigate that damage anytime I want to; it would be easy to mitigate it. But I like this town and Silent, so I took that option off the table for now. But it's looking better every day. But, unfortunately, my solution is a bit too final for most to stomach." I said.
Fighting King in PVP while he had an entire city to draw from was probably impossible. I needed time to increase my strength to compete. Defeating King without that advantage would be like playing no-talk Darksouls. It was possible, but damn, was it hard. For me, it might as well be impossible.
My life had started off normal, and even this adventure seemed to be more fantasy than anything. But somewhere down the line, it became an eroge RPG. Even my system was in on it.
Ding!
9th Quest
Defeat Or Drive Off King Without Burning Down Flank Town
Reward: +2 Gold Skill Dice, +1 Platinum Skill Die, +10RP with Kale
Failure: Increased Chance Of Death, -10RP with Kale and Silent
My eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets at the unfairness of the system. I had to beat King without burning down the town. Not only that, if I did burn down the town, I could still die. This was bullshit.
"What about you? I bet you're powerful? I bet you could take on a flesh mage even with an army of followers, especially with those four with you. Come on, I'll fuck you right here in the council room if it motivates you." I said.
The desire to burn down the town to fix my problems still felt like doing the right thing. But if sex would get the job done, I'd bang all five of them. Give me all the floppy cock-shaped pussy.
Quests had a habit of changing my priorities on the spot. So losing a little RP wasn't that big of a deal, and my chances of dying were already very high.
Fighting King without removing his resources made that even worse. My disadvantages kept stacking up. From the moment he entered this world, he had access to magic knowledge equal to a magic engineer. He had access to magic more sophisticated than I could currently imagine. Fighting him with magic would be a dumb idea.
I didn't know the limits of King's clones, and no, I didn't really think these hyenoids could take down King. Without even seeing them fight, I knew the battle would be one-sided at best. The difference in manpower was also a concern as well as the Intelligence stat.
Was I dealing with a hivemind scenario? If so, then I was boned.
This world was built on magic. Unless I could somehow gain the knowledge of a magic engineer and leverage my perception in some way to find an exploitable weakness, I wasn't winning with magic.
"This shows just how ignorant you really are, male. Flesh mages are the greatest threats to the living that exist. All of them are selfish, greedy monsters who will stop at nothing to become truly immortal. But this game is over; hold your tongue while your betters converse." The milf commanded.
"Mother, if you can't beat this creature and the Blue Blood clan serve it, then what can we do? This is our home; we can't abandon the city." Silent said.
"Hush, daughter, we will do no such thing. Do you think this is the first flesh mage in history? However, they do pop up from time to time, and there is a solution. We have already contacted the In'Ess'Ex guild from the Acura isles and requested one of their sorceresses. She will arrive by air in the next few hours; I'd like you to meet her at the air tower and update her on the situation." The milf said.
I stared at the other four. What were they here for other than to guard the alpha of this family? I sensed quite a lot of power from the accessories they wore. Did they suspect I was a spy or a tool of King? That was possible. King could reshape flesh; why not reshape the flesh of his clones to infiltrate other groups. His charisma parameter could make it easy to brush off any scrutiny. Which could mean the Spotted Hyenoid pack was already infiltrated.
Where would I put a spy if I was infiltrating a group of nose sensitives? But did King have the acting skills to pull off a slave? Would he have thought of infiltrating or feel that it was necessary?
If that were an option, I'd keep my friends close and pay close attention to any changes in character. Was that why the milf questioned me, or was it merely bigotry? We weren't brought forward for questioning only to go meet someone.
I turned my attention to the slave and looked at him carefully. The man seemed to freeze up at my attention. My gaze hardened as the world narrowed until I focused entirely upon the slave. Slowly as if wiping pollen off a black truck, the truth of the slave was revealed.
King's Clone
HP 150,000/150,000
"How are you doing, Red?" The creature's hand flashed like lightning, shattering the iron chain around its neck. "Remember what I promised you."
