Chapter 46: Chapter 46 – Hugh: Larry the LARPer

I absolutely loved waking up in bed next to a naked girl. Even if nothing else the system did turned out to be of world shattering importance, this one perk had earned my undying gratitude.

It hit me suddenly that I’d actually had sex. I was no longer a virgin. Wild. I mean, I figured it would happen at some point in my life eventually, but, a week ago, I hadn’t even had any prospects for it.

Those thoughts brought with them a fair amount of guilt. I’d read that girls tend to really fall for guys they have sex with, that it actually does something to their brain. Considering how modern women seemed to act, I wasn’t sure that my information was correct, especially since I couldn’t recall the exact source, but, for Nat at any rate, I could see that happening.

I certainly felt deep loyalty and affection for her. Being in an exclusive, committed relationship with her? Great. But love? That was such a strong emotion. I wasn’t sure if I was even capable of feeling that to the extent that she did. I just hoped that what I could give her would be enough.

Those worries were for another day, though. More so than at any time in my life, I was feeling immense pressure to push myself every minute of every day. Exercising at the gym. Meeting with the man who’d I’d named Larry the LARPer in my head to learn how to fight with litrpg appropriate weapons, doing anything necessary to help Nat and now Julia to level, and, of course, I still had classes and schoolwork.

Nat had stirred when my alarm had gone off but had apparently fallen back into slumber as I’d silenced it quickly. I eased myself over her, trying not to touch her nude form. If I did, one or both of us might decide to continue on to matters that I simply didn’t have time for.

Despite my sound reasoning, I was regretful as I managed to extricate myself without further disturbing her. I consoled myself with the fact that I’d have time and opportunity for such activities much more often in the future. Then I grimaced. Not likely today, though. Our schedules didn’t mesh at all, and she would be going to pick up Julia. We’d have no alone time tonight.

I grinned when I remembered the quest that she’d agreed to last night. Literally until the moment I’d fallen asleep, I’d expected her to realize that she’d promised to be naked in her apartment while Julia was staying there.

Well, I’d give her a little more time to realize it. If she did and asked me to change the terms before I actually sent the quest, I’d do it. At some point, though, I was going to send it whether she realized the implications or not, and, once that happened, there was nothing I could do. It wasn’t like I’d care if she didn’t end up going through with it.

Of course, it was possible that Nat had already realized what her agreement meant, and it just wasn’t a big deal to her. I didn’t think that was the case, but it was possible. Or maybe she wanted to push her boundaries by being naked with her friend.

As far as I was concerned, as long as it was ultimately her choice, it wasn’t really my business.

I exited the bathroom thanking myself for my foresight in buying that toothbrush. Yesterday, not brushing had felt really weird to me, and I felt much better now. Since I’d put a duffle with workout clothes in my trunk, I had absolutely nothing that compelled me to go back to my dorm before heading to the sports complex. I could just change in the locker room.

So that was what I did. And, after a grueling thirty three minutes on an exercise bike and a quarter hour spent catching my breath and guzzling water from the fountain, I left. Hopefully, exercise would get easier at some point. Of course, when that happened, my next step would be to increase the time and/or intensity, making it just as bad. Ugh. There was no getting around it. Exercise sucked.

I went back to my dorm, showered, changed, and made it to my first class of the day with plenty of time to spare. I’d just sat down when I got a series of texts from Nat.

<Ok. This is difficult for me, so please don’t even respond. I’m sending these and erasing them immediately. I want to forget this ever happened.>

That condition was acceptable. I stared at my phone, waiting with bated breath for her to continue.

<I imagine sometimes that I’m with a guy I like, and we’re active in THAT way.>

<In my imagination, he comes over to my apartment with rope.>

<He ties each of my wrists and each of my ankles to a different corner of the bed.>

<I’m naked with no way to cover myself. Completely at his mercy.>

<God! I’m getting so hot just writing this. Literally never mention this to me ever. This never happened.>

<Then he plays with me for hours. He’s very gentle. Lots of kissing and caressing.>

<Oh God! I can’t believe I’m writing this. And I am NOT saying you should do this last part.>

I grinned. She was basically telling me to tie her up and gently kiss and caress her for hours. Message received. I couldn’t wait to find out what was next. If not for my control skill, I would have been busting out with a huge erection right there in class.

<He keeps getting me really, really close to finishing, but he doesn’t let me get all the way there.>

<I read that part in a story, and, when the protag was finally allowed to finish, it was described as being the most amazing feeling she’d ever experienced.>

<There. Happy now?>

That seemed to call for a response despite her asking me not to. I figured two emojis would be appropriate. First I sent a happy face because I was definitely happy. Then I sent a campfire because, wow, was that ever hot.

The professor walked in at that point, and she was death on texting during class. I had to put my phone away. Nat hadn’t sent any new texts when I checked it an hour later.

Well, she’d had a chance to change her mind about her weeklong commitment, right? I generated a quest, Naked At Home, and sent it to her. I made sure that the terms of the quest spelled out a week starting today. 175 XP. Respectable.

Nat texted almost immediately. <Oops. We forgot. Julia will be staying over tonight. Can’t start the quest until tomorrow.>

<I didn’t forget ;)>

<What? Hugh, you can’t expect me to be naked with her there.>

I didn’t respond.

<Hugh. Come on!>

I still didn’t respond.

