Combat Healer Ch. 07 (Patreon)

December 10, 2021

NOTE: If you've been responding to my rating system (1 - okay, 2 - like, 3 - love, 4 - obsessed), then please let me know which chapter(s) you upgraded to the next level.

Like, were you a 2 on chapter 1? But then became a 3 on chapter 4?

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If you're in love with this story so far, at which point did you start feeling really hooked? etc.

Did chapter 1 hook you?

Did the first few paragraphs hook you?

I'm trying to get an idea of how interesting this story is, and at what point it becomes interesting to most of you.

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NEXT WEEK: I'll be posting a chapter of IDH next week. (There were 5 weekends in January, so this is technically an extra chapter for the month.)

<< Chapter 6 | Chapter 1

- CHAPTER 7: Anxiety -

Many Years Ago

A young elf girl with black hair slowly opened her purple eyes, her irises immediately flashing silver as they adjusted to the darkness, feeling confused as to where she was or how she’d gotten there. Her nose inhaled a gust of fresh air, starkly contrasted to the stale breath in her lungs, and she groggily sat up to stare at the bizarre sight in the near distance.

She was in an enormous cavern…or was it a stone room?

She wasn’t sure, but a pair of massive stone doors were currently open wide, revealing a brilliant blue sky and grassy fields in the distance. The sight was so bright that her eyes transitioned to purple again, the rest of the room now feeling dark.

She stared at the sight in confusion, unable to understand where she was, unable to recall what had led to her coming to exist there. Her mouth tasted of blood, and yet she felt no pain. As far as she knew, there were no injuries on her body.

Feeling in a daze, she slowly stood up, her bare foot coming to rest against something hard, only for her purple eyes to widen in alarm.

Unexpectedly, with a loud creak, the stone doors began closing of their own volition.

Panicked, she immediately made a dash for it, running as fast as her thin emaciated legs could carry her, bolting for what she knew was her only chance to escape.

Her only chance to flee from a living hell.

Just as the doors began to come fully together, she used the last of her energy to urgently slip between the stone walls that would crush her, only to trip on a loose rock and begin tumbling down a set of stone steps, rolling to the bottom gasping for breath.

Now she felt pain.

Now she was injured, her ankle twisted, a rib feeling broken.

A loud crack, like the sound of thunder, filled her ears and caused her to flinch as she stared up at the blue sky, only for chunks of rock to begin rolling down the steps as the entire massive doorway fell apart. Urgently, she rolled and began crawling away, attempting to avoid being crushed by the stones, but they didn’t travel far, remaining in a tall pile, where there had once been a solitary doorway to another world only moments ago.

Finally sitting up, she held her aching ribs as she stared at the small stone hill, no building in sight, her thoughts slowly clearing…her memories slowly returning…

And then her world fell apart.

“Allie?!” she said urgently, quickly looking around, only to focus again on the pile of rubble.

No.

No, this couldn’t be happening.

She lunched forward on all fours, desperately reaching out toward the closed gate, her tone desperate and defeated. “ALLISTER!” she screamed so loud, her voice gave out.

* * *

I had to admit, I was sincerely nervous about the possibility that Sylvia had figured out which Scourge I was talking about, and gone to snitch to the Elf Queen. But then, I thought more about what I’d actually shared with Mel, realizing I really hadn’t said anything that should tip her off that I was talking about the one in the Atacama Valley.

Like, I was confident I hadn’t mentioned that at all while we were there.

That was information I’d shared with Mel while we were still on our way, and if Sylvia had heard that I was talking about a Scourge at that location, she would have reacted sooner. Assuming that she even cared.

But no, Sylvia didn’t really seem to react until the end of my story…

Again, assuming she was even listening in.

I was probably just being paranoid.

Still, I kept an eye out for the rest of the morning, enjoying my date with Mel in the market, but looking over my shoulder occasionally. However, I didn’t notice anyone suspicious, and felt a little more relaxed as the sun rose in the sky.

While browsing, we ate some Sizzles for a small snack, a peppered and spiced meat cooked on a wooden skewer, and then I ended up getting her a gold ear cuff to mark the beginning of our relationship. Of course, I offered to get her a ring, bracer, necklace, or anything else she wanted, but she was pretty big on the ear cuff, saying she was less likely to accidentally break it.

