Embedded Files
Author's Note:
You thought it was Thienlibra
But it was actually me, Bob
And for that one reader who gave me a sandwich last time
I hope you have a good day, my sir
May God bless you for your kindness
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A person's mind cannot be changed easily
No matter what one would like to claim through the power of friendship and plot armor in every Isekai manga they've read, everything we do is to make the choices most beneficial to us
We. Are. Selfish. Beings
Pursuing our goals on a path of bloodshed, trampling on everything we encountered on the way. We are shaped by the experiences we gained, an accumulation of different desires, forming into the ultimate mindset that is our identity, our real alter ego
Change. How laughable. You cannot change the essence of a person
People only like changes when it is useful to them. Merely a stepping stone to achieve what they desires. Revenge. Self-satisfaction. War. Violence
"I disagree"
"I agree"
"I disagree"
"I disagree with your disagreement"
"No you"
"Voice command not recognized, please try again"
Sianna Khan hand balled into a fist as she slammed it down on the wooden table. She stood up from her seat, eyes blazing with frustration as she stared eye-to-eye to the woman in front of her
"I will NOT join forces with you" Her whisper carried the fury of a thousand tiger, yet as chilling as the twilight of a late summer's night "In spite of such a tempting proposal, our method are unfortunately too incompatible with each other to even attempt to achieve a common goal like this. Your efforts in coming here are wasted"
"Or is it?" Contrary to the other Faunus's peaking rage, Kali Belladonna was entirely composed. Her only reaction to the outburst was to take another sip of her tea "That attitude of yours would have sound intimidating if you were...well intimidating"
"You-" Sienna tried to lunge across the table to choke the hell out of the cat milf, but was thankfully held back by her subordinates "-Are you mocking me?!"
She yelled, pointing at the cat woman in fury
"No, no no no no! Of course not!" Kali waved her hand frantically, trying to clear the misunderstanding between them with an apologetic look in her eyes
"....."
".....pft, yeah I totally am"
If it weren't for her position as the Matriarch of Menagerie, every single people in this room right now would have but a bullet in the woman's head
Setting the cup down on her tray, she sighed "Look, Sienna. I understand your thought. I've known you ever since you were a little child-"
"You were the reason why my parents have a divorce, you whore"
"Anyhow, anyway, it doesn't matter. We all makes some small mistakes in our youth" She waved her hand "What I want to say is that this alliance that I propose isn't necessarily built on a mutual understanding of one's method, but rather the precarious situation behind it. Please, if you'll listen to me, perhaps you won't make such hasty assumptions"
Feline amber eyes narrowed in suspicion, yet waver at the woman's resolute look. With a sigh, Sienna sat down on her chair once more, her hands intertwined in front of her. Searching gazes of a woman who had experienced the warfare between races bored deep into Kali's yellow orbs
"It all started with a meeting with an individual" Kali recounted "A Faunus named (Y/n) who seems to come to visit this island from the outside"
Sienna raised her eyebrow, but nonetheless stayed silent
"We had a conversation at the market....it was strange, to be honest" She smiled "The way he carried himself, it reminds me of a wolf....lone, prideful, coldly perceptive, with a searching gaze that could pierce into your soul and read everything inside it"
Maybe he did, Kali thought. Those crimson orbs seems to be searching, wandering, and wondering when they first met. Those eyes that speaks of hidden violence, yet a peaceful resolve were hidden underneath it
She had killed a fair share of people when she was young, so the Belladonna Matriarch knows an assassin when she sees one. He emits a killer intent of a thousand screaming souls, all of which sang out in the tone of agony that he inflicted upon himself
It pained her heart to see one as young as him to be so distance from other, so she approach him- she want to find out more about this person, to find out what had happened to make him the person he is now, bathing in a sea of blood and pain
Little did Kali knew, that same young man will change her entire world view with just a few simple words
She shifted, and the temperature in the room decreased by several degree
"Our life...our fate...our identity" She started "...It's all a big Onahole filled with knives"
"....."
"In retrospect, I should have phrased it better" She sighed "But have you really think about it?"
"Our life, an amalgamation of unstable arbitrary events, affecting us, molding us and turning us into the person we know today, like how one's sex toy would be molded once their penis has been inserted into them. No matter how much we resist, pumping and squeezing between the flow of the Onahole known as "life", ultimately the penis that is "change" will eventually pierced through us"
"The Atlas military is the warning bell that alerted us of the current situation. Either they are unintentionally oppressing us or actually looking for a casus beli, we are handling it poorly. Ghira is insisting on preserving the traditional method of peacekeeping: Diplomacy. But there's only so much mere words can do without the actual authority to back it up"
"So...yes, our life now really is just a trap onahole. Filled with uncertainty of our fate lest we plunge head-first into it"
It was something that she learned only a day ago. It's been the talk of the town as to who had started it
Kali had to admire the sheer wisdom that contained in those words
"Pft" She raised an eyebrow at the other woman, who's silently chuckling. That was an unexpected reaction "Hahhh, it's funny you made that comparison of life being an Onahole"
"Why?"
