Chapter 10: Chapter Ten – Back to the Hustle

“Dell!”

A cute, soft, and fragrant smelling woman with short shaggy hair seemed happy to see me.  That was a good thing, because that woman just so happened to be my soul-bonded wife.  It just wouldn’t do if I couldn’t bring a smile to her face.

“So, how long are you going to stay with me today?”

“I have enough for two hours.  Is that okay?”

“Un!”

My hand unconsciously went to her head where I began playing with her hair.

“Is everything going well with you?  Did you have time to use the books I got for you?”

“Yeah.  I have more free time then you’d think, so I began drawing a little.  Would you like to see?  I can’t promise it’s very good, though.”

“I’d love to!”

I took a seat on her bed, and she went to bring the one of the books she kept in her closet out.  Taking a seat next to me on her bed, she opened up the book and began to show me some drawings.

“Hey, these are pretty impressive!” I said immediately upon seeing her sketches, and they were.  I don’t know if she was at the professional level of manga artistry, but I wouldn’t have any issue with reading a manga if she drew it this well.  There was nothing to complain about in the style department, and her art work reminded me of a certain orange-suited ninja that was popular some years back.

“Reminds me of that anime, Spiral.”

“You know it?”

“Yeah, it was popular stateside, so was Vinegar and Lone Thing.”

“Which one was your favorite?”

“I could never keep up with Lone Thing.  I liked Vinegar mostly because the music was jammin’.  I think Spiral had the better plot, but dragged on for just a bit too long.”

“Was it just those three you saw?”

“No.  I watched plenty of others, it’s just that your drawing style reminded me of Spiral.”

“Un.  I used to buy copies of Kusogaki Hop and practice while looking at the panels.”

“Have you ever made a doujin?”

“Ah… I… um.”

“Was it boys love?” I pressed just a bit into the danger zone of questioning.

“Eh?”  She turned a bright pink.  “How did you know?”

“I didn’t.  Just took a wild guess.”

“I’m not a rotten girl!  It’s just… handsome boys are nice to look at.”

“So are beautiful women.  Have you ever drawn that kind of manga? The kind about the garden where no men may trespass?”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe?”

“Mou!  Are you teasing me now?”  Her cheeks puffed out cutely, and that made me want to pinch them.

“Heh, I was just asking.  If it’s too embarrassing to talk about, then I’ll drop it.”

“Do you like that kind of stuff?  Two women…”

“It’s nice, but only on paper.  In reality they don’t have much use for men, do they?”

“That’s true.”

“I’m sure I’d like anything that you draw, though.”

“I think I’m a long way from that still.  For now I have to get used to this body more.  I used to draw a bunch back on Earth, but when I draw for even twenty minutes my hands cramp up.”

“Then just go at your own pace for now.  Make sure to take care of yourself and if you need anything else, just let me know.”

With the book open on her lap, she leaned against me.

“I have what I need right here.”

“Me too.”  I replied and put my arm around her waist.  “I gained a new partner today.”

“A partner?”

“Yeah.  I was able to figure out what my Vitamancy skill did.  I was able to change the Essence I got from the Darkwolf I almost killed into a Darkwolf who acts as my companion.”

“So… it’s a pet?”

“Pretty much.  Everyone thinks she’s a stray dog for some reason though, and it’s kind of upsetting to me.  Do you like animals at all, Koko?”

“It’s not like I don’t.  I had a housecat, but he pretty much did his own thing.  The only time he wanted attention was when I was busy drawing on my tablet.”

Cats do be like that sometimes.

“Even though she’s a Darkwolf, you can pretty much think of her as a fluffy dog.  She likes to be scratched behind the ears, and loves to talk.”

“She talks!?” My wife blurted out in surprise.

“Just little howls and stuff.” I replied, bursting her bubble.

“Oh…  For a second I thought you actually had a talking pet.”

“Even if this world is different, I don’t think it’s that different.”

“True.  Though, there are those from the beast tribes.”

Yes, this world had those too…  Demi-humans.  Humans with animalistic features.  They were rare though, and mostly avoided settling in human lands.  That doesn’t mean there weren’t any in Zoma.  Just that they weren’t exactly a common sight.

The book on her lap closed, and her hand fell on my thigh.

“Koko?”

Her hand moved to my thing and she began to rub it.

“Is there anything special you want me to do for you tonight?”

“If it’s with my cute wife, then anything is fine.”

Kokoro knelt down in front of me while I sat on her bed and let her slide my breeches off to down around my ankles.  She then began to play with it–and me–by teasingly opening her mouth and letting my glans suffer in anticipation of what was only being hinted at by that small opening.  A slight brush of her lower lip against it along with a hot and inviting breath built up my anticipation for the evening with her.