Of course, refusing a normal ring wasn’t too surprising, since that was mainly a human tradition, with both Oni and Minotaur getting bullring piercings in their nose for marriage, but I at least figured she’d want a necklace, wrist cuff, or circlet. Then again, she didn’t really strike me as the jewelry type, so maybe the gold ear cuff felt like a big deal to her.

She wore it on her right ear, the side Oni associated with relationships, unlike humans.

When it was about noon, we actually ran into Kizmel again, just as we were getting ready to head to a nearby tavern to grab something to eat for lunch, with him acting a lot more relaxed now that he was on a break. He apologized to Mel for being rude, and admitted that Sylvia would be pissed if she overheard him being too casual with anyone.

Mel didn’t have a problem with it, and admitted she liked to mess with people who clearly had an entire tree up their ass.

That surprisingly got a laugh out of him, and he ended up asking what we were doing, followed by requesting if he could join us for lunch.

Feeling like he had something specifically on his mind, and given that Mel and I still had all afternoon to hang out, I agreed to him eating with us.

We ended up headed to a place of his choosing, since he insisted they had the best Miltsa in the area, which was a drink favored by elves, a sort of creamy sweet beverage made of milk and honey that sometimes had a kick to it. Supposedly it was first made by the Minotaur hundreds of years ago, by mixing milk and mead together, but became a common drink in many of Delanor’s city taverns.

Of course, I wasn’t completely stupid, knowing it might be considered suspicious that Kizmel insisted that he decide on the location. And I was certainly keeping my eye out, since I’d seen Sylvia whispering something urgent to him right when we left. But part of me also wondered if he sought me out to tip me off about something.

Normally, I’d never think an Elf Guard would do such a thing in a thousand years, but there was one specific little detail that made me inclined to believe I could trust him.

He was Jackel’s childhood friend.

Specifically, the one who’d mentioned Jackel’s supposed experience with a sexy Lamia from across the western desert. The same experience Jackel had never mentioned himself.

And unsurprisingly, once we had a seat at a corner table and ordered some food from a barmaid, Kizmel immediately proceeded to inquire about how Jackel was doing.

However, I kept it vague, mainly commenting briefly about the human girl he’d made scream all night long and not saying much more. After all, I knew the two elves were acquaintances, and had known each other a long time, but I wasn’t exactly sure how close they currently were, and didn’t want to share too much. But then, that was when he asked something interesting.

“So,” Kizmel began hesitantly. “Are there any rumors going around regarding the top team at your guild? The one with the Defense Specialist?”

I was sincerely surprised by the question, feeling like this was what he wanted to talk about, but completely blindsided by the topic. “Umm, not that I’m aware,” I admitted, glancing at Mel sitting next to me. “Why do you ask?”

Kizmel hesitated again, glancing over his shoulder before leaning forward. “They were assigned a special mission by the Queen a little over a month ago, and no one has heard from them. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.”

“Oh,” I said hesitantly. “Well, my team has only been back at the guild for roughly four days in the last month. We took a Quest that lasted about two weeks, and then came back only for a day and a half, before taking on another Quest that kept us away for nearly three weeks. Shit, it took us two of those weeks just to clear out the dungeon, and then another handful of days to explore the place for artifacts we missed.” I glanced at Mel again. “Honestly, being out for a month isn’t completely unheard of.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never heard of the top team taking longer than two weeks to complete a Quest,” he countered.

I paused as I considered that, realizing he had a point. I then focused on him again. “So any reason why you bring it up?” I wondered.

He shook his head. “Not exactly. I just know that rumors have begun spreading among the Guard, and I wondered if it had reached the guilds yet. While a loss of any kind is a big deal, losing the three most powerful Scourge Suppressors in our kingdom, especially right before the Northern Invasion, would be extremely demoralizing, to say the least.”

I nodded, glancing up at the elf barmaid when she brought a wooden tray with our orders, quickly reaching in my pocket to pull out some coin for our meal. She accepted our payments and indicated she would return with the change.

Of course, when Kizmel said Northern Invasion, I knew he was referring to what most in our guild called the Big Dive, the yearly reappearance of the massive Scourge in the north, that almost wiped out the entire kingdom nearly half a millennium ago. The intensity of the Northern Invasion varied from year to year, with it being plenty manageable most years.

However, the elven military was always on high alert during that time, since the Scourge was primarily a northern problem.