"because..." Sienna drawled "I also heard the same thing, uttered by a certain someone I sees at my favorite bar, his name is (Y/n) I think. A really interesting individual"
Kali's breath hitched in her throat
Her eyes dashed around the room, looking for any signs of recognition on the other party's side. None of them seems to know who (Y/n) is nor his identity. She then lowered her gaze back down at Sienna
"H-how did you meet him?"
"Hmm? No, I just happens to sit near him when he began that rant. With how enthusiastic he was about it, anybody would be compelled to listen"
'He planned this' She realized not a moment too late 'No, he predicted this would happen and made plans to alter the course of my action according to his wish. Even when I had first met him, it was already thought out beforehand'
The revelation brought a chill to her spine
His every word that triggers certain thoughts within her, leading to both women unknowingly taking the path he had set out before her without even being aware of it
Or perhaps she herself is just imagining this?
What if all he's done is to give her a single push in a certain direction, and like a boat sailing in the wind, she followed suit? It wasn't that he himself is actively controlling her action, because Kali knew damn well this is what she had been wanting for years, but all (Y/n) did...was to give them a choice?
Her head throbbed in aching pain at the realization
A master at psychological manipulation they say. A natural-born liar with a silver tongue. A sadistic killer that revel in one's despair as they have called him. It was obvious as to who (Y/n) is. After all, the Atlesian army came all the way here to search for him- even when it mean one would have to risk your relationship with another race
The Grim
She shook her head, trying to clear the thought away
'It doesn't matter, even if the subject of our current predicament is here, we can't exactly bring him to the government' Her eyes narrowed 'Doing so would solve nothing in the long scheme, no matter how much Ghira thought otherwise. Our relationship with the other nations and human in general would remain at it's current level'
While she didn't exactly despise her husband, she isn't in love with him either. Their marriage was not one made out of voluntary will- merely something her parents had thought would be a good match for her. She has no obligation and duty to serve him aside from giving them a heir to inherit the position of chief Menagerie
And now with that duty completed, she held no more ties with her husband, except from being the one to take care of their child of course. If she disagrees with him, that is only to be expected
'If I were to risk it and venture my guess, The Grim may be our only hope to salvaging this situation' She took a deep breath 'From what I've personally seen, he's better than most self-proclaimed pacifist I've met in my life. Way better'
"I believe that nothing eternal would be unaffected by the natural force known as "change", Sienna" She leaned forward "Again, while our approach to the same problem may differ and our ideology contrasting with each other, our goals are still the same: To seek for TRUE equality"
(Y/n) had said that no matter how noble one's ideal was, nothing can be done about it if one weren't willing to act. Strength are needed to fuel conviction, and mere idealistic words are nothing more than ramble of a coward
"The time has come, changes has to be made, it NEEDs to be made, lest our children will suffer, lest our people will riot in desperation, lest us broken by these....humans" Kali growled at them "We shall trained our men for preparation of an all-out war, the objective is not to survive, but to advance as a specie and elevate our position in this world and putting an end to all the racial oppression we had suffered"
"No longer will we standby and do nothing" She stood up, her figure tall and proud- not that of the Belladonna Mistress, but one that of the heiress of the Belladonna clan, a family known for their power during the Great War that led their first revolution on human
"We shall fight on the beach. We shall fight on the landing ground. We shall fight on the fields and streets. We shall fight in the hills, for we, the people of Menagerie, will never surrender"
A knife appeared in her hand and, before Sienna and either of her guards can react, Kali slit it across her palm, drawing a line of blood that dripped out from her hand
"Because, as representative of the White Fang, it is in my best interest to keep the peace between our kind" She let the blood flowed freely, before extending her hand toward the woman sitting opposite of her "And, sometime, war must be waged, blood must be spilled, and people must die to keep to make their ideals become a reality"
There is no false nor true when one look at a problem
Strength is the absolute truth of all creation. It always had been. Like (Y/n) had said, it matters not if one was right. Other people with opposing opinions will always try to trample on it, even if it means using pure force to do so
"Sivis Pacem, Para Bellum" Sienna's eyes flashed in understanding as she pulled out a knife of her own, placed it on her palm and slid the edge across the surface of her delicate skin. Blood soon dripped out, much in the same manner as that of Kali's "I understand, no more words are needed"
"Tonight, the Old Fang and the New Fang will join forces. An alliance made between blood of the Old and the Young" She said, also putting her open palm forward as both Sienna and Kali clasped them together in a handshake "Together, we shall form a revolution "
Kali smiled in satisfaction
"...."