She giggled, knowing full well what she was doing, and the part of my mind flooded with the endorphins of desire for her wanting nothing more than to put my hands on either side of her head and show her I wasn’t a man to be toyed with.

But cute and beautiful girls have always had an unfair power they are able to wield over weak men.  It’s an evolutionary advantage meant to assure them that in the end, there is always a pair of genes they will have access to no matter what for propagation of the species. 

Thankfully, I didn’t have to endure for too long, because she soon caved in to her own desires as well.  Her small mouth wrapped around my life-long partner and my mind began to drown in the wondrous warm pleasure only my wife was fit to give to me.

Though I knew good and well that after I was gone from here my wife would remain behind, I still chose to believe that what she was doing for me was what she wanted to do for me.  That all this adventurousness and precociousness were a product of her longing to be with me as I was for her.

My impatience got the best of me when she looked up at me with her mouth full of my manhood and I was unable to hold back my affections.  I released my love onto her slippery tongue and she accepted it all, wiping her lips with the back of her hand afterwards.

“So, how did you enjoy that anything, hubby?”

Why, I answered her in kind, of course!

I stood up and picked her up, putting her exactly in the space on her bed that I had warmed for the last few minutes, and it was my turn to let her enjoy anything.  Because until the time ran out for the evening, anything and everything that was a part of her, also belonged to me.

“Nothing.  I didn’t get any experience from that.” She said with a sigh.

“I did.” I said, knowing what she said wasn't meant offensively, she meant it literally in regards to the unique skills we share.

“You did?”

“I got a wonderful experience.” And it was true, who wouldn't think a little oral satisfaction from your cute wife was anything other than a wonderful experience?

“Oh, you…!” She reached for my head, and pushed me into her sweet valley.  I made love to her with my mouth until my lower jaw began to feel tight.  My tongue was almost numb and her legs crossed each other behind my neck.  The seasonal rains came to the valley and it was soon submerged.  When the flooding abated, I climbed on top of her, not giving her even a moment of respite.  Her legs and arms wrapped around me weakly and we were joined properly as man and wife again.

“Hnff… So eager to have me, dear hubby?”

I was.

“Yes.”

I admitted it freely.

“I don’t want anything else but to be with you.”

I kissed her neck and even playfully bit her body.  She seemed to respond well to it, and I regret not even giving her time to take off her slip so I could enjoy her fully naked body.  But I wouldn’t have been in the right state of mind for it right now.  At this moment all I was thinking about was mating with my wife.  Desperately forcing myself to mark every crevice inside of her that my tool could reach.  Letting her know that I was her husband, lover, and partner.  Me.

It was an exercise in futility trying to deny reality, but I did it to the best of my ability anyway.  I felt the tension in my loins and even the tightness in the muscles in my legs as I felt the duty of the patriarch in my DNA command me to fulfill my biological obligations.

Obligations rendered inert by divine magics.

“Uooooh!  Haaaaah!”

I let my own sheer carnal desire and frustration take over completely as I let loose my molten white lava into her opened crater, and churned it until I felt the aches of being unable to continue satisfying myself any longer.  Then my strength left me and Kokoro gently stroked my back as I lay atop her, my energy spent.

“Mmh, Dell, that felt great~”

I laughed weakly.

“I wasn’t terrible?”

She giggled.

“Not at all!  But you sure went at it like you haven’t seen me in a long time.”

“It’s been almost a day, so it feels like forever.”

We both laughed.

“You’re an idiot.  But, you’re my idiot, and I don’t dislike that about you.”

“Am I not allowed to want you this badly?”

“I promised you, didn’t I?  I’d be so good you’d never be able to think of anyone other than me!”

I wrapped my arms around her, sliding them under her sweaty back.

“Mine.  You’re… my woman, Kokoro.”

“Un!  I only belong to my Randell.”

I felt a great satisfaction from hearing that, even though we both knew it wasn’t the truth.   But it was a lie I wanted… needed to hear from her lips, even though I despise liars.

I heard her giggle a little bit more, and she began to scratch my back enjoyably.

“What should I do, I wonder~”

“Huh?”

“I gained another level just now!”

“You did?”

“Yup.  I’m level three now!”

“Anything new?” I inquired.

“Um, let’s see…”

While she observed the changes to her status, I decided to observe the changes to her breasts.  Had they grown since the last time I played with them?  I was keen to find out.

“The locked skills are still locked.  There is something interesting if…”

“Hm?  If what?”