Meaning, the Elf Queen wasn’t stupid, and while relations with the humans were peaceful, an opportunist Ruler might use the occasion to attempt a takeover.

After all, the Big Dive involved the capital being almost completely emptied of its Scourge Suppressors, all of whom would be occupied for over a month, sometimes longer, as they worked together to defend the entire continent against the onslaught of Scourge Beasts.

Of course, it would objectively be a stupid decision on Ryfle’s behalf, considering that instability in the Delanor Kingdom might result in the complete destruction of all life, the humans included. However, history was not without stupid, power-hungry, opportunistic idiots.

But that was also why the Queen’s military was composed of only elves.

Because while the Scourge was everyone’s problem, defending the capital was technically the Queen’s problem. And she would only trust an elf to remain loyal to the elven kingdom, in the event that a war broke out.

Personally, I’d probably side with her if it came down to it, not really having any ties to the Ryfle kingdom, even though that’s where I grew up. But I certainly understood the wisdom of the Queen placing the safety of her own life and authority in the hands of only elves.

When I didn’t say anything after we began digging into our food, Mel spoke up. “So if it turns out they really are missing, what will happen?” she wondered.

Kizmel sighed. “There’s been rumor that the Queen is actually planning to form a rescue team.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “A rescue team,” I repeated, my tone skeptical. “For the top team in the entire capital? What kind of Quest were they even sent on? A really tough Dungeon? Or something else?”

“I don’t know, and wouldn’t be at liberty to say, even if I did know,” he replied. “But yes, a rescue team is what I’ve heard. Of course, it is just a rumor, but rumors circulating in the Guard are a bit more reliable than normal, and they turn out to be true more often than not.”

“That’s crazy,” I replied, only to lower my voice. “And I assume you’re not wanting this rumor to spread in the guild prematurely, correct?”

He nodded. “Please let Jackel know in private, but otherwise yes. Don’t share this information with anyone else. Not even your team.”

I nodded, glancing at Mel.

She nodded too. “I won’t say anything. Not big on spreading rumors anyway. They can get out of hand way too fast.”

I frowned at that, wondering if she was speaking more generally, or from personal experience. Honestly, I’d told her a lot about myself thus far, but hadn’t asked her much more about herself. Which kind of made me wonder if it would be fair, in her own perception, for me to begin probing more into her life now that I’d shared so much of mine.

But it would have to wait until after our meal.

We all looked up again when the barmaid returned with our change, handing out what was owed.

Mel spoke up again after the lady left, her tone casual as she directed her attention toward Kizmel. “So, how does the Queen become the Queen?” she wondered. “Did she just inherent the throne or…” Her voice trailed off when I nudged her arm with my elbow.

She looked at me in confusion, only to notice the elf’s stern expression.

“You’ll have to forgive her,” I said seriously to Kizmel. “She’s not from around here.”

“What did I do?” Mel asked in complete confusion. “I wasn’t trying to offend anyone.”

I lowered my voice, glancing over my shoulder briefly.

“It’s a forbidden topic,” I explained quietly. “How the elves choose their ruler is a closely guarded secret, and they could get in big trouble for saying anything about it.”

“Oh,” she replied with wide gold eyes, focusing on him. “I am so sorry. I promise I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just curious.”

He relaxed a little, sighing as he grabbed his cup to take a swig of his Miltsa.

I continued. “I have theories though, and can share with you later,” I added, intentionally deciding to probe a little since the topic had come up.

Kizmel frowned at that. “Theories, huh? And where did these theories come from?” he asked seriously.

“Just logical deductions, stemming from what I know about elven culture, as well as from some things I read.”

That really got his attention, his mossy eyes narrow now. “Things you read where?” he demanded. Of course, keeping the secret wasn’t just a passive obligation for all elves, it was also an active one, and I knew for a fact that any elf who found out there was a book somewhere describing forbidden information would be sought out and destroyed.

“About elven culture,” I repeated. “There are some things I’ve just learned from getting to know people, and other stuff I’ve read.” I scoffed. “Trust me, there’s nothing I’ve seen that actually depicts how the ruler is chosen.”

He nodded slowly, seeming to relax again. “So what are your theories?” he asked more calmly.

“What are you going to do if I’m right?” I asked seriously.