<She’s my guest. I don’t feel right making my guest feel uncomfortable.>

That was a valid point. Or, it would have been if I thought for an instant that Nat being naked would make Julia uncomfortable in any way. From what I’d observed of the blonde girl, she’d think it was absolutely hysterical.

<Good point. You should ask her. If she’s not comfortable with it, you shouldn’t do it.>

I laughed thinking about Nat’s face when she read that. She knew Julia better than I did, and I took it as confirmation of my prediction of Julia’s reaction when Nat’s next text took a different tack.

<Hugh, if you make me do this, I’m swear I’m going to take the Bi-Curious skill, and I will not be held responsible for what happens.>

You are reading story The ENF System at novel35.com

I sent three campfire emojis.

<I’m serious. I’ll do it. Julia and I will be sharing that tiny bed and I’ll be naked. I don’t think I’ll be able to resist cheating on you, and it will be your fault.>

That time, I sent five campfire emojis.

<You don’t care? Really? I can just cheat on you and you don’t care???>

That was actually a tough question. I wasn’t naturally a jealous person, and I had no desire to control what she did when she was away from me or who she did it with. On the other hand, cheating was a betrayal, and I did not ever want to do that to her. Relationships should be reciprocal, so I felt that she shouldn’t, therefore, betray me in the manner. So, her engaging in sexual activities with other guys would be problematic for me.

Maybe this was non-progressive of me, but, as long as there was no intent to betray me emotionally, I just didn’t perceive her doing similar activities with girls in the same light as if she was doing them with a guy other than me.

I sent, <Guys are off limits, but nothing you do with a girl counts as cheating.>

Before she had a chance to respond, I thought of something and sent another text. <You have my explicit permission to do anything and everything with a girl as long as you tell me about it. Preferably in great detail. Preferably while I’m in bed with you. Or, better, video it and send it to me. Better yet, let me watch while it happens.>

I concluded that with another campfire emoji.

She didn’t respond, and I wondered if I went too far. I didn’t think so, but it was difficult to tell over text.

By the time classes ended, I was officially worried that I hadn’t received anything else from her, and I was tempted to tell her not to bother with the quest. Then again, it should be obvious to her by this point that she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. Even if she was concerned about disappointing me, she had to know that we could easily find some way for her to make it up to me.

Though somewhat troubling, I managed to put it out of my mind as I focused on my next task of the day. I’d emailed the address for Larry the LARPer that I’d found on the club website, and he’d responded relatively quickly with his number. A few texts to arrange things later, and we had an appointment to meet up this afternoon. Since the address he gave me was close to campus, I walked.

Upon getting close, the first thing that I noticed was a car with the same LARPing sticker that Amy had on hers parked near a driveway. That car also had a university parking tag. Walking a little further got me past a large fence and revealed a tall, thin guy about my age with a close cropped beard standing on a porch holding a sword.

I didn’t even have to look at the address to know that I was at the right place.

“Hi,” I called out. “Larry?”

“Yeah. Hugh?”

 I walked toward him as he came down the stairs. When we reached each other, he held out his hand, which I took.

“Well met,” he said.

I liked the greeting. Kind of archaic but also not far out of the norm. It fit the image of a HEMA practicing LARPer that I had in my mind.

“You as well,” I said.

“So, your communications noted that you had an interest in learning how to use a sword,” he said.

I nodded.

“To be frank, I meet a lot of guys who want to learn how to use a sword. They want to pretend to slay dragons in the LARPing club or horse around with their friends or even join in real tournaments,” he said, his voice and expression serious. “Most of them don’t last more than a lesson or two. HEMA is a serious, technically challenging sport, requiring hard work. It is not randomly swinging a sword around and having fun.”

“If it wasn’t hard work, it probably wouldn’t help me.”

“Obviously, that’s what I want to hear, and, again, it’s what most of those guys say. At first. Until their arms start to hurt. Why, specifically, are you interested in HEMA?”

I did not like lying. I also did not like anyone calling the cops because a crazy man showed up wanting to use the pointy weapons. I figured my best bet was a modified version of the truth.

“Do you read litrpg?” I asked. “Specifically apocalyptic ones?”

“I’ve encountered a few, and I know some LARPers have been inspired to join by such stories. Even a few HEMA members have found their way to us from mentions in one work or another.”

“Well, that’s kind of why I’m here. I have this unshakeable feeling that an actual litrpg apocalypse is going to happen soon, so I’m here to prepare for that.”

Larry barked out a laugh. “You’re serious?”

“I am.”

“Hmm. And your first thought was to use a sword? Guns might be a more practical choice.”

“I have, in fact, considered that route, but cost is a concern as is running out of ammunition as is the fact that a lot of litrpg apocs render them useless.”

Honestly, guns were a major consideration, and I could have probably withstood the hit on my bank account to buy a cheap one. My gut was telling me that wasn’t the right approach, however. My thinking was that it would be easy enough to pick up a shotgun, which to the best of my knowledge didn’t require a ton of practice or knowledge to use, in the event that my instincts turned out to be wrong.

“It’s hard to argue with that logic,” he said.

I grinned. “It kind of sounds like you’re saying it’s hard to argue with crazy.”

“Nope. Not at all.”

“So you don’t think I’m crazy.”

“Oh, I absolutely think you’re crazy, but it’s a good kind of crazy as far as I’m concerned,” Larry said. “Come on into the back and we’ll get started.”

You can find story with these keywords: The ENF System, Read The ENF System, The ENF System novel, The ENF System book, The ENF System story, The ENF System full, The ENF System Latest Chapter