"For the record, I still haven't forgive you for breaking my parent's marriage all those years ago"
"It's not my fault your mom is that hot"
"Shut up you filthy woman"
Both women laughed under the moonlight of Menagerie, over a broken bond, now united under one banner with a common goal- salvation that of their kind.
'If it hadn't been for the Grim's help, I wouldn't have gotten the other side's approval. I wonder just what meticulously crafted plan must be going on in that brilliant mind of his right now'
People's mind cannot be easily changed
Kali Belladonna's personality cannot be so trivially altered. Perhaps at the core, she is still the cute and pacifist cat girl we have come to know and love through the scope of RWBY. For Kali, or our perception of Kali through limited means had shown us just who she truly is
But this is different. When you look at a something through a tube, you tend to miss the other aspect that remained on it. The what if's, the unrevealed, the mystery, the gap waiting to be filled. Her history, her past, her true character
The reason for what we known as "fanfiction", to explore the unknown side and delve into the depth of their character
Some may even blame a certain Grimm for this change. They may claim it is the Emperor's Aura that had messed with her psyche and resulted in this desperate Kali who had taken preemptive actions in the height of paranoia. A Kali many would consider OOC and dangerous
Surely a meeting with an individual on the street would not change so much.
But that is not true
For the Emperor's Aura does not change people. It did more than that. But as to what it does exactly....
No one knows, and no one will. Like a ripple that spread through this world, the foreigner's presence will one day become a force of nature in itself
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I blinked
"Nightbringer...."
"Yes, captain?"
The ship girl- no, the Leviathan looked up at me, her crimson eyes deep in joy and excitement. Judging by that look, I can tell she already regain her former strength, if not surpassing that threshold here. That means now she is a full-fledged Grimm, unbound by her wooden vessel of the Morningstar
And oh boy did she changed
Thick, black armored plate wrapped around her beautiful figure- Likely the transformation from her Grimm scale to human form. Blue curls cascading down her neck, extending just below her shoulder blade as they swayed in the gentle breeze around us in a wild fashion.
Her form, though encumbered with the heavy protection, did nothing to hide the generous figure underneath. She moved closer to me, her steps filled with elegance unexpected from a supposedly savage beast, yet also with unbridled agility at the same time
Okay, seriously...does Grimm girls- or just Grimm in general- gets more attractive whenever they evolve, or is it just a problem of genes?
I exhaled, looking around at the vast expanse of water before me. Everywhere I turned my head, there stood the water surface, without a single turf of land in sight. The only way I'm standing now is due to me using [Greater Aura Manipulation] to balance myself on the surface tension by coating my feet in it
The Instant Dungeon's first level, Death Sea, looks noticeably different from what I've seen when I first unlocked it here. Gone was the fierce wind blowing through my hair, gone was the black clouds that filled the sky, even the thunderclap sounds in the distance were nowhere to be heard. Right now the sea looks peaceful
Well, as peaceful as a place called [Death Sea] can be that is
But the sky is still a heavy shade of red, and the water still looks blackish, which points out to the fact that this is exactly the place where I'd dropped her down. There's no mistaking it
"What happened here?"
"Whatever could you mean?" The Grimm tilted her head
"I mean...why does this place looks different from last time?"
Nightbringer's gaze changed into that of apprehension
"I'm sorry, I had thought you wouldn't feel comfortable with the storm-like atmosphere here, so I changed it" She brought her gaungleted hand up and set them in the position for a snap and looked at me expectantly "I could alter it again if you see fit"
Ah, of course. She's a Leviathan who can control rain and storm in general, I almost forgot
"No need, the weather's fine" I nodded "And the monsters here?" I assumed she'd already killed them all, but still need to make sure
"You don't have to worry about them" The Leviathan waved her hands "I've commanded them to stay down for the time being lest you find them...unsightly"
What? You can now even control marine monsters?