Of course, I actually did want to run them by him, to see how his reaction compared to Jackel, but I also didn’t want to get arrested for it. Some might think I was foolish for toeing the line at all with such a forbidden topic, but I was on an endless pursuit of knowledge, almost being unable to help myself when it came to figuring out a mystery. And I was thus willing to take a little risk to figure stuff out.

Plus, I supposed there was a side of me that wanted to understand the culture of the girl I’d fallen in love with, even if I had no idea where she was or whether or not she was even alive. At the very least, I was pretty sure that the rare few humans who were married to elves were actually aware too, but I was pretty sure that them sharing with an outsider would be viewed as treason.

It was that serious.

Still, I wanted to figure it out, since I would have known had things turned out differently with my young elf companion.

Since I would have known, had she not abandoned me…

Now Kizmel scoffed. “What will I do? Nothing. I will neither confirm nor deny any assumptions you might have. But I am curious as to what a human might deduce from our culture.”

I frowned at that, feeling like it was a stab at my intelligence.

Mel spoke up, her tone quiet. “You can just tell me later…” She paused. “Or not at all,” she amended when Kizmel focused on her.

I could understand the concern, but I honestly didn’t think that the vague theories I had were specific enough to really matter, since even if those vague ideas were correct, there was no way to have it confirmed as truth. At least, not unless an elf slipped in how they reacted, and accidentally confirmed it nonverbally.

I cleared my throat. “In very basic terms, while I have no idea who is qualified to even be considered, I think that the ruler is chosen by undergoing a series of trials. Probably to measure their intelligence, combat prowess, and I also think they have their determination evaluated through pain.”

Kizmel’s eyes narrowed.

Mel spoke up hesitantly. “Why pain?” she asked quietly.

I focused on her. “Because in Oni culture, physical strength is valued above all else, but for the elves, they perceive true strength as the ability to endure suffering. And when you have otherwise equal candidates, it is the one who can endure pain the longest that is chosen.” I glanced at Kizmel, whose expression was neutral, before focusing on her again. “After all, who better to lead the elves than the one who is both the strongest, physically, and also so determined as to last the longest under the agony of torture?” I paused, gauging Kizmel’s expression to ensure I wasn’t going to far, being pretty confident that he wouldn’t say or do anything, so long as it was all theoretical. I focused on Mel again. “At the very least, the elves have absolute reverence for the Queen, and I suspect it’s because they know exactly what she endured to achieve her position. And…” I added, focusing on the elf again. “It’s also why I hold great respect for the Queen. Assuming my theories are correct.”

He didn’t respond, frowning slightly.

Mel spoke up again hesitantly. “But why would that be a secret?” she asked quietly.

I shrugged. “Because other races probably wouldn’t understand. They might view a ruler, who had essentially been tortured by her people, to be someone who was weak or a puppet. When in reality, she could have given up at any time, as all the other candidates did, and thus proved that she was the strongest through her own willpower and volition.” I paused. “Plus torture is a sensitive subject,” I added.

Kizmel finally spoke up. “I think you should keep your theories to yourself from now on.”

I shrugged casually. “Will do. So how’s the Miltsa?”

He sighed. “Best around,” he replied simply.

I nodded, seeing an opportunity to attempt to carefully pry for more, specifically about what happened earlier by first trying to ease into the subject. “How long do you have until you have to return to your post?” I wondered, knowing he had a very accurate perception of time, like many elves did.

He shrugged. “I’ll make my way back after I’m finished with my meal.”

“Not worried about Sylvia getting onto you?” I wondered.

He frowned at that. “The gate is shut, the door is locked. I think we both know I’m only there to keep stragglers out of her hair and warn newcomers of the consequences of theft. A consequence she might very well inflict herself.”

I laughed at that. “Yeah, she’s threatened to freeze me to death on a number of occasions.”

He grinned at that. “She’s well-known for her temperament toward men, though she tolerates some.”

“You included, huh?”

He sighed. “She tolerates me, yes. Probably because she knows I’m not taken with her beauty, as many others are.”

I frowned at that. “I mean, she is attractive, sure. But I don’t exactly try to flirt with her.”

“Ah, but you’re also human. The rare few she tolerates are elves.”