“How okay are you with something weird?”

“Weird?”

“Yes, weird.  Very weird.  It could be useful to you, though.  It’s either that or I can increase the level of Endowment.”

“What does increasing the level of that do?”

“Um… it says there are ten levels in it.  For each odd level, I can endow you with a new skill.  For the even levels, it’s the difference between being able to endow a skill at level five and under or level six and above.”

“I’ll trust in you as my wife to make the decision as to what you think I need.”

“Then, can I get undressed the rest of the way first?”

I helped her remove her slip, and those not-quite-medium-sized breasts of her with perky pink tips greeted me merrily.

“I hope you’re thirsty.”

“Thirsty?”

“Won’t you try some of my milk?”

What?

Well, don’t mind if I do…

My mouth wrapped around her breast and I began to suck on it.  Only after a bit of licking did I taste something sweet.

“Nnh… I feel it coming out.” She moaned cutely.

Am I breast feeding from my wife already!?  Isn’t that supposed to only happen when she gets pregnant?  But there’s also a blessing from the priests which prevents that…!?

Her hands stroked the back of my head and she whispered softly for me to drink it all up.  While she was right that it was a bit weird, it also tasted heavenly.  However, it didn’t last for long.  Soon whatever it was that she lactated, was no longer coming out.

“What… was that just now?”

“I put the point I earned into something called 【Nurture】 and according to the skill, once a day you can drink um… you’ll gain one stat point randomly.”

I opened up my status to check:

 

【Name:  Randell Heart】

【Age: 19】【Sex: Male】

【Class:  Chosen of Alurian】 

【Visible Class:  Acolyte】

【Level:  05】

【To Next Level:  552 EXP】

【Unique Skill:  Wife’s Dowry <Linked>】

【Skill Endowment:  Treasure Sense】

【Chosen Skills: (4) 3 Points Unspent】

【Alurian’s Divine Treasury】

【Alurian’s Heal Lv.1】

【Divine Weaponry Lv.1】

【Grace of the Whirlwind Lv.1】

【Vitamancy Lv.1】

【Status: (10) 15 Points Unspent】

【Power:  5】

【Dexterity: 5+5】

【Vitality: 6+5】

【Mentality: 5】

【Faith: 20】

 

Oh, it’s a raw stat that gets randomly upgraded?  I remember having five base points in vitality before adding more.  Drinking my wife’s special milk makes me stronger.  I’m not exactly how I should feel about that. 

“It worked.  I now have an extra point in vitality…”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  I don’t suppose that Skill lets you eventually choose what it can upgrade?”

“No.  It doesn’t have a level.  It was a one-and-done kind of skill.  Disappointed?”

“Not at all.  But are you okay with me coming here every night and sucking on your breasts like a baby?”

“Are you saying you don’t do that anyway?”

She had me there.  I was indeed quite fond of acting just like a spoiled kid when presented with her bare chest.  Even though they weren’t massive mammaries, they were perfect because they were hers, and by proxy… mine!

“Any chance there’s any more milk in the other one?”

Kokoro giggled.

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

Yeah, I’m sure she’d eventually get mad that I spent so much of our time just making love to her, but she didn’t complain at all.  So, I ended up bringing the matter up to her.

“But, I like it too?  Are you saying I shouldn’t want to be with you whenever I can?”

“No.  Not at all, I just… want you to know you are more to me that just a nightly visit and a romp.”

“I know.  But we both have these feelings of wanting to be with each other like this, don’t we?”

I certainly did.

“Then it’s fine.  Besides, the one I want to be with is you anyway.  So, if it’s just this for today and even tomorrow… then that’s fine with me.  You’ll be spending the whole night with me after that, right?”

“Yes.  I’m looking forward to that very much.”

“Then, we can relax and be ourselves then.”

I hugged my Kokoro tightly, caressing her sweaty body with my hand.  

“Dell, as your wife, is there any path you want me to take to support you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… as a non-combatant.  I’m sure you’ll eventually find a way to free me from this penance thing, and when you do I’ll be living with you, right?”

“Right.”

“So, is there anything… you want in a bride?”

I thought about it for a while.

“Cooking.”

“So you want a domestic wife?”

“I don’t mind if you decide your own path.  Isn’t that how people should be regardless of marriage?  If you want to know something I’d like you to be able to do if you can’t already, it’s cooking.  The thought of coming home to you and to a nice home-cooked meal… to me that’s kind of like the dream.”

“So, if I can’t wash clothes or clean house, it doesn’t matter as long as I can cook?”

I laughed.