"....Just give me a few seconds"
Shit, I should have looked through the alert window before coming here. Mentally calling on my notification log, I browsed through the different segments that is divided according to days and repeatedly scroll up, finally coming to a halt at the top where the newest one popped up just an hour ago
[Nightbringer] has successfully conquered the ID's First Floor: [Death Sea]
Time: 38 : 40 : 35
Enemies Killed: 53,040
[Nightbringer] has received [Item: Aqua Trident]
My eyes were drawn to the weapon strapped to her back. A long, three point weapon coated in gold and mossy pattern, yet still radiates a sense of power to anyone who looked at it. Every time she turned around, the glint on it's surface glistened, as though flaunting around it's aura of magnanimity to everyone
[Aqua Trident]: An item that boost one's proficiency with water magic. When equipped,
- [Water Domain]
- [Davy Jone's Locker]
- [Challenger's Deep]
- [Monarch of the Sea]
Special Skills can only be used by a lvl100 [Floor Guardian]
Nightbringer had tried offering the thing to me when we met here as a gift of appreciation, but it seems the the weapon can only be wielded by whoever claimed it first. The 'First come, first served' rules still hold true in the game, I guess
To be truthful, I'm not that fond of mid-range melee, so she can have it to herself. I don't mind. The girl did earn it after all
I'm not that much of a douchebag as to rob someone off the labor of their hardwork.
But a small favor on the other hand...
Due to clearing this Dungeon on [Nightmare] difficulty in one go, an Experience Multiplier has been added to their reward: (2.5 x 2)= x5 EXP = 1,107,820 EXP
Ding!
[Nightbringer] has evolved into [Abyssal Leviathan]
[High-tier Magic Resistance II] has been learned
[Thunder Magic III] has been learned
[Wind Magic I] has been learned
[Water Magic V] has been learned
[Lord's Authority I] has been learned
[Nightbringer] is now level 124!
She really did give it her all....this girl has got my respect
I smiled
"How did you managed to clear this place so quickly by yourself?"
Normally, an average raid-boss would take at least a team of fully equipped characters to clear out. to go solo leveling like that at such a high difficulty would mean exhausting labor since you have to fend for yourself with no support, which is a risky business. But on the other hand you'd be able to get all the loot to yourself, which kinda balanced out
Heh, get it? Solo Leveling?.....
Puns aside, I'm still curious as to how she did it
"I noticed the smaller, weaker prey stop appearing if you slay the stronger ones. By that logic, I just need to kill the biggest, baddest creature in here if I ever want to end the wave. And killing them gives me greater strength compared to the other ones here" A smile graced her lips "Well, as you can see I kind of cheated a little"
"Ha, you can't cheat if there are no rules, you silly girl" I flicked her nose, to which she smiled happily at me
It was then another window caught my attention
You have earned [Title: Dungeon Administrator]
[Dungeon Administrator/ DA]: Allows you to run the management of floors you've conquered in the ID and it's inhabitant
You can now edit the terrain of the dungeon floors you've conquered
You can now appoint a [Floor Guardian] to each dungeons you've conquered
You can now traverse between any floors of the dungeons you've conquered
[NPC Creations] will be unlocked once you've reached lvl200
Where's the NPC points? WHERE'S THE NPC POINTS?!
Before I can lose my cool, the undead passive reached out and took it's hold on me, enabling me to calm my head down and think about this logically. Slowly, I stood there and began to mull over the newly-received information, trying to sort them out to the best of my knowledge
So...just like a certain tomb from a certain anime about a certain skeleton overlord, a strange ability has been given to me that allows me to hold the highest authority to others in my own dungeon.
Naturally, with the power of editing I should began immediately and try to turn this place into the most secured location on the world. Upping it's defense, changing the layout of this place, and probably try to decorate it a little for appearance's sake
But then again, the dungeon itself is already located in a whole different reality. I doubt anybody would be able to pass it in the first place. But then of course, it also means I can completely barricade myself from the outside world and spend the rest of my life peacefully living here
The thought itself is dangerously tempting
Ugh. In no way would I imagine this can happen just by unlocking a classic skill in Gamer fiction. Words cannot describe the sheer potential in which this thing can benefit me. I was happy, of course, but this is just too sudden
You know I never believe in a free meal. Something about this entire ordeal is shady to me
"Uh...Captain, you alright there?"
I sighed
"Don't call me that. I am not your captain"
"Huh? I- ho- What do you mean?" Her eyes showed panic "Have I somehow displeased you? Are you disappointed because I'm still not strong enough?"
How the hell did you arrive at such a conclusion?
Your logical thinking astounded me
"Nightbringer"
"Damn it, I knew I should have took my time and kill every single one of them instead of rushing the entire thing" She cursed "That way I could have still-"
Gee, calm down
Why is it that every girl I talked to always assume the worst thing whenever I speak to them?
