Chapter 42 - Robbers and Creating a Furnace

A villain MC moment don't read if it offends you to much.

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Over five days, we were able to kill an average of five monsters each day and received 26 mana crystals in total.

I would have liked to stay longer; however, I had to return to Ironguard for my weekly meeting with Herbert.

I didn't use them to improve my circles but rather gave most of them to Lila for her cultivation, as well as some to Elaria.

If I reached the 8th circle now, I'd have to take over the magic tower and I don't want that yet.

I had them both reach the 7th circle. Lila also reached the peak of foundation establishment, while Elaria and I just broke through to the 1st layer.

I'd have liked Lila to reach a higher realm, but she needed to stabilize her cultivation base. If she broke through too fast with a shaky foundation, it could damage her future cultivation potential.

Fortunately, fighting is the best way to stabilize the cultivation base, which Elaria and I can provide her, while also getting the benefit of stabilizing ours.

We just have to take some time to do that, someday or over several days.

I think after my meeting with Herbert, we'll take the week and do that.

After hunting for about half a day on the day before the meeting, we left the forest early and headed back for the capital.

Along the way back, I saw a group of four people resting under a tree beside the road about 10 miles away from the city.

When we got closer, I saw it was one woman and three men. I recognized the woman as Karen, the lady who asked us to hunt in the Dreadwood Forest with them, but I declined because I got a bad feeling about them.

When we saw some people, we slowed our speed to a more normal pace, although still buffed.

They saw us and stood up; one of the men stretched his arms out above his head.

Karen stepped into the middle of the road and waved for us to stop, "We meet again! Was your hunt well?"

We slowed our pace more, eventually stopping a few yards away.

Well, if I tell you it was good, you're going to try to rob us. Even if I tell you it wasn't, I can see from the gazes of the three men that you'll still attack us.

Ants, I dare you to try. We may as well kill you right now and do the world a favor.

"It was very good."

Her eyes brightened, glowing with greed.

A cage made from wind magic suddenly appeared around us.

Elaria stepped forward, "Master, I'll kill them for you."

I simply waved at them, indicating that she could go ahead.

I wasn't worried about her losing. According to Karen last time we met, Ron was a 6th circle mage, and she was only a 5th. The other two might not even be at the 5th circle since she didn't mention them the first time we met.

Even with Elaria only knowing 6th circle spells, when cast by someone of the 7th circle, the power is greatly increased.

Karen looked at us like looking at prey, licking her lips, "Just hand over the crystals, the 2 girls, and since you're so handsome, spend some time with me. Then we'll give you to a rich noble woman for her enjoyment. You'll have a good life, don't you think? Don't even think about escaping; you can't run from two 6th circle mages, and if your handsome face gets damaged, that'd be a pity. And also-"

Is this the downside of having looks beyond the mortal limit in a mortal world?

I was bored already, "Are you done yet? I was going to let you say whatever, but you're testing my patience."

Lila was vibrating with anger beside me at Karen's words.

I pointed to Karen and one of the men while looking at Elaria, "Leave her and him alive and well."

I had an idea I wanted to use them for.

"Yes, Master."

Elaria cast the 6th circle version of the ice needle spell, Ice Shard Storm. Thousands of ice shards appeared over head, each one radiating sharpness.

You could see the moment the group had an 'Oh shit' moment and realized they messed up.

Fury appeared on Elaria's face, "How dare little 6th circle mages threaten the Master."

Fear appeared on their faces, two mages tried to flee while one cast a shield, Karen fell to the ground to beg.

"Please spare me, I'm sorry. I'll never do anything like this again. Please have mercy!"

Seeing I didn't say anything, Elaria released her spell towards the other two.

The shards of ice sliced through the shield as if it were paper and shredded the two I didn't say I wanted into tiny pieces, without even giving them time to scream.

I applied gravity magic to the guy that was left so he couldn't run away.

We walked up to Karen, who was still kneeling on the ground, observing the dirt road closely. Lila looked murderous. I put my arm around her and patted her head, calming her down a little.

I looked at Karen again, "I think maybe someone should use her as a furnace."

The two girls looked at me confused, I explained, "While many dual-cultivation methods require both parties to be willing participants and use the same method, the demonic ones do not require one party to willingly participate or use a dual-cultivation method; that's a furnace. The furnace doesn't get any benefits and eventually gets drained using that method, so one always needs more furnaces."

They nodded in understanding with horrified expressions, Lila's expression morphing into a wicked grin.

Then I remembered a different method and got a better idea.