“I’ll hire a maid then.  But a wife’s cooking is special.  After I moved away from my mother, aside from a few things like T.V. dinners or takeout, there was no such thing as someone special's home cooking.”

“I know what you mean.  I lived on convenience store bento.  I wouldn’t mind cooking if it meant I could figure out how to make a nice hot curry.”

“I’ve seen it in anime, but I’ve never tried a Japanese curry.  Just Chinese, Caribbean, or Indian styles.  Oh, speaking of Chinese.  I have a Grimoire in my possession written by a person I’m sure was from China or Taiwan back on Earth.  To avoid calling himself an otherworlder, he referred to Asia as the Eternal East.”

“I don’t know what I’m considered.  I mean, I remember being Japanese, but this body I’m in now… am I considered a resident of this world?”

“You woke up in the temple on the Central Dais, didn’t you?”

“Un.  A priest found me.”

“Then even if it’s not your original body, you still came to inhabit it the same way.  So, you're definitely an otherworlder like me."

“Dell… are you able to go again?”

“Easily.”

She rolled out of my hug and on to her hands and knees.

“Want to try it like this?”

She wiggled her cute bare ass at me.  I gave it a soft slap.

“You sure you want to keep going, Koko?”

“Well, part of it is me wondering if I can get more experience points from you.  The other part of me just wants to be ecchi.”

“Then, I guess I need to take care of my wife’s needs, don’t I?”

I got on my hands and knees as well, tasting her spot for a little bit before mounting her from behind.  My lewd wife decided to give it her all, and I wondered if I would really be okay tomorrow.  I wonder if there are any skills related to being a sex worker?

It was a frightening thought somehow, but also exciting.

I was happy to fill her with all the experience she could take.  That’s part of the reason why I hunted so much with Sandy in the first place today. It’s already been a productive day considering I got a free stat point as a reward for working hard at work, and in the bedroom with my beloved.

Our sweaty bodies collided until I was outmatched and gave her another injection of marital bliss.  When I was spent yet again, I heard her giggle some more.

“Did it work?”

“Un.  I’m level four now.”

I looked at my experience.

 

【To Next Level:  652 EXP】

 

 One hundred experience points was taken in that exchange.

“Um, Koko… is there any way to uh… control how much you take?”

“Let me check.”

While she checked her status, I gently kissed and played with her soft butt.

“I don’t see anything that says so.  It doesn’t say if there’s an upper limit to how much I can receive from you each time, and the skill can be levelled up.”

It had the potential to be problematic.

“Oh.  There is something here…”

“What does it say?”

“I can’t rise in level past yours through this method.”

“…through this method?”

“Maybe it’s so that I can keep up with being able to support you?”

She turned around, pushing me down onto the bed and sitting on top of me.

“Dell, let me confirm one thing with you right now.  Only you have the ability to give me experience.”

“…Koko…”

“Only you, okay?”

She leaned down and kissed me passionately.  My hands continued to play with her chest and I knew she was looking after my own mental health.  After leaving my mind blank, she sat up and drew a circle with her finger around my nipple.

“Sweets.”

“Pardon?”

“The next time you come to see me, can you bring me something sweet to eat… if you can afford it?”

“Sweets for my sweet?  Not a problem!”

My time with Kokoro was running on fumes now, and it would be time to go soon.

“Dell.”

“Koko?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I chose it.”

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“Chose what?”

“Cooking.  It’s at level one, but I have it now.”

I smiled.

“I chose it too.”

“Chose what?”

“You.”

We parted for the evening, and I returned home to the Blue Robin Inn.  When I arrived, it was to both Sandy and Rennifel awaiting me in the main commons.  Sandy was being fed from a large flat dish.

“Welcome back, Mister Randell.”

“Ah, thanks.  Sorry if I was a little late getting back…”

Rennifel flashed me a knowing smile and Sandy looked up at me, giving only snort of acknowledgement before returning to the food in front of her.

“Had an enjoyable night?”

With a sheepish smile, all I could do was answer in the affirmative.

“You’ll be pleased to know that Sandy here was well behaved.  I don’t think there will be an issue with mother letting her stay.”

“That’s good to hear.  I really didn’t want to have to find somewhere else to stay…”

“This woman you’re going to see every night, is it serious between you two?”

“I’d like to think so, but I don’t think even magic can decipher a woman’s heart enough for a man to understand it.”

“You make it sound like women are some kind of mysterious creature or something.  If we were, would we bother with you boring men?”

“Boring?”

“Yup.  A woman wants two things above all;  excitement, and a full belly.  Everything after that is just being picky.”

“Does that go for you as well, oh wise one?”