"Nightbringer"
I took out a ring and tossed it to her, to which she caught out of reflex. It was the [Captain's Ring] I received when Morningstar first come into my possession, she's still unable to speak to me back then
It basically allows me to command her, whether if the ship wants it or not. The Leviathan herself has explained that it's a thing for previous Pirate Lords to make a deal with her: In which they will sink at least one ship every three days and she'll let them command her power on the sea. The contract automatically end when one side has their life expired
As much as I'd like the prospect of playing Blackbeard riding a Grimm disguised as a ship to traverse the entire ocean to myself, there's no merit to it in the long run
"The captain controls the ship" I looked at her warmly "And you are the master of your own sails"
If I relinquish control to her now, a lot more will be gained from my side
"But captain....." Nightbringer looked at the ring in her hand, rolling it between the inside of her palm "...First you freed me as a ship...take me in...then you actually revert me back to my old self...how am I supposed to repay you with this?"
Even if she were to
"Well, there's no need to compensate me or something like that" I lied as smoothly as I breathe "But, if you insist...perhaps I can have a few favor in the future when I need it"
"Of course"
"Then...since I've helped you three times, how about you do the same and grant me three requests that I may be able to call for your help? Of course, you don't necessarily has to-"
"I accept, you have my words for it"
Hook. Line. And sinker
Now, you would be wondering which things will I be asking from her. I've already had plans for that, one that may prove convenient for me much later in the future. but that's secret I'm keeping to myself
She crushed the metal ring in her hand, before clamping her mouth on all of it's pieces and gulping them down. I watched in content as the girl seemed more at ease than before, now that she's finally gaining full control of her body once more
Yep. Swallow it all girl, you deserve this reward after all
"Listen" Sighing, I turned my back to her, at the same time the ID portal materialized in front of me "Until I return here myself, you stay in here and wait for me, okay?"
It honestly feels like telling a dog to stay at home.....
As much as I'd like to throw her into the sea and be done with it, doing so would only draw attention to me from the Atlesian guards outside. Nightbringer will just have to wait for a maximum of three days until she can finally be free
"Okay" She nodded obediently "Please, one more thing. Since you're not my captain anymore, what should I addressed you as from now on?"
As long as it's not something embarrassing, anything goes
"Just call me by my name is fine" A pause "It's (Y/n) (L/n) in case you've forgotten"
"I will make sure to etch it into my memory for eternity. The things you've done for me...I will never forget it" The Leviathan smiled
"Haaa, seriously. I already told you it's nothing much"
Since I've already gained something from it, you thanking me for that would honestly make me feel like a scum
"I just need you to get stronger. Devour anything in your path to absolute dominance. Conquer the sea and it's monsters. Traverse the depth of the unknown. For there are much of the world you haven't seen yet"
[Emperor's Aura II] has been activated
The text went unseen by (Y/n), who is busy thinking up of ways he could sweeten the favor by basically forcing Nightbringer to further her influence over her brethren
'Well, it wasn't necessary. But to make sure I can gain the most out of this she has to first become the strongest Grimm underwater and gain control of multiple sea regions. That will considerably benefits me in the future'
Let's call it an investment of sort
I had no doubt about the potential of this girl. Being able to recover from thousands of tons of explosive being ignited inside her belly, yet can regain her strength this fast in such a short amount of time is no simple matter, and that is not taken into account her age.
That is simply a matter of time before she can achieve her full potential. From what I've learned just now, each Grimm Lord possess something called [Lord's Authority] that allows them to intimidate, cower, tame, or generally assert dominance over smaller, lesser Grimm of their type around them
By letting her evolve and thrive in this dungeon, the influence she has on other hostile Grimm on the sea in reality will increase considerably, thus before long Nightbringer will be the one to dictate the creatures that roamed the depth itself
At this point you already know what I'm planning
"If I do this, there's no need for you to feel indebted to me. Because I already have what I wanted by helping you"
Because I'll be there to reap all the rewards to myself
Unknown to him, said girl is looking at him with an unreadable expression on her face. However, if one were to look closer, they would see hints of wonders and admiration that lurked beneath those cold crimson orbs
"(Y/n)" Her voice was quiet
"Have you ever thought about conquering the world before?"
"...." I only smiled
Hell. No
"Come on, you know what type of person I am"
There's no way I would have the balls to do something as stupid as that. I'm (Y/n) (L/n), not (Y/n) vi Brittania
"I see"
It seems like Nightbringer understood me judging from the knowing smile on her face
"You won't settle with just conquering them through pure power, will you?" She looked up at the sky above us, her eyes glinting with mirth "It is not enough...for someone like you"
That's exactly what I meant. I have no intention of taking over the world as much as I only want to a relaxing vacation in another world. Isekai adventuring is harder then it looks, especially if you have an entire Kingdom chasing after your ass everywhere you go
Why would people want to take over the damn world by turning themselves into villains anyway? If they do, couldn't they have done it in a..well..less destructive and pacifist way?