“Ouch,” I said simply, not really bothered by that fact, since I already figured as much. I knew it wasn’t exactly a race thing though. She just didn’t like men, no matter what they looked like, and the rare few she only tolerated were elves. Not to mention, technically his lack of interest in her was only his personal theory as to why she was more tolerant toward him. Could be a different reason entirely.

Mel was just listening now, taking a swig of her drink, only to unexpectedly belch as she set it down.

And it was the most fucking adorable sound in the world. Shit, I really liked her.

I tried not to grin as I remained focused. “So,” I continued, trying to keep my tone casual. “If the gate is closed, does that mean she hasn’t returned from her errand?”

He shrugged.

Dammit. I was hoping for more.

I tried again, my tone extra casual.

“Seemed like something urgent came up earlier, while we were there,” I added. “She looked really concerned.”

He frowned, his tone a bit more firm. “If there was something urgent, that would be none of your business.”

“Ah yes, of course,” I agreed.

Dammit.

Should have bought him an ale to loosen him up more, though I doubted he would have accepted it while on the job. At the very least, it was obvious he had wanted to discuss something, and that subject was more in regard to the rumors surrounding the top team possibly missing. But other than that, he didn’t seem to have much to say, primarily wanting me to communicate what he’d shared with Jackel.

Mel spoke up again. “Speaking of that lovely specimen of a woman,” she added playfully, her tone sarcastic. “What kind of book did you have that it cost a freaking gold coin to rent for a couple of days?”

“It’s a tome on curses,” I said simply.

Mel froze solid, a bite of food halfway to her mouth. “Wait, what? That huge book was completely about curses?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, and it was very insightful too. Lots of stuff in there I’d never seen before.”

“L-Like…like what?” she wondered.

“What kind of curses did it talk about?” I clarified.

She grimaced. “Umm, well, just in general,” she hedged.

I sighed. “Well, you know healing spells are usually more effective if they touch close to where the wound is?”

“Umm, yeah,” she replied, seeming a little confused by the change of subject as she set her utensil down entirely. “I mean, that’s sort of common knowledge, right?”

“Yeah, but have you ever wondered why that might be?”

She glanced uncertainly at Kizmel, who decided to chime in.

“I believe it’s because healing spells affect the whole body, correct?” he replied.

I nodded. “Yes. Except, more specifically, the two most common healing spells, Heal and Greater Healing, affect the entire body. However, what I’ve discovered from personal experience, as well as verified in previous books I’ve read, is that you can localize the healing by making the spell more specific. Such as by saying Heal, arm, or something like that.”

“And what would be the benefit of that?” Kizmel wondered.

“Well, for one, sometimes the spell will actually use up less essence. But also, when dealing specifically with curses, sometimes being more specific actually unlocks a new, more precise, spell that both uses less essence and also is more effective. I actually did it with the Heal spell too, learning several Heal Ailment spells.”

“Wow,” Kizmel said sincerely. “That’s actually very interesting. I wonder if that might apply to other Classes as well.”

“No idea,” I admitted. “Although, while we were out on a Quest about six months ago, I’d heard rumor of someone from Ryfle who had developed a unique Fireball spell. Supposedly it was blue, and much more powerful than a normal fireball.”

“Really?” Mel said in surprise, finally speaking up again.

I nodded at her, only for Kizmel to chime back in.

“And can you give an example of any more specific spells you’ve learned?” he wondered curiously.

I shrugged. “Well, here’s the thing. The only way I can actually learn a new spell is if I’m trying to fix something in particular. For example, about a year ago there was a Holstaur who was sick during labor, and while trying to heal her with my Greater Healing spell, I learned the spell Cure Disease.”

His dark eyebrows shot up.

Mel chimed back in. “And what about curses?” she wondered hesitantly.

Truly suspecting at this point that she needed some kind of curse healed, I chose my words carefully. “Well, thus far, I’ve tried to modify my spells when dealing with the two most common curses of Plague and Decay. And I ended up learning two versions of Dispel Curse and Dispel Advanced Curse for both of them.”

Kizmel chimed back in. “What’s the difference between those two?”

“Mainly essence cost, and severity of the condition,” I replied. “If someone has the Plague, and they just have a few boils, then I’d use the former. But if someone is almost unrecognizable and on death’s door, then I’d use the latter.”

He nodded. “Truly, this is very interesting,” he admitted. “I’ve always thought Healers were very boring, only having their two or three spells to use on everything, but this is actually quite fascinating.”