Force Aura, Sprint, Force Body, Mortal Telekinesis, and Hatchling's Flames combined into a devastating blow. The creature's body swelled like a water balloon. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the hyenoid ladies lift her wand and saw seven jagged bolts of lightning leap from her glowing focus and strike both of us.
I reached out, caught the energy with my fingertips, and felt it travel through me. Lightning sure was popular magic in the desert. Well, it was fast, destructive, and could turn glass into sand, I understood. But it really was painful as hellfire. So I stabbed my wanking hand into King's clone like a knife redirecting the hyenoid woman's lightning spell through it.
The clone shook as a seam opened up in its swollen back. Blood rained down thick as gravy and brighter than I'd ever seen. King's clone let out a scream of agony, giving me all the time I needed.
I threw punch after punch at the creature and pushed the advantage of my increased agility. This creature had to die; if I couldn't kill it, then this whole town was fucked. In a few heartbeats, I'd unleashed a hundred blows on the clone. Every one of my blows unleashed a devastating wave to telekinesis and burned the clone with dragon fire. A small blizzard crashed into me just as iron chains shot out from the ceiling and the floor. They gripped us both, connecting to a massive metal ball.
"Hey Red, this is going to hurt like a bitch. But I'm just a clone; it doesn't matter if I'm hurt. You'll die, and that's it all because you wanted to play the hero." The King Clone said.
The lightning hit, and the clone screamed as my vision tinted yellow.
King Clone
HP 85,950/150,000
Though the shock was painful, it was divided between us. I'm sure a lot of it was a lot on the ground as well. Sadly, it wasn't enough to level either of my resistance skills. The pain itself just wasn't enough to even distract me. I took a step, and my chains strained.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you warping your flesh through the chains?" I asked as the creature screamed. "Is this amount of pain really enough to take your ability to speak away? You were always quite the talker; once we got you going, you would chat for hours. I envied that about you." I said.
The chains glowed red hot as I pulled, struggling to get close enough to deal the killing blow. I needed it to prove to myself I could win at least against a clone.
All at once, the clone stopped screaming. "I just redirected my nerves and turned off my pain receptors. Shock damage really was a problem I didn't know how to solve. Thank you for forcing me to learn, and now you'll never be able to use it against me again." King's Clone said.
The other mage blasted King's clone with a whirling blizzard spell to little effect. I watched the clone's body flow like liquid as it slipped its chains.
King's Clone stepped towards me with a sadistic smile on its face. "It's time to pay, man. You could have left, and I would have let you go. Too late now, I guess. I think I'll start with the arm I gave back to you." King's Clone said.
"That is unacceptable," I yelled.
King's Clone
HP 50,000/150,000
I grit my teeth sucked in a breath, and unleashed all the heat I could muster. The air around me practically vibrated as my chains turned white-hot and began to run like melting wax. I could feel the metal burning my skin, but I shut the pain down. There was something I had to do.
My fist shot forward in a haymaker. And I remembered boxing with my friend from school. It was just play fighting, but he showed me something important. The lesson was so simple but something I didn't understand at the time. When your opponent gets used to your momentum, change your rhythm.
I squatted down before my fist would have connected and shot up. King's Clone never saw my uppercut coming.
"Yes, this is how a protagonist fights with easy-to-understand skills like fire and punching. It isn't something crazy like slurping people out of their skin or making shifting your very flesh. There is a reason why humans love and revere fire." I yelled.
"Neither of us are human anymore. Let me show you." King's Clone said.
His fingers turned into bony claws, and I watched layer after layer of skin bulge out over the clone's body. Two more arms grew from the creature's shoulder, transforming into fleshy scythes. His feet grew wider with more toes lifted and while his ankle was elongated.
A faint red aura surrounded the clawed before it raked over my chest. My Force Aura buckled, and my vision tinted blue. The pain became even more intense. Spells of all kinds, from lightning to fire to ice, and even something dark and painful, blanketed us while we fought fists against claws and scythes.
King's Clone
HP 15,000/150,000
"That little transformation cost you quite a bit of energy. It's too bad those little claws of yours can barely break my skin." I said.