The true meaning of a ruler does not coincide with a conqueror. One break the stagnation of their territory and expand upon it through overwhelming military strengthening, thus bringing exponential changes to the world. The other keeps the status quo of the land they ruled over and ensured prosperity bloomed upon their citizens, yet steadily improved upon it as time went on, like a farmer diligently working on his favorite field and watch his "crops" prospers, ready for the eventual "harvest"
It's not hard to take over the world if you have the strength needed for it
The problem is to keep down the rebellion of unsatisfied lower classes, ensuring the loyalty of your followers, management of new policy and regulations, making sure logistics operates smoothly under your reign, and last but not all, to fully utilize your new position and optimize the world for the better, not for everyone but also for you
As you can see, it is something that I'm completely unfit for. I'm not that good at dealing with the masses or just crowds in general
but heavens, some guy named Jesus Christ almost did it. And all the guy has to do is maxed out his charisma, investing points in [Gospel] + [Heal] and walk around the place as people flock to him like the sheep that they are
Now that I think about it, is Jesus a max level Bard or Cleric? Or perhaps he is a Goblin Hunter?
but what would that make Allah who can inspires his followers to kamikaze themselves? A type of demonic bard maybe?
Does that mean if I concentrated on skills that boost charisma and luck like [Emperor's Aura], [Deception] and [Seduction], I would be able to do so anything and still get away with it?
"Hehehe..."
How funny
(Y/n) began giggling
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" He wheezed, trying to rein in his roaring laughter "That's an interesting thought, how very funny!"
Beside him, Nightbringer joined as she too began chuckling. The laughter of two beasts, a brutal, yet scheming calamity that once razed terror into the heart of sea men alike hundreds of years ago, one that cannot hide her amusement at her master
...and the other laughing at a bad joke
<><><><><><><><><><>
Helen's footstep echoed inside the hall. An annoyed frown marred her face. A small gust of the Dark Continent's wind brushed through her hair as she opened the door before her
"Mistress Helen, welcome" A Shoggoth maid bowed, the broom held on her slime tentacles temporarily stopped moving in order to pay courtesy to her master
"Greetings, Mistress Helen" Another female slime stopped mobbing the floor as she held the cleaning tool close to her side, it's tip pointing straight up at the ceiling like how a soldier would carry his spear
"Hm..." She only gave them nods in return to her servant's polite words. The sounds merely passed from one ear to another without much attention
Gone was the slime's winter coat and combat pants, now she was dressed in what one might considers to be much more...feminine: A short black Victorian blouse with frilled skirts that stretched down to her ankle- fluttering freely with each steps she took, thigh-high leather boots attached with heels, and a poke bonnet left hanging from her neck
Unlike her previous garments that hung loosely around her body, Helen's dress now clung tightly to her body, accentuating her rather petite figure, yet nonetheless if one were willing to look, they would be able to spot the feminine curves on her body in the form of two small mount
And then there's the additional black-laced underwear...to which she had decided not to wear for convenience's sake
What can she say? She likes the coolness under her skirt
Overall, her style of alternate outfit could be described as...Hm....what does (Y/n) called it?
Ah, yes
It's a "Lolita dress"
Admittedly, the slime herself wasn't too keen on equipping something that would hinder her mobility in battles- especially if they are unnecessary ones. But after hearing how her leader taught her about different human kinks and similar topics, one were bound to get curious.
(Y/n) has a fetish for gap moe, apparently
Helen twirled the hem of her skirt around for testing, enjoying the slight rush of air that passed through her bare thighs and the part between them. Not too stuffy, not too heavy, the decrease in agility is minimal, perfectly suitable for a nightly walk in the wood
"Ahem"
The familiar stern voice pulled the slime out of her thoughts. She looked up to see the visage of her Kitsune pack mate staring back at her, the other girl's gaze briefly flickered up and down to observe her outfit
The Shoggoth could't help but a felt a little conscious about her appearance
Her hair has been brushed to the side,
"Who are you and what have you done to the real Helen?"
"Har, har, hah...nice joke" She chuckled dryly, her eyes drifting to the bundle of parchments in her arms "And what are those?"
"An experiment" Alistair smiled in response, pulling out a scroll from the paper bag and tossed it to Helen "check it yourself, it's only a prototype so I can't say it works very well"
"This is..." She blinked "I can sense something sealed inside it"
Upon further inspection, she noticed small runic symbols being encrypted near the edge of the scroll. It was blurry enough not to be realized right away, but if one were to zoom in on it, the symbols were written in Grimm language. Judging from their font, they clearly emphasized on "Preservation" and "Containment"
One affects the flow of time, and the other on the spatial properties of an object, but why those enchantments? Why used them on mere papers instead of an actual weapon?