I grinned, keeping in mind that Mel was paying close attention. “Yep, and what I also learned from that book is that it’s easier to learn a more specific spell if I understand the nature of the curse. Which was why I was going through and memorizing all the types of known curses, as well as how to identify them based on their symptoms. That way, if I ever come across a new curse, I have a higher chance of learning a new spell when I try to heal it.”

“Very noble of you,” the elf commented. “That’s a large book.”

Mel unexpectedly spoke up. “Can we go back and get it?” she blurted out.

Kizmel laughed at that. “What, are you cursed or something?” he chuckled.

Mel grimaced. “I, umm, just didn’t realize how valuable it was, and feel really bad that Allie didn’t get to study it more.”

“That’s alright,” I said gently, feeling confident about the real reason she wanted me to retrieve it. “I’ve actually looked through the whole thing at least once, to get an idea of all the types of curses it had listed. I was just going back through to memorize all their symptoms, but I remember a lot. If I came across something new, there’s a good chance I’d be able to help.”

Mel was averting her gaze. “I…I see,” she said quietly.

Kizmel sighed, taking his last gulp of his Miltsa. “Well, I should be getting back. It was a pleasure sharing lunch with you.”

“Same here,” I agreed. “Hope the rest of your day is alright.”

“You too,” he replied, standing up, only to nod at Mel. “Nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you too,” she echoed, giving him a nod as he turned around to leave.

I waited until he was out the door, before glancing at Mel, who was decisively not looking at me now, instead just staring at what remained of her meal.

I sighed heavily. “So,” I began slowly. “Do you want to check around the other guilds after we’re done eating…” I paused. “Or…do you want to return to my room and talk a little?”

She winced.

“Mel, I really like you. A lot.”

“I really like you too,” she agreed quietly.

I waited for a few seconds to see if she was going to answer before responding.

“So then?” I finally prompted.

She sighed heavily. “Okay,” she whispered.

“Room?” I assumed.

She nodded once.

I sighed and then went back to eating what remained of my meal, silently hoping she didn’t change her mind, but also not wanting to cause her to pull on the reigns by trying to rush her back to my room. However, surprisingly, she picked up her utensil after a second and resumed eating as well, causing us both to finish our meals in silence.

Though it was far from silent, the other patrons quite boisterous.

Still, neither one of us spoke.

Just as I finished my food, I decided to broach the subject.

“So, if I can help you, then what?” I wondered. “Are you still going to want to date me?”

She looked at me in surprise, her gold eyes wide…only for her to grimace and focus down on her food.

I frowned. “I’ll still try to help if that’s the case, but if this ends between us the moment that you’re all better, I’d like to be mentally prepared for it.”

She took a deep breath. “Allie, I really like you. A lot. And not just because you remind me of home. You’re very handsome and are absolutely my preferred type of guy.” She paused, grimacing slightly. “But I’ve been hurt before. Not physically,” she clarified. “But in other ways. And I guess I’m just afraid.”

“What is there to be afraid of though?” I asked seriously.

She sighed. “What if you can’t help?” she replied. “Then what? What if you find out what’s wrong with me and can’t live with it?”

I scoffed. “Why wouldn’t I be able to live with it?”

She grimaced.

I sighed. “Look, just give me a chance to help you, okay?” I paused, examining her reserved expression, deciding to try lightening the mood. “And besides, even if I didn’t want to be your boyfriend anymore, I’m still your pet, right?”

She cracked a small smile at that, only to sigh again. “Okay, well, I guess let’s do this then.”

I nodded, standing up and offering my hand.

She hesitated briefly, before accepting it, the two of us walking out of the tavern with our fingers intertwined, with her at first remaining determined. However, as we moved through the streets and alleyways, I could see her anxiety increase, until she was reaching over to cling to my arm again, her firm tits squished against me as we walked.

I tried to fill the time with more details about how I met my teammates, starting from where I’d left off, and also shared with her what I’d been up to in the last couple of years. But she was still obviously anxious.

Thankfully, when we reached the guild, we didn’t stumble across anyone who would stop to bother me, allowing the two of us to get up to my room and behind a locked door.

Figuring it would be easier on her if we sat at a distance, I dropped off my empty leather bag and took the chair in front of the desk, prompting her to hesitantly sit down on my bed. We were then both silent for a few seconds, only for her to let out an exacerbated sigh.

