Paladin 4: Chapter 15 (Patreon)

Darren knew what would happen if he returned to the Blackwind Empire. Cassandra was liable to take up all of his time. Fortunately for her, she was just the woman he wanted to see. He needed her help enhancing Limitless Evolution to speed the time frame up since he wanted to select his skills.

But Cassandra had other plans. Her warm breath tickled the back of his neck. “I was waiting for you forever!”

“I’m here now.”

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered in his ear. “I’ve been thinking about you ever since you left.”

Darren raised an eyebrow. “How have you been thinking about me?”

Cassandra wrapped her bare legs around Darren’s chest, and Darren felt his shirt instantly grow soaked with sticky, wet juices.

Cassandra planted a kiss in the crook of Darren’s neck. Then, breathily, she whispered, “I think you can guess.”

“Here I thought we’d get lunch first...” Darren chuckled.

“There’s only one thing I want to put in my mouth right now...” Cassandra replied.

“Should I guess at that too?”

Instead of replying, Cassandra tore off Darren’s shirt and leaned backward until she toppled into their bed with him on top.

“Ashe! I need your help!” Cassandra called.

Darren turned to Melancholy, still propped up in the room near his bed where he’d left it days before.

White mist swirled from it, condensing into Ashe’s humanoid form.

“Y-you called?” Ashe stuttered, eyes glancing between Darren’s bare chest and Cassandra’s naked body beneath him.

“Get Darren’s pants for me,” Cassandra instructed. “Then I want you to slide him in me.”

“P-pardon?” Ashe’s face went pale.

“Just reach down there, grab it, and slide it in!” Cassandra repeated. “Just like I told you to. I’d do it myself, but my hands are full of my ferocious hunk of a husband...”

She stared into Darren’s eyes with smoldering intensity.

Sure enough, Darren felt a pair of dainty hands reach behind him and position his tip into Cassandra’s opening. It was an odd experience for him, but Cassandra gave him a wink to show she had everything under control.

“Step one,” she whispered.

Darren trusted her to know what she was doing, and it looked like Ashe was a bit less shy than before. Hopefully, Cassandra was helping her feel more at home.

The next few minutes were spent in a rhythmic dance of flesh Darren and Cassandra had done enough times that it hardly required any conscious thought. He could let his instincts take over and toy with Cassandra’s body while he activated his Limitless Evolution ability and started upgrading his remaining skill books.

As nice as it was to spend more time with his lusty newlywed wife, he hadn’t returned to the Blackwind Empire strictly for pleasure. He could get that back with Morgana, Sasha, and Asuriel. He really needed Cassandra’s enhancement skill to expedite upgrading his collection of skill books.

Thanks to her, what would have taken days was cut down to just a few hours. Cassandra made the time pass quicker than ever.

“That was a big one!” Cassandra sighed as she collapsed in Darren’s arm after he filled her womb with a thick, sticky load of his seed. “Ashe? I hope you got that. Please be a dear and clean us up a bit.”

Ashe picked up a wet towel, though the first one was soaked long before she even finished mopping up the wetness seeping out from between Cassandra’s thighs.

“Are you being a little too harsh on her?” Darren asked.

Cassandra flashed Darren a smile. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. Ashe here volunteered for this. You might not be able to tell beneath that scarlet blush of hers, but I can. She’s enjoying herself.”

Darren raised an eyebrow. “Is that true, Ashe?”

He hadn’t thought Ashe’s face could get any redder, but he was wrong. Her cheeks turned from scarlet to crimson. He didn’t think a normal human could turn that red. Perhaps it was a unique seraph ability.

“That’s a yes, husband,” Cassandra answered on Ashe’s behalf as Ashe wiped down Darren’s stomach.

Darren spent a few minutes switching out the skill book he was working on for another, but then Cassandra was back at it. This time, she rode him. They shifted through a dozen positions just like that, and he worked his way through a new skill book every time.