“Absolutely.  And thanks to Mister Randell, I have a good source of weekly income that lets pursue a little excitement.  Since I still live here with my mother and father, I don’t have to worry about an empty belly.   Right, Sandy?”

“Ou!”

I doubted women were that simplistic, but I didn’t have a better rebuttal.  Instead I paid for services rendered, bit Rennifel a good night and let Sandy know the door to my room was open and that she was free to join me when she was done eating.

“Ouu!”

In my room at the Inn, I took off my boots and collapsed back-first onto the bed.  It was mainly a stuffed mattress on a wooden box frame underneath, but it was soft despite the many questionable stains visible on it.

A short while later the door opened and then closed.  A body climbed up on the same bed and a sweet canine face stared at me sleepily.  I reached up to scratch under her chin and right behind her ears for a little bit.

“Ou!”

After a good scratching, she began to sniff me.  Starting from my head, and winding up at a delicate part, her hair suddenly stood up on end and she began to growl.

“Sandy? What’s wrong.”

“Ou ou!”  she barked followed by a whine.

I swear it was…

Oh.

She probably smelled Kokoro on me.

“Sandy.  Before you get mad, will you listen to me for a moment?”

She just stared into my eyes.

“Sandy… have you ever had a mate?”

“Ou?”

“You know… someone you tried to make babies with?”

She began to growl again.  Was this a sensitive topic with her?

“The variant?”

She put her head down on the bed and whined.

“I take it he wasn’t a voluntary lover?”

Further growling.

“You didn’t like him?”

“OU!”

“Shhh!   I understand, but let’s keep our conversation a bit more quiet, okay?”

She stared at me some more.

“I have a mate, but she’s in a situation similar to yours perhaps.  She’s stuck in a place where there are others who do that with her, but the only one she wants to mate with is me.  She’s trapped in a situation and the variant she has to deal with isn’t so easy to defeat.  She’s also unable to run away, or I would have done so with her already.” The variant I meant here was the mark that bound her to that place.

I felt at least her gaze was now a little more sympathetic towards me.

“It’s fine if you think less of me, but if it wasn’t for her, I probably would be dead or in a much worse situation then I am now, and I certainly wouldn’t have been able to meet such a splendid Darkwolf as yourself.”

She perked her head up and barked, and I needed no translation to understand the words she said were “You’re damn right!” 

“But, since she is unable to be by my side, the only one able to keep me warm at night is you, so do me a favor and don’t steal the covers.”

“Ou?”

I sat up and then pulled the covers aside, sliding in between them.  I pat the spot next to me and Sandy obediently accepted my invitation.  I put the covers up over half of her body, and laid on my side, gently stroking her soft gray fur.  I was originally going to read more of the Grimoire written by the one who understood Vitamancy, but decided getting some shut-eye right now was the best move I could make.  After all, I had to run a few errands in the morning.  Dog bowls, and all that.  My sleep was peaceful at least.  Sandy made for a good hugging pillow and she didn’t steal the covers at all.  I guess even if she’s a wolf, as a member of the canine species, that makes her man’s best friend.

 

【Name:  Sandy Heart】

【Age: 3】【Sex: Female】

【Randell’s Companion】

【Race:  Darkwolf Matriarch】 

【Level:  03】

【To Next Level:  72 EXP】

【Unique Skill:  Pack Leader】

【Chosen Skills: (2) 1 Points Unspent】

【Dominating Howl Lv.2】

【Merciless Claw Lv.1】

【Heart of the Tempest Lv.1】

【Status: (15) 0 Points Unspent】

【Power:  7+6】

【Dexterity: 7+7】

【Vitality: 5+2】

【Mentality: 5+2】

【Faith: 1】

 

Waking up the following morning, Sandy was licking my face and biting my hand as she did her best to tug my body.

“Hm?  What is it, Sandy?”

She whined a little bit.  It was painfully obvious why she was doing that.

“Ah, you have to go, don’t you?”

She whined again.

I didn’t bother to put on my boots, I just got up and opened the door.  Sandy rushed out.  I followed her to the main commons to find she had already made it out of the front door, nearly bowling over some patrons that were entering.  I offered them an apology, and hurried out to locate her.

Then again… I decided to just wait outside the Inn.  A little while later she returned, looking much more relieved.

“Hungry?” I asked her.

“Ouuu!”