"You always liked to act tough, but I knew the truth. Even back then, you were friendless, and even Fister felt sorry for you. You were never our friend, not really. So we regret ever inviting you to eat together." King yelled.
It's true I had no one, and sometimes it was better that way. People just took up my time when I could be pursuing my hobbies. What was I doing even staying here? I didn't want to know either Silent or Kale originally? The system just dumped them in my path. Wouldn't it have been better to rip my collar off and leave? I could learn magic and explore the world alone.
Survival isn't a solo sport. True, Kale and Silent weren't the allies I expected but getting to know them has been fun, and I want to continue learning about them.
I continued to fight as I had until I drew the clone into my rhythm. The clone enjoyed cutting me up and causing pain. That was clear in the bastard's sadistic eyes. Whatever humanity King still possessed obviously didn't translate to his clones.
King's Clone
HP 14,900/150,000
"Am I wearing you down, Red? When your mana drops, I'm going to turn you inside out and leave you to live out the rest of eternity on the side of a wall." The clone screamed.
It's clear by the slow loss in HP that the creature's new additions significantly raised its defense at the cost of aesthetics.
I changed my pattern, leaped on the creature, and unleashed all the dragon fire I had left. When my fiery thumbs entered the creature's eye sockets like my favorite talk show host always talked about, it felt almost gratifying.
Gripping both sides of the clone's head, I pulled with a devastating crack, the skull split. Then I pulled, dragging the creature's doubled spinal cords free from the flesh.
The ribs stood on end and shot out of the body like fucking bullets. While the guts tied themselves around my ankles like snakes. I might have panicked then until something slipped into me.
"Fireball," it sounded like Silent's voice. And all of a sudden, I knew what to do.
My hand pointed down, and dragon fire gathered at my palm into a tightly compacted ball. I condensed it, drawing it into a sphere dangerously unstable.
The screaming face of King squelched out of the clone's chest, and I fired down.
Amid the burning remains of my former friend's clone, I stood up and dusted myself off.
He had the Intelligence parameter and would learn from this loss. The tactics I used wouldn't work again. Winning again might be impossible.
Ding!
New Skill
Fire Manipulation lvl1
Rank: C
Type: MAG/QI
Description – Supernatural control over fire through raw manipulation, mediums, or summons. Through Mantra, fire can gain properties it usually doesn't possess. The repeated belief either from the user or others will influence this element if triggered.
ATL – Manipulating fire in its many forms to create various effects.
Abilities
1. Amateur Condensing – The practice of creating artificial gravity well to wield dese projectiles or pulp anyone who annoys you.
2. Fireball – Once triggered, this mantra gathers flames into an artificial gravity well perfect for firing. Its range is based on the user's Fire Manipulation and Perception.
Ding!
Mantra lvl14
Force lvl4
Type STR/MAG
Rank: B
Description – Magic becomes the acceleration, and strength becomes mass to create a skill that blends the physical with the mystical to create a powerful combination.
ATL – Wield the abilities given by the Force skill to attack or defend.
Abilities
Force Aura – Mana is spent passively to protect the body from damage. When active, the mana drain increases and exponentially increases defense.
Force Body – Strength is passively increased by the user's mana. When active, the mana drain increases and exponentially increases damage.
Mortal Telekinesis – Strength is fed by magic for a burst of concussive energy. Whether it is throwing a rock further than ever or increasing the reach of a melee attack, it's all the same. Strength is the mass, while magic is the acceleration.
Force Asura – Phantom attacks strike at 50% of the users striking power through mystical hands of force energy. Manipulate and control phantom arms from your shoulders as if you had four extra arms.
Ding!
Force has reached lvl4
STR and MAG +2
I stood up, took two steps, and stumbled. Blood gushed from my wounds, dying my skin crimson. Who would have thought I had so much blood inside of me?
"Wisdom, please heal the male; he's earned our hospitality," Milf said. A smile cracked my dried lips. I sure did cause a lot of destruction. King might have felt that last attack.
The woman with a vagina staff giggled when she looked at me. I was starting to remember that Hyenas only did that when they were nervous, fighting over food, or feeling territorial. But I wasn't entirely sure how that carried over.