“Finally finished,” Darren declared as the last of his skill books reached the epic rank. His current understanding of Divine Aura would allow him to upgrade it no further.

“Yay! Let’s celebrate!” Cassandra said, kissing Darren.

Darren spent the next few minutes working Cassandra over with his full attention until she was exhausted and laid out all his skill books before him. He could delay his progress no further, and the lack of activating from Whiteguard was starting to make him nervous. He needed to get both himself and his people as strong as possible quickly, and this was the first step to that end. After that, he had choices to make.

Sorting through the pile of books before him, he dismissed most of the selections before eventually identifying six that stood out to him.

Pheonix’s Blessing (Epic)

This skill allows the user to resurrect themselves upon death. It takes one hour to charge, and the user must survive in their soul form.

This skill would provide further redundancies in case he was caught unaware. Previously, that role had been filled by his clones alone, but now he would have something else to fall back on in the event of a surprise attack.

It would also be useful for his lower-level clones adventuring throughout the Sacred Seas. He wasn’t nearly as careful with them as he’d been with his main body when he was that level, so he’d lost a few third-order clones after throwing himself into pitched battles against several powerful fourth-order demons. This new skill would dramatically enhance the viability of such reckless actions.

Soul Weaving (Epic)

Facilitates the manipulation of Divine or Demonic Aura through the bodies of other beings. This skill makes it possible to modify souls directly through active intent. These changes will only manifest on the spiritual level in humans or animals. These changes will directly alter their physical forms and behaviors for demons and seraphim.

Darren hoped this ability would synergize well with his existing abilities to understand and manipulate Divine Aura. At the very least, it would help him create a few distractions for his opponent in battle. In the best-case scenario, it would help him elevate some of his followers to a higher order even easier. As he was, he hadn’t the slightest idea how to make another fifth-order human. Perhaps this skill would eventually lead down that path once he evolved it.

Inspiration (Epic)

When activated, this ability passively increases the effectiveness of all allied abilities. The passive effect increases the more frequently each individual fights alongside the user.

Darren found himself leading men and women into battle more frequently as of late. Group abilities like this would boost their powers and ,help keep more of them alive. Though Darren used to prefer doing everything himself, he now realized that Kalaziel didn’t rise to his power level alone. So neither could Darren.

Hero’s Resolve (Epic)

A passive ability that enhances all other abilities proportional to the amount of damage taken.

This ability was fairly straightforward. It increased his survivability in a tough fight. Darren had no illusions that the fight with Kalaziel would be easy. Far from it, he expected it would be one of the toughest battles of his life. So this ability would be part of his three-fold redundant strategy to keep fighting long past the point where he should be dead.

Dimensional Rift (Epic)

Creates a tear through space, leading to another location through a higher dimension. Most rifts will open to nearby locations, with a small risk of opening rifts to distant or extra-dimensional places in certain junction points.

This ability was something that would keep him from getting trapped. That time when Asuriel had nearly died had come about partially because the two of them had been stuck in a trap. He could have broken out through sheer speed and strength, but Asuriel couldn’t say the same.

And so Darren realized he needed another option. Something that allowed him to evacuate his companions as well as himself. This was that ability.

Lover’s Gift (Epic)

Grants small physical enhancements to anyone the user is intimate with. The effects increase depending on the difference between the user and the affected partner and are cumulative over time.

Out of all his abilities, this was the only one that wouldn’t do anything for him at all. Instead, it would enhance those closest to him. Morgana, Cassandra, Sasha, Asuriel, Thalia, and perhaps even Ashe were all close to him. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing any of them, but his enemies were strong, and they would need to be stronger if he hoped to have them standing at his side.

He was satisfied with his choices, though it would be some time before he’d put these skill books to use. And it would be further still before he could unlock their true potential by evolving them. But once he mastered these abilities, he would be as ready as he could be for whatever Kalaziel might throw his way.