"Are you attempting to make a magic scroll?" She said, flipping it over to observe the other side
"Correct! What you're holding just now is an [Arcane Scroll] that contained a lightning-element spell!" The foxgirl squealed "Although at current time, it's only a one time expendable item with limited choice of magic. But I believed one can extend upon it's utilization if further experiments are carried out"
"That's...kind of redundant for someone like you"
Unless the vixen possessed Spatial Magic that allowed her to store those items, such low-level spells, especially one that came in such little quantity, will not provide as much help in battle as it would be a - as insulting as it could be- useless deadweight
"Someone like me?" Alistair tilted her neck "But I don't need them. These are for the others. Do you remembered when (Y/n) got himself a cult full of children?"
"Yes?"
"Well, I have thought it would be fun to test how well they can adapt to using magic, as well as observing how much change can a human's biology affect their inner circuit, thus drawing some new uses for them"
Oh? That would certainly be interesting. Human has always been quite creative with their magic despite their low compatibility with them. She'd read several grimoire written by ancient wizards hundreds of years ago, and frankly, the theoretical concept they came up with can be quite interesting
When Grimm used "Magic", human invented "Magecraft"
When Grimm has "Territorial Expansion", human conceptualize "Reality Marble"
When the Grimm have "Grimm Lords" as the apex of power, so is the human's "Heroes"
In short, when their specie already has the anatomical advantage from birth, the race of men will, one way or another, find a way to catch up to them. Because it's always human who compensate for their shortcoming by developing alternative methods unheard of before, using logic to try and explain the supernatural phenomenon by pure power of observation
it is an amazing feat of perception in itself. The way they can dissect into everything and came up with the definition of "science"
But why should she bothered about that? Humanity's ancient advances in magecraft and technology also served to pave the way in the Grimm's own understanding of their magical properties. It's a beneficial thing with no real harm in the long run
"So how did they take to learning the human's magic first?"
"Wonderfully so. There's this Cinder girl who took a liking to explosion magic like a fish to water, a boy named Tachanka who has a unique constitution that prevents him from getting affected by magic, and the others also displayed sign of inner mutation from exposure to my mana"
"After a bit of prodding around, it seems their altered genetic code enabled slight deviation in their magic circuits, allowing for a more flexible control over magecraft. At the mean time I'm trying to see if they can attempt to cast magic by drawing the energy around them and invert them into their own system"
She gestured at the bundle of scrolls on her hand
"Which is why I'm going to need to mass produce some of these to aid them in their understanding of their powers, see if they can extract the magic inside these scrolls without opening them" The fox's eyes curved up, until they are in the shape of two crescent moon
Helen's head was spinning at the implication. She simply could not comprehend what her friend was saying
"And what exact materials did you use for these scrolls?" She held up a hand to feel the fabric on the sandy sheet. It was rough, raw in texture and a little unpleasant to the touch, yet appeared to be strangely refined
Normal paper would not suffice. The fragile organic matter doesn't have that much compability with such a spontaneous and unstable form of energy like magic. It's the reason why so many people had tried live sacrifice to attain magic before, because a live host is the only thing that can contain their chaotic property
Then again, she isn't as well-versed in magic research like Alistair, so there's still ways one can replicate it
"I use skins of course"
"...Skins?"
"Freshly harvested from the Happy farm!" The girl's tone was far too cheerful- far too gleeful- for her liking "Did you know that if you were to slowly peel off an animal's hide, then use lesser healing spells on it, the cells will start regenerating for another new set of valuable material?"
How creative, one could technically gets an unlimited amount of raw material by casting mass body regeneration magic on livestock. From an agriculture point of view, it does make sense to take this use into consideration
"And did you know...there's a perfect specie who skins are the most suitable for interaction with magic?"
She shook her head. As Helen had made it a point many time in the past, she was not as good at magic as the other girl across her
"Bipedal Sheep!"
"....Bipedal....sheep?"
oh
Oh
OH
The slime burst out into a fit of giggle
"Hah...and I assume these..."Sheeps", has a strong Aura reserve and special anatomy aspects that makes them a suitable host for a large quantity of magic?"
"Oh you bet they do. "
"And the "sheeps" that called themselves Huntsman produced better scrolls then the others?"
"Yup"
"I would not never assume you to be such a sadist" She shook her head "Well, considering who your sister is, I'm not sure why I even think so in the first place"
The other girl's smile slowly dropped from her face, replaced by an emotionless looked that soon flashed away moments after
"Hey! Unlike her, I never sacrifice efficiency for personal pleasure" Alistair snorted, before frowning "That aside, I can't seem to convince Evelynn to join the pack"
"Mission failed. We'll get em next time"
"Helen...."