Soon a gentle golden flow enveloped me, and the bleeding slowly stopped. "I can do nothing for your blood loss. You'll need bed rest and some blood regenerating potions. Blessing do we have any for this brave male." Wisdom asked.
"For a male never. Some bed rest and a little pain will teach him not to interfere with our affairs." Blessing said.
Silent approached, giggling now, and I needed to recontextualize anytime I made her laugh.
I took a tentative step forward and knew I'd be alright. Dizzy as I was, I'd recover, and then what? One clone dead doesn't do a damn thing against King's army. The ant only proved it could bite the bear.
What about the event? Could I go on another killing spree to find a way to save this world? Strangely I didn't feel the same urge to go there as I had before. Instead, when I pictured myself blowing up buildings with fireballs, it felt passingly amusing, like grabbing one more stuffed mushroom on my third buffet plate.
Now, what was I going to do with four extra spectral appendages that could strike at 50% of my striking power? More damage wasn't a bad thing. I could definitely use the support, but it wouldn't do the job. I needed a bigger stick than I currently had. Fireball felt like a step in the right direction, but at the same time, it would just lead to burning the city down. I needed precision.
That led me to a question. Did Dexterity only affect my physical dexterity, or did it alter the fine controls of my mystical abilities as well? Unfortunately, it wasn't something I could quickly answer.
King liked to brag about how all of his parameters empowered the other. Couldn't mine do the same even if that wasn't their design?
I felt Silent tug on me; when had she gotten so close? A shake of my head cleared my thoughts for a while. Then, from my inventory, I pulled my phone out and quickly opened the shop app. Medicine was easy enough to find. I had 1100G to work with.
"What is that?" Silent asked.
"My phone," I blinked and realized that explained nothing. "A communication device that transfers information through frequencies." I paused and realized while that explained some of it, I didn't really know how a smartphone worked. Still, I clicked on blood replenishing pills and watched 50G vanish. Then, a bottle of badly labeled pills appeared in one of my inventory slots.
The room stared at me while I returned my cellphone and began carefully reading the instructions for the pills. Apparently, 6 a day were safe, but any more would turn my liver into a valuable red crystal prized by blood mages. I'd also die from liver failure. So, I popped two pills and waited patiently for them to kick in.
"So, you can buy things with it and instantly receive your purchase." The milf said. "Don't you agree that my daughter has been very kind to you? She even allows you to own property. Most slaves would feel indebted to such a kind master."
I pulled a beer from my inventory, and it was still just as cold as the day I pulled it out of my fridge. One sip and nearly puked. Enhanced senses plus cheap beer didn't go together at all. It tasted like a soggy skunk. Maybe my second sip would be better.
Nope! It was even worse still; I drank it down. Then, instead of tossing the can on the ruined, burnt corpse-ridden ground like a savage, I left the can in my inventory.
"Well, that was the worst beer I've ever had." I stumbled in Silent's grip and chuckled. "How long do you think we have before King doesn't have to hide anymore? You saw his little army. The Blue Blood clan also work for him; hell, they fed the kin they didn't like to them and ruined our date." I opened my inventory and searched for my grandfather's wine. For some reason, I couldn't find it for the rows of cheap beer. It had to be in here. I packed the whole fridge.
"I think he's had enough, mother. Talk of his phone and what it could mean for trade can wait. But, he's right, how long before the flesh mage no longer needs to hide? Should we evacuate and seek aid from one of our sister packs?" Silent asked.
"This is our city, and no male will take it from us not while I still live. We have already called for aide, and the flesh mage isn't so bold yet."
After countless rows of half-rotten crap, including a yogurt so covered in mold, I couldn't read the label any longer; I found the wine. I yanked the cork off with my teeth and tasted the sweet peach and muscadine flavored goodness. I usually like a dry red, but this hits the spot. For a moment, I feel sloshy until, like magic, my head clears up, and I know the reason. The system had played some 4d chess on me.