“You know what? Fuck it.”

She abruptly stood up and began undoing her leather pants, only to push them down to below her knees, her boots still on. She then grabbed the glossy leather underwear, and did the same, revealing a little bit of white fuzz above her perfect pussy.

Of course, I’d never seen an Oni’s pussy before, but I had a basic idea of what it looked like from comments made by Turg and Dagru. Unlike human women, who had very modest proportions down there, female Oni usually had much larger proportions. Their clit was often the size of a button, a little squishy mound that was very visible when exposed, and their pussy lips were usually big enough to hang a little between their thighs.

Which was exactly what I saw.

And holy fuck was it hot as hell.

I swallowed hard as my cock rapidly began straining against my pants.

“Okay, umm, so you’re ridiculously hot and sexy,” I commented, almost beginning to feel lightheaded. “But what exactly is the problem?” I wondered, finally looking up at her grimace.

She was standing with her hands balled into fists at her sides, her rosy hips completely bare, all of her naked from her stomach to her knees.

“It swells,” she blurted out.

“It swells?” I repeated in surprise, focusing on her snatch again. “Like, when you get aroused?” I assumed.

She nodded. “Everything gets bigger. Way bigger.” She abruptly held up her balled fingers. “My clit gets as big as my fist. And the rest of my cunt swells so much that it practically reaches the middle of my thighs.”

My eyes were wide as I absorbed that, beginning to understand why she was clearly so embarrassed about it, but not fully comprehending why it was such a horrible thing. Because whether it be human, Oni, Minotaur, or even elf, I was sure there were few men who wouldn’t be at least a little curious about discovering what it would be like to fuck a huge pussy.

Maybe there was more to it?

“Does it hurt?” I asked seriously.

She grimaced. “Umm, no. The bigger everything gets, the more sensitive it becomes.”

“And how long does it take to go back to normal?” I wondered.

She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe ten minutes? I’ve done everything in my power to avoid getting aroused since this happened, especially when I’m around others.” She took a deep breath. “Like, fuck. If it happens while I’m wearing pants, it looks like I’m suddenly growing a cock or something. All anyone can see is a huge bulge between my legs.”

I nodded. “But it’s just your lips getting so big,” I commented, just pointing out the obvious.

“Umm, yeah,” she replied hesitantly, only to frown. “Does it…does it not bother you?”

I shook my head. “No, it doesn’t really bother me. Kind of hot, actually.”

Her gold eyes widened in shock. “Hot? You’re kidding, right?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I haven’t seen how it looks, but yeah. Kind of hot. But how did this even happen?”

She sighed, finally sitting her naked red ass down on the bed. She then began to tug off her boots as she responded, followed by getting her leather pants and panties off the rest of the way. “So back in the capital in Ryfle, I was kind of known for having a thing for humans. But the thing was, I honestly didn’t fuck around a lot. Some bitch had an issue with me and started spreading rumors that I’d fuck anyone, so long as they were human.”

“Damn, that sucks,” I replied, my cock still straining against my pants.

“Yeah, it did suck. Because I had a ton of guys trying to get me to fuck them. All the freaking time. It was so fucking annoying.” She grimaced then. “But then there was this one guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer. And when I denied him, he got really pissed.” She sighed. “I guess he bought some kind of artifact or something, probably came from a dungeon, and he used it on me.”

“And now your pussy gets huge when you’re aroused,” I finished for her.

She focused on me in disbelief. “It really doesn’t bother you?”

“Is there a reason it should?” I wondered.

She frowned at that. “I mean, I don’t know. It’s super embarrassing. Just imagine if everyone found out! I’d have everyone whispering behind my back. And, I mean, if I got horny when we were around people, they might think you were dating a dude! That I just look female!”

I shrugged. “Who gives a fuck what they think?” I paused. “I mean, yeah, I get how much that would suck for you if people found out, but I personally wouldn’t care what they’d say about me. All that matters to me is you, Mel.”

Her gold eyes turned affectionate as she absorbed that.

She then sighed. “Oh Allie, how did I get so lucky?”

I grinned.

She immediately frowned. “But I really would like for you to try to fix me. Please.”

I nodded. “I’ll try, Mel. I really will. But I’m not sure if this thing is a curse.”

“What is it, then?” she asked seriously.