"I wouldn't judge her" She drawled drawled, which earned an irate stare from the other girl
"She is irresponsible, hedonistic, and always seeking for the ultimate pleasure of life, the Forbidden Fruit. She is smarter than you, sure. But that doesn't mean Evelynn will feel obliged to voluntarily work for someone who she hasn't met yet"
"Did your sister ask for anything in return for joining (Y/n)?"
"Yes she did...she asked to have him"
"I see, typical Evelynn" A wry smile appeared on Helen's face "Vali, the sin of Greed, also asks of me the same thing, but I rejected him in the end"
"Umu...is it just me or is he building himself a harem as time went on?"
"Don't joke about something like that" Helen shot Alistair a glance "I wouldn't put it past him to attempt such a thing"
(Y/n) is quick-witted, powerful, charismatic, and no doubt an Alpha, perfectly topping all the criteria in which female Grimm choose their mates. Not only that, he is also kind...perhaps the most considerate Grimm she had met so far. He cared about them, about his pack, and is willing to do what needs to be done for their greatest benefit, even if it meant burdening himself with the responsibility
Had she also mentioned his god-like intelligence?
At one point, she too...has taken a liking to his character. Helen supposed there's nothing more between them than that of acquaintances with benefits. The way she sees it, a further course of development between them is not possible with the current state of affairs
But if in the future he ends up still single...who knows?
Unbeknownst to the slime, Alistair tore her gaze away from the female's form. The vixen's smile remained emotionless, but not before a cold calculative look flashed across them
"Anyway, where is Murdoch?"
"Huh?" Helen blinked "Now that you mentioned about it...we haven't seen him for some time"
What could have happened with that hound? The last time she'd seen him somewhere is back in Lady Salem's castle. Considering how loud and active he usually is, Murdoch must have been quite hasty not to give them a message
Or perhaps...he doesn't want them to know for some reason
(A/n: Not quite foreshadowing)
"Well then, convincing the other two sins proved suspiciously futile, one of our packmate just disappeared without us knowing it, to which our parents are being strangely secretive about" Alistair stretched herself, before turning around "Additionally, Gluttony has begun moving in an unexpected direction at the same time the Atlesian army made their move on Menagerie. Political tensions are high, and (Y/n) is standing in the middle of it all"
"Are these mere coincidences, or are there some deeper meaning behind them, I wonder?" She threw a smirk over her shoulder and began walking away, leaving the slime to her own thoughts
"Who knows...." Helen smiled
A stray gust of wind passed by the castle's window, making her black dress fluttered in the air. When it has settled down, Helen was revealed to be back in her usual outfit: Thick blue coat with black pants, a katana and a pocket watch chained by her side
"....I supposed a visit to (Y/n)'s place would not hurt"
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Author's Note:
When I first started this story, I thought "It's just a mere pet project I'm working on. Just 1,000 words/chapter is enough of a standard"
Yet...
By chapter 12, it already turned to 2,000 words/chapter on average
Chapter 15: 3,000 words/chapter
Chapter 21: 4,000 words/chapter
Chapter 23: 5,000 words/chapter
Chapter 26: 6,000 words/chapter
Chapter 34: 6,500 words/chapter
Chapter 36: 9,200 words/chapter
Chapter 43: 10,000 words/chapter
Chapter 44: 10,800 words/chapter
This chapter: 7,000 words (7,530 but rounded out)
Total word counts (including A/n's): 188,690 Words
Average Word Count: 4,193 words/chapter
You see this?
This is the proof that I'm starting to improve thanks to your reviews and supports. So you have my appreciation for making me a better writer than I used to be one year ago. And I got myself 1k followers along the way too, which is pretty nice in itself
But with that said, there's a still many aspects to improve upon, many plots to be written, and many bullshits to be expected in the future. The Grim is only at it's beginning stage, the journey had just barely begin
While it may not be as epic as "The Game We Play" or as cleverly written as "Playing our Roles"....I still have hopes that someday this will become the best Gamer fiction on this site. But until then, I will continue to hone my writing to the best of my ability
Will you stick with me on this journey? I think you would want to
But on a sidenote, check this out!
WRONG IMAGE, WRONG IMAGE!
That's better
So, volume 14 for the Overlord Light novel just came out. I don't know if any of y'all are fans of the seires or not, but me and PA1110 is pretty excited about the stuff
But since the Corona outbreak and me going back to school weeks ago, I haven't had that much time to actually read the translated prologue. I might actually come around to it when I completed writing for my Wandering Ronin book
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