While my blood supply had been low, the cheap beer had made me a little tipsy. But the blood replenishing pills had kicked in, and I felt my head clear rapidly. But, unfortunately, my moment of glorious drunkenness was gone before I could even enjoy it.
"Damn the system and damn 2021," I grumbled before standing on my own. "And just like that, my moment of weakness is over. Let's go greet this sorceress and hope to Kaiba and his blue eyes white dragons that she can help." I said.
"Is Kaiba one of the angels?" Silent asked.
"It depends on the orthodoxy." I turned my gaze to the hyenoids in the council room. Their plan to deal with King's clones had been chains and electricity. Maybe it would have worked against a typical flesh mage. But, clearly, we weren't dealing with the average flesh mage with King.
Not only had our battle destroyed the room, but the air in here had also become thin due to my fireball. Still, it had been the only way. I doubted their ability to finish even one of King's clones. That left me with so many questions about the ability of people in this world. Was it just a curb stomp for any serious system user, or was King that powerful?
We left the council room and started up the stairs. I was still splattered with blood, so Silent let me clean up in her shower. Fighting King's clone reminded me of the thing. Was that what the milf meant when she said they're all after immortality? Are they trying to become flesh monsters of some kind? Did King want to become a supercell that could invade hosts and corrupt their flesh? Ok, if he did, how would he even go about it.
I groaned and cleaned the blood off of me. The problem with trying to emphasize with people with more advanced educations than myself was the information gap. I didn't know his skills or what he thought was viable or not. Going beyond motivation to means seemed a step too far. The only thing I could control was my own actions. If he went full thing, I'd burn the city down.
Ok, I at least knew my line quest or not.
"I want to see Kale and warn her about what's going on. But I also know King will be watching me and who I interact with. Anyone you send will also be monitored. I think there is a good chance he's already taken up a position close to Kale. So I need a reliable way to kill his clones." I said.
"If it were easy, then we wouldn't need to call in a foreign sorceress. But, you saw how it shrugged off those spells." Silent stared at him. "You did too. Do you have dragon's blood?" Silent asked.
I nodded slowly.
Ding!
+1RP With Silent
Silent 53/100 She feels strongly about risking bleeding to death from her clit hemorrhaging during childbirth for you.
I sucked in a breath and took some dice out. Two together would greatly increase my chances of getting a better skill. So, without a second thought, I tossed them.
Ding!
Rolling 2 Bronze Skill Dice…
Type DEX/QI
Rolls 45 + 66 out of a 100
Skill Acquired
White/Black Hawk Assassination lvl1
Rank: B+
Type: DEX/QI
Description – A terrifying strike used by cultivators of the white hawk clan. They strike with deadly speed and precision to deliver a single death blow, steal the core of their prey, and escape. It's a striking skill all about precision and timing combined with an indomitable qi flow.
ATL – Assassinate and steal the treasures of your targets as viciously as a true hawk.
Abilities
1. Flow Of The Hawk – The user's qi had gained a pattern to copy and empower the body. Though it is young with the training, you will become much faster. AGL increases by 5% of QI for every ability in WHA.
2. Timing And Target – The user's qi has adapted to the views of a hawk on the wing. PER increases by 10% of QI when monitoring a target.
3. Cursed Blow – A corruptive qi gathers around your fist for a single devastating blow. Once struck, the target suffers the status cursed. Once cursed, the target suffers irreparable damage to their lifeforce. If the corruptive qi isn't expelled quickly, the curse will build until the target expires.
I stared at the ability and wondered how long it would take King to think to simply eject the corrupted flesh. Yes, this technique would definitely help me out. But was it a permanent solution? No, it wouldn't work against someone much more powerful than me. Still, it was a step in the right direction.
"Hey, after we get back from escorting the sorceress, let's have sex for the rest of the night. This might be our last night together. I'd had for it to be boring." Silent said.
Nickname: Red
Title: Traveler
Parameters
STR 6 (7.8) (15.6) (18.6)
CON 22 (23.8) (47.6)
DEX 7
AGL 17 (19.7) (39.4)
QI 18
PER 31
MAG 9
World Waifu Relationships
Kale 19/100
Silent 53/100