“Not sure,” I admitted. “But let me focus for a few minutes, and I’ll see if I can figure it out.”

She nodded, taking a deep breath and spreading her thighs a little, as if that was supposed to help.

Oh fuck, I was so turned on right now.

Seeing her cunt from this angle was so fucking hot.

I tried to swallow as I used my skill, Eye of the Goddess.

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Melantha Murta’rahg

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STATUS

Race: Re’ju

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Class: Mage

Focus: Battlemage

Ailments: None

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ATTRIBUTES

Strength: 15 (Lv. 7)

Dexterity: 13 (Lv. 7)

Fortitude: 18 (Lv. 9)

Wisdom: 18 (Lv. 8)

Intelligence: 19 (Lv. 8)

Charisma: 13 (Lv. 8)

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Total: 96

Rank: A Tier

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Level: 47/50

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Well, shit.

She definitely didn’t have any ailments, that was certain. And normally a curse would appear under ailments. So then, maybe I could try to look at her Skills and Spells again. Previously, I wasn’t able to see her Skills, but maybe if I focused really hard I could finally see them.

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Melantha Murta’rahg

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ABILITIES

Skills: Essence Extraction, Battle Instinct,   Two-Handed Proficiency, Hammer Strike, Berserk, Juicy Pussy

Spells: Fireball, Flame Daggers, Flame Whip,   Ignition, Rising Phoenix

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Juicy…

Juicy Pussy?!

What the fuck!

She had a skill called Juicy Pussy?!

Oh shit, I absolutely had to figure out what this was, because I’d never heard of something so ridiculous in my life.

Focusing really hard, I tried to see the details of this absurd skill.

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SKILL: Juicy Pussy

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DESCRIPTION

Type: Body Modification

Effect: Permanent modification to physical body that results in the excessive swelling and increased sensitivity of female genitals, triggered by arousal.

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Body modification?

Huh, normally skills were either Innate Passive, Innate Active, Combat Passive, or Combat Active. But this was a modification, and even worse, it appeared to be permanent.

Fuck.

I mean, a part of me was seriously turned on by this entire situation, but I knew she wasn’t going to be happy with the bad news.

That she was just going to have to live with this condition.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she assumed.

“It’s not a curse,” I admitted. “It seems to be a body modification.”

“A body modification?” she repeated.

I nodded. “Yeah, and I think it might be permanent.”

She grimaced. “Fuck.”

“I’m really sorry,” I said sincerely. “And for what it’s worth, I still like you and want to be with you.”

Her expression was really complicated, being a mixture of sorrow and defeat, with a tiny bit of appreciation and maybe even a little bit of hope.

Still, she was really bummed.

“We could still try asking around, if you want,” I offered.

She immediately shook her head. “No, I doubt a normal healer would be able to tell me anything differently. And if it’s a body modification, then obviously a healer probably couldn’t help anyway.” She took a deep breath. “I guess I’m really going to have to live with this. Forever.”

“I guess that means you’re also stuck with me forever,” I said playfully.

She looked up at me in surprise, her gold eyes becoming almost tender. “Do you really mean that?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. Although, I have to be honest with you, just for my own sake down the line.” I paused, not wanting to say it, but knowing I had to. “I don’t think the average guy would have a problem with this. So like, I really want to be with you, but if you’re going to realize in a couple of years that other guys think it’s hot, and thus decide to leave me, then I’d rather we just stop all this now. Before I get my heart ripped out,” I added.

She gave me a small smile. “But you haven’t even seen when it’s huge yet. You might change your mind after you see.”

I shrugged. “I guess that means I just need to see and find out.”

She smirked slightly, only to frown.

We were then both quiet for a few long seconds, before her gold eyes slowly became tender yet again.

Her tone was affectionate. “Allie, do you want to see?”

“I do,” I replied.

She spread her rosy muscular thighs a little more.

“Then come here, my cute little human, and see.”

FEEDBACK: What's your level of interest in the story at this point? (As of this chapter)

1) It's okay,

2) Really like it a lot,

3) Super Engaging (love it),

4) I am so obsessed with this story, and can't get enough.

Please be honest. A 1 or 2 is perfectly fine, if that's what you think. How does it compare to Innocent Devil's Harem? (I'll still write on that one, but just want a reference.)

Chapter 8 >>