Yes, well, she’s a Darkwolf.  I have no idea what the level of her appetite is.  But, today it seems, a large breakfast was on the menu for the both of us, as I was also famished.  Heading back inside, I found the Inn’s Missus and Rennifel serving the morning patrons of this inn.  It wasn’t a small establishment, but also not a hotel or motel either.  It was something closer to a large hostel.  I had a single room, but there were both double rooms and even rooms for whole parties to share.  It might have even gone that way for the Red Hawks back then, except for the fact that Kyros and Relenna liked their nighttime privacy.

I was lucky to have Rennifel come take my order, and I made sure to order a lot of meat, especially for Sandy.

“Rennifel, know any cost-effective crafters that work with wood?”

“I do.  Why?”

“Just thinking about buying some bowls and dishes to make it easier to eat on the go, for both me and Sandy.”

“Hmm, you can try old man Fegi’s place?  Just let him know I sent you if he says he’s uninterested.”

She gave me the directions to his workshop and thankfully it wasn’t out of the way.

“Appreciate it.”

“My pleasure.”

A short while later the food was brought out, but not before my table was joined by a certain big-breasted archer.

“Good morning, Sandy.”

“Ou!”

“Can I help you with something, Melody?”

“Can you hunt on the third floor reliably?”

I shook my head.

“Not solo, and I wouldn’t dare to with Sandy just yet.  I have two other members in my party, and it’s only thanks to them that I was able to.”

“How can you do that at level five?  At that level I was barely able to hold my own on the second floor!”

“That’s because my level was reset at my tenth level class change.” I revealed.

“Your level was reset?”

I nodded, passing a number of sausages and strips of ham and bacon onto a plate for Sandy, who was fully capable of sitting at the table and eating off of it.  It was kind of cute actually.  What wasn’t cute was a certain woman who had clearly abused her daily intake of fatty foods and didn’t have manners enough to ask before pilfering someone else’s food.  It wasn’t free!

While she munched on a sausage, and some of the scrambled eggs, I gave the most basic explanation for my situation, saying there was some kind of incident and that I was given the class I wanted, but my level was reset entirely.  As if to make up for this error during the class change, my item box skill was somehow altered into something better, perhaps as godly consolation for what happened.

I didn’t feel like bringing out any words like Saint, Apostle, or Chosen just yet to her.  I’m sure the Goddess would also be understanding of my cautiousness for now, and it’s not like I lied either.  Just a certain omission of unnecessary details to someone that isn’t even an acquaintance.

“So, since you’re level five now, you’d be about level eleven or twelve then in actual diving experience?”

“Pretty much, but even then, I’m more of a support than any kind of front-line fighter.”

“Yes, you made that perfectly clear when you took on Hell Mother.”

She wasn’t going to let that go, was she?  Well, whatever.  It’s not like I have to deal with her after this.  Sandy and I finished up our food, with unwanted assistance from Melody, and then I returned to my room to get dressed for my day of diving in the dungeon.

Diving in the dungeon and killing things, especially the somewhat humanoid like goblinkind did not come easy to me in the beginning.  Having never taken a life before, it was the Kobold on the first floor that had me puking my guts out when I got my first taste of brain.  I was using a mace back then and it was one of those moments of kill or be killed and I slammed my mace down on its head and was rewarded with a face full of gray matter.

Now, over a month later, I’m pretty well adjusted to it.

I don’t think I’m a psychopath or sociopath because I can kill easily enough.  I suppose it’s no different from using a can of bug spray on a colony of cockroaches.  Sure, it’s murder, but it’s of a different species that can’t be reasoned with.  It’s kill or be killed, since they wouldn’t show mercy to me if the situation was reversed.

Or maybe it’s closer to something like a pheasant hunt.

How they were hunted to near extinction because the nobility paid well for them.  Just like how the guild pays for proofs of subjugation.  Then there’s the obvious question in regards to proofs of subjugation as well; why is it that the guild pays out just for bringing back bats teeth or goblin brains, or whatever the proof just so happens to be?

It’s something called Dungeon Equilibrium and it’s about maintaining the level of power the dungeon has.  The sentient races and the dungeons live in mutually parasitical state with each other.  Humans take the lives of creatures in the dungeons which are manifestations of its mana energy.  The dungeon takes the lives of humans full of their own mana energy and it becomes a continuous cycle of take and take.  The dungeon gives back, but only what it has already taken.  The reason humans gain experience points from fighting in the dungeon is because it’s a return of investment for the dungeon.  Humans level up and class change.  As a result they become powerful and that in turn makes up for the loss of resources when the dungeon eventually claims their life.

It’s not always a sure thing.  Life is a gamble, and sometimes there is a person strong and smart enough to get strong and rich and call it quits at the right time.