"Here's a better one: I can apply a method to her, and the other party doesn't even need to learn cultivation to get benefits. It's a dual-cultivation method that doesn't require the male to practice it, and it's done automatically by the female, whether she wants to or not once learned. And what's even better about this one is both parties get benefits, so neither gets drained. With this she can become sort of a of furnace but not with the extracting part and dying part."

I glanced at Elaria; her face was beet red from all the talk of dual-cultivation. It was kind of cute.

Lila nodded approvingly, "Do it, then we can decide where to put her. Maybe place her somewhere in the magic tower and call it a new kind of health-improving magic, since that's essentially what it is."

Karen could hear our conversation but didn't understand it, other than she knew she wouldn't like it. It must sound like we wanted to turn her into a potion or artifact.

She looked up, "W-What are you going to do to me?"

"Promise me that you won't let anyone know what I teach you unless I tell you that you can tell them."

"I promise."

"Not good enough, make an oath."

"I swear to mana that I won't let anyone know what you teach me unless you tell me I can tell them."

I felt the familiar ethereal string wrap around my mana core and knew it worked even though it sounded a little different than Elaria's.

I had Kitty make a physical copy of the technique I needed and tossed it on the ground in front of her.

"Learn it. Wherever it says Qi, think mana."

She looked like she was going to refuse, so I pulled out a vegetable peeler and placed it against her arm, making her expression turn terrified.

"Y-Yes, I-I'll learn it quickly," she picked up the book and turned to the first page.

I retracted the peeler and produced a carrot sitting on the ground in front of her. I began slowly peeling it, the threat clear.

Her face turned pink when she realized what the method entailed, and she seemed to want to refuse again. But every time she glanced at the peeler taking off a thin layer of carrot, she shuddered, quickly looking back and continuing to read.

Apparently, she decided that the method was the preferable option compared to the peeler.

After half an hour or so, she looked up then off to the side at the ground, "I-I finished."

I looked over at the guy who was still pressed to the ground; I released the gravity magic, "Come over here."

He sat up and obediently came over.

"I want you to test something for me. If you don't agree, well..." I peeled another strip of carrot, "Strip, both of you.

I looked at Karen, who could clearly tell what was going to happen but had become so afraid of the plastic thing in my hand that she had no objections.

Soon, two naked people were standing in front of me, both looking off to the sides, embarrassed and trying to cover themselves.

I turned to the guy, "Oh right, I'm gonna kill you when you're done and your purpose has been fulfilled. But giving you such a way to go is a mercy, don't you think?"

He glanced at Karen, who was covering herself with her hands to no avail due to her size.

"Y-Yes," he said quietly.

"I can't hear you."

"Yes!" he said louder.

"Well, get going then."

He turned to Karen and removed his hands that covered himself, she was still looking off to the side, trying to ignore what was going on.

He seemed to realize something and started smiling then grabbed her shoulders, pushing her to the ground. He grabbed her wrists, yanking her hands out of his way pinning them to the ground over her head.

"I've always wanted to do this ever since I saw you. You flirt and wear almost nothing then don't put out. I guess I have to thank you for the current situation since it was you who wanted to rob these people, and now I get to fulfill my wish even though I'll die."

She still had her head turned to the side, and I could see some tears running onto the ground.

I yawned, looking at Elaria and Lila.

Elaria was looking off to the side into the sky, seriously examining something she must find very interesting, with her face and ears red, too embarrassed to look anywhere else.

Lila on the other hand, noticing I was done talking to the other 2, reached out and grabbed my bricked up little brother through my pants. Her eyes glazed over and her legs made constant rubbing and squeezing motions as she stood, looking like she was doing a little dance.

I sat and pulled her down, straddling my lap. Her legs wrapped around my hips and she tightened them, pulling her slit against me as hard as possible. She rested her head under my chin and started tilting her hips up and down rubbing against me. Her body was vibrating.

I grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her soft lips while snaking my other hand under her shirt.

A muffled scream pierced the air, reminding me of the presence of those 2.

Looking over I say the guys hand covering Karen's mouth as she screamed, her eyes turned red from tears and she looked like she'd pass out soon. It wouldn't mater if she passed out as it wouldn't effect the method now that she'd learned it. And if she didn't learn it, well then she could do it again.

I cast a barrier so they couldn't escape while I was busy, then put a one way barrier between us so I could keep a watch on them but they couldn't see us.

Tomorrow I would present Karen to Herbert and maybe I could even find a way to earn some mana stones from the deal, nobles would pay a pretty penny to live even just a little longer.

Lila had now soaked through my pants and it was time to attend to her, and myself.