But he wasn’t the only one who had preparations to make. Darren turned his head to Cassandra, laying on her back on the bed, thighs splayed wide with a look of bliss on her face.

Darren made some selections for her based on how she fought and what abilities she favored. Soon, he’d sorted out four abilities that he thought might work well, but he also wanted her thoughts.

Darren finished absorbing the contents of his first few skill books while patiently waiting for Cassandra to stir from her slumber. He dressed her while she was sleeping so she wouldn’t get any ideas.

“What’s this?” Cassandra yawned. She covered her mouth with one hand, and the other pawed at the air toward Darren’s groin. He caught her grasping hand by the wrist and redirected it to the pile of books.

“New skills. I want you to choose new ones for yourself,” Darren explained.

Cassandra scrunched her face in an adorable expression of concentration. She sensed Darren’s focus on her and turned to him with a coy and mischievous smile. But Darren caught himself before he got in the way of her making her selections. He forced her head to the books and then grabbed Cassandra’s chin to also guide her focus to the subject at hand.

The next few minutes were filled with much frowning and muttering, but Cassandra soon picked out four new skills for herself, most of which were the ones Darren had suggested for her.

Psychic Link (Epic)

• Mark a willing participant by pressing your forehead against theirs and establishing a psychic link with them. This link allows instantaneous telepathic communication, including speech, imagery, thoughts, and emotions.
• Linked partners can communicate with one another by using the person with this ability as a node. However, the mental strain on the wielder increases proportionally to the number of people connected to the network.

“That will be useful for coordinating a group attack,” Darren nodded in approval as Cassandra studied the book.

“You think so?” Cassandra grinned. “I was thinking something else though...”

Cassandra pressed her forehead against Darren’s. He felt he could reject the bond if he wished, but he was just as eager to try out Cassandra’s new ability as she was, so he let it happen.

[Can you hear what I’m thinking?] Cassandra said without opening her mouth. The words were beamed directly into Darren’s mind.

[I can,] Darren replied, speaking the same way.

Cassandra gave Darren a sly smile. [And can you feel what I’m thinking about?]

A deluge of lewd thoughts filled Darren’s mind. He sensed Cassandra’s burning need, her memory of being pushed face-first into the pillows mere hours ago, his strong arms wrapping around her hips, and the sensation of his wet seed dripping down between Cassandra’s legs and soaking her underwear even now.

Darren cut the connection. He was already beginning to regret suggesting this skill to her.

Tethered Soul (Epic)

Combine Divine Aura reserves with another entity that utilizes Divine Aura. Warning: the stronger entity will control this bond.

“We can hunt down a powerful heavenly beast,” Darren suggested. “We’ll get something just below your power level and small enough to keep with you. You can use it as a supply of Divine Aura and a way to recover Divine Aura faster. Finding the perfect specimen--“

Darren felt the bond snap into place an instant later. Of course, Cassandra had used it on him.

He reached for the connection, tethering the two of them together. To his magical sight, it was much like a rope stretching from her naval to his. He had far more Divine Aura, so his part of the chord was far thicker.

The skill wasn’t lying when it said the stronger entity would control the bond, either. Now that Cassandra had established the bond, she could not break it. Darren sensed he could now siphon Cassandra’s Divine Aura out of her entirely. If he pulled hard enough, he might even pull her soul right out of her body and into his. That would be unfortunate, considering how much use the two of them got out of Cassandra’s body.

Cassandra giggled. “Why would I waste time finding some beast when I already have a perfect specimen right next to me?”

“What you just did was extremely dangerous.” Darren sighed. “This bond leaves the weaker party completely at the mercy of the stronger one.”

“I know! Asuriel is going to be so jealous.”

Darren supposed it was probably for the best. Many of Cassandra’s skills were extremely useful for supporting large-scale group combat. She’d be far more useful with a team than an average priestess. However, without one, she’d be considerably more helpless than an average priestess. Darren couldn’t imagine Cassandra shooting bolts of energy and slicing demons apart with a wand like his mother had when he was a child.