But for that one person, there are ten thousand beneath them that won’t be as capable, or as lucky.  So, by bringing back proofs of subjugation, the dungeon loses a bit of energy and without being oversaturated, the number of monsters is kept in check and what’s called a Dungeon Break doesn’t occur.

A Dungeon Break is when monsters from a deeper floor can visit a higher floor due to the saturation of mana being able to support them doing so.  It’s from the twentieth floor on that there is an affliction called Mana Sickness that occasionally plagues divers.

Think of it like the bends when diving in a submersible to certain depths.  It takes a while to get acclimatized and it’s risky.  That’s why diving from the twentieth floor to the fiftieth floor is grueling.  But when one reaches the fiftieth floor and overcomes the crisis of faith, it’s said the mana sickness that plagues divers becomes a non-issue after that.

That’s enough explanation for now.  My next stop is the workshop of old man Fegi.  It was a ten minute walk south of the Blue Robin Inn, about halfway to the brothel where my wife currently lives at.

Sandy and I entered the workship in question, which had a signboard hanging above the door with a picture of a tree trunk and a saw on it.  Inside there was a middle aged man with an impressively bald head.  He reminded me of a certain nineteen seventies police detective that enjoyed lolipops moreso than a late eighties starship captain.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for someone named Fegi?”

“Aye.  That’s me.”

“I was wondering if I could commission a few things from you?”

“I’m busy.”

“It’s not something I need done in a rush.  Well, there’s one thing I do, but I have the coin and came on a recommendation from the daughter of the Blue Robin Inn, Rennifel.”

“Auch.  That lass?”

“Did I say the wrong thing?”

He harrumphed.

“Not yet.  Well, what is it then?”

“I’d like you to make a set of bowls that would make it easy for my companion here to eat and drink out of.”

The old man had his back to me the entire time, so when turning around to see what I meant, he was suddenly face to face with Sandy who had stood up on her hind legs and put her paws on the counter to steady herself.

She reminded me of a certain little boy’s intelligent and helpful collie from an old black and white television show.

“Ouuu!”

“Auch blight my eyes!”

“Ou!”

“What’s a Darkwolf doing out of the dungeon!?”

“She’s my companion.  Sandy, this is Mister Fegi.  Say hello.”

“Ooouuuuu!”

“Companion?  Boy, are you a tamer?”

I shrugged.

“Something like that.  So, would it be possible to get two sets of wooden dishes that would make it easy for her to eat and drink out of separately?”

“Normally I’d right chase you out of my shop for bringing such a dangerous beastie into my shop…  but your request is intriguing.”

“Sandy’s not a beastie.  She’s a good girl, isn’t she, Sandy?”

I scratched behind her ears gently, and while her tail swished back and forth she howled cutely.  It seems her display of being “tamed” was enough to break through the grumpy exterior of the old man.

“I presume you have the coin?”

“I do.  I’m also in the market for any dishes and utensils you might have lying around as well that you can add to the order when it’s done.”

“Two sets of bowls for eating out of you said?”

“Yes.  We room at the Blue Robin, so I’d like a set to keep there, and another set for my item box, so I can let her eat in the dungeon without her food getting all dirty from being on the ground.”

“Yer a strange one, boy.”

“I don’t mind if you think that.”

“Alright.  Come back before sundown.”

“Thanks!”

“Hmph.”

I could tell he wanted to pet Sandy.  “Her favorite place is behind the ears.”

The old man hesitated at first, but reached for her head.  Sandy obediently gave him permission and he scratched her carefully behind the ears.

“Auch.  Alright, out with you both.”

“Come on, Sandy.  We’ve got work to do today.”

“Ouu!”

With her tail wagging behind her, we left the shop and headed back north to the Dungeoneer’s Guild.  When we both arrived, Teresa and Gonzo were there waiting for us.

And so was another problem.

“Melody?”

Gonzo, to his credit was doing incredibly well.  In his effort to avoid staring at Melody’s incredible assets, was instead doubly focused on Teresa’s.  I could really feel the creepy obsessive love.

“You’ve met her already, Randell?”  Teresa asked me.  “Myria just finished introducing us.”

“Did she now…?”

Melody’s arms were crossed under her chest, giving her a certain oomph factor.  I’m not so easily tempted because my wife’s are better, and they make me stronger.

“Is… there a problem?”

“No.  No problem at all.  Shall we get going Gonzo, Teresa?”

I turned around, ignoring Melody and started walking out of the Guild.  Teresa and Gonzo followed, but then so did Melody, who was already complaining.

“What’s with you?”

“What’s with me what?  I’m going into the dungeon.”

“Aren’t you going to add me to your party?”

