Power Corrupts: Small Memories (ch.26) (Patreon)

“Will it be enough?” I asked, looking down at the slip of paper in my hands, several windows arranged around me. All of them filled with important decisions that could influence how the battle went down. Because, after a week of hellish training, the time had come. Tomorrow morning, at noon, the War Game began. 

Jericho

Level: 1

Title: Astute Student

Progress to level 2: 890,765/1,000,000

Strength: 123

Endurance: 150

Dexterity: 130

Intelligence: 88

Sense: 155

Development Abilities:

Physical Resistance: The user receives 15% less damage. Effectiveness is determined by the Endurance stat.

Abnormal Resistance: Poisons, Toxins, and Drugs are 15% less effective. Effectiveness is determined by the Endurance stat.

Fire Resistance: The user receives 15% less damage. Effectiveness is determined