In a group battle, her abilities would see the most use, so connecting her to the fighter with the deepest reserves was only natural.

While Cassandra would exhaust her supply of Divine Aura in short order, Darren could probably fuel them long enough to keep everything active throughout a protracted battle. Perhaps he’d finally found a use for his near-bottomless energy reserves and incredible efficiency at using that energy.

Healing Aura (Epic)

When activated, generate an aura that heals all nearby allies.

Divine Shield (Epic)

Create a large shield of divine energy, protecting those behind it from physical and magical attacks. The shield can be expanded at the cost of reducing its durability.

The last two abilities were much more straightforward, and even Cassandra’s lustful mind had a hard time finding uses for them in the bedroom. Cassandra settled down to add them to her arsenal. While she did that, Darren concentrated on one of her existing skills.

He had upgraded the skill that had been giving Thalia so much trouble, so he should be able to do the same for Cassandra’s two abilities before she met him. While they had been excellent abilities once upon a time, they were no longer keeping pace with the rest of her abilities.

“So you do need my enhancement skill after all?” Cassandra whispered in Darren’s ear.

She activated Psychic Link again, which put the two of them in greater synchrony than ever before. Instead of having to read Cassandra’s body language to sense what she was feeling, he could simply peer into her mind and have a look for himself. This intimate connection was downright scary at how intrusive it could be. If it was used against someone with something to hide, their secrets would be exposed instantly. The fact that the connection went both ways meant it couldn’t be used for interrogations like he had initially hoped.

And even if the person linked to them had nothing to hide, it would still be extremely embarrassing. Darren decided never to use this ability with anyone outside of his closest circle of women.

But he finished soon enough, and his current understanding of Divine Aura allowed him to elevate Cassandra’s original abilities to the epic rank.

Wind’s Whisper (Epic)

The world’s secrets drift through the currents of Divine Aura, sharing what they know with the user. This passive ability can reveal hidden information, ill intent, approximate power, and probable futures.

Gossamer Strands (Epic)

Condense strands of Divine Aura into a spiderweb weave stretching across entire battlefields. At great distances, these strands can sense the approach of enemies, and nearby these strands can condense into thick chords that will bind and trap enemies, siphoning away their Divine Aura and their will to fight.

Giver of Blessings (Epic)

Bestow a lingering blessing on a target, healing their present injuries rapidly. The target gains a Greater Healing Blessing, which will continue to heal them and allow them to pass on a Lesser Healing Blessings to others, which will heal them in turn at a slower rate.

“Hmmm... I think I can find a use for that last one...” Cassandra muttered.

“Don’t make this one lewd too...” Darren groaned.

“No, silly! I have other hobbies. I’ll sell Greater Healing Blessings so people can have their own healing powers for however long they last!” Cassandra grinned.

Darren sighed with relief.

“Although... now that you mention it, I’ve got a few good bedroom ideas for Gossamer Strands...”

<Note>

So Darren’s abilities were mostly what you guys voted on. I did give Hero’s Resolve a bit of a boost, since normally Oathbound would have beaten it. But I didn’t actually have an in-story use for Oathbound in mind, and I do have a few intense battles in mind, so Hero’s Resolve is more likely to have screen time. If one of his existing skills hits legendary, I may have him pick it up later.

I did let Darren upgrade Cassandra’s abilities, though I fear I may be overloading the abilities. I don’t really want to write three more chapters that are so stat-heavy and narrative-light, so I’m going to try to expedite the rest of the skill choices, and some may not happen on screen. For Sasha and Morgana, I’m just going to list all their choices after they’re done, and Asuriel, Callum, and Thalia probably won’t even get skills on-screen. They get a bit ripped off, but the pacing for act 1 is already slower than I’d like, and I don’t want to exacerbate the issue. We really need to be moving into act 2 now that we’re nearly 70k words into the story.