“…why would I do that?”

“Didn’t Myria say your party needed an Archer?”

“That’s what Teresa requested of her to search our for our party.  An archer and someone good with defending.”

I continued walking.  This time Teresa moved fast enough to catch up with me.

“Randell?  What’s the deal?”

“I don’t like her attitude.”

“That’s a bit of a petty attitude to have.”

I shrugged.

“Can you give her a chance, at least?” Teresa asked me.  I sighed.  “Also, what’s with the Darkwolf?”

I stopped.

“Do you remember the one I tried to heal that ended up dying?”

“Yeah?”

“This is her.”

“I’ve never heard of that kind of necromancy before that could restore flesh and blood.”

“It’s a similar skill…  I asked you about it, remember?  This is Vitamancy.”

“Vitamancy…?”

“Yeah, when the original wolf died, she gave up her concentrated essence.  I was able to create her from that essence.  It’s a bit different from Duster, but she’s much the same to me now as he is to you.”

Teresa stared at Sandy for a bit before continuing on the previous topic.

“Just let her join for today.  If it’s as poxin’ bad as you seem to think it is, I’ll give up on her and we’ll look for someone else.”

I relented and handed over my guild card to Teresa.

“I’m going to buy some stall food so we have something to munch on.  Sandy is a big eater.  Meet at the entrance when you’ve got it sorted.”

Teresa nodded.

“Let’s go decide on what to eat for later, girl.” I said to Sandy as I walked away from Teresa.

“Ouuuuu!”

A few stalls later and with many freshly stored hot skewers of glazed meat put into the Divine Treasury, the three of them met up with Sandy and I at the entrance.

“Where should we start today?”  Teresa asked.

“You all can hunt on the third floor, right?” Melody inquired.

“Gonzo and I can, but Randell’s a bit new to it.”

“Let’s try it out.  I’ve been stuck in Goblin Land for way too long trying to find a capable party.  I also saw the pile of Darkwolves in the warehouse out back, so I know you guys are good.  I’m no slouch either, and I’m good at spotting Drop Ropes and even know a trick or two to chase away Kicksies.”

Teresa turned her gaze to me and I shrugged.

“Whatever.  If it’s too much for Sandy then I’ll go back to the second floor until she’s stronger.”

With that being the agreement, we stepped on the teleportation portal and all of us transferred to the third floor.

It was proof that Melody wasn’t fibbing.  If you hadn’t cleared the previous boss, even if you were in a party with others who had, it would be impossible to teleport to the same floor if you yourself hadn’t cleared it.

It was just a law of the dungeon.

The third floor was The Night Forest.  A singular cavern with a large ceiling and full of gnarled trees and countless shadows.  It was also the original home of my companion, Sandy.

“OOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!”

She suddenly howled once we arrived.  Was it a declaration that she was home?

Teresa also began her summoning of Duster who dug himself out of the ground in the space where the physical bone of his original body touched after being stained in Teresa’s blood.

Duster stared at me and then down at Sandy.

“Ou!”

Clack.

“Ouu ouuuuu!”

Clack.

I retrieved the equipment Duster had been using the day before for him to use today as well.  The heavy hammer, the quality rapier, the open face helmet and the red cloak.

I receive a clack in thanks.

“Duster, by chance can you communicate with Sandy?”

Clack clack.

No?

It was followed by a long series of clacks that I swear to Alurian was an actual laugh.

“Right.  Anyway.  I guess it’s good to take a moment and introduce each other…

I’m Randell, I use a spear and can use Grace of the Whirlwind to increase your movement speed and also Alurian’s Heal which should recover most non-fatal wounds.  This one here is Sandy, she’s a Darkwolf from this floor and she has a howl that can disorient both friend and foe.  It takes some time to get used to, but it should be more helpful than harmful.”

“I’m Teresa, a Necromancer and follower of Grimlock.  Duster here is my skeleton summon, and this guy over here is my lover, Gonzo, he’s good with the sword.”

“Yo!”

It was Melody’s turn now.

“I’m Melody.  I’m a follower of Shandriel, and an Archer.  I’m shit at close combat, but I make up for it with my mid and long range skills with the bow.  I also have a special skill called Maze Runner which lets me know roughly where we are in the dungeon at any given time.”

That sounds like a useful skill.  I’d never seen it before on the skill list though… was it a unique skill?  If so, she might be worth putting up with should something happen to Duster.

“With introductions out of the way, shall we get started?” I said, and that’s exactly what we did.

We began our conquest of the third floor.  Our goal was as many Horny Rabbits as we could fit in my item box so I could get paid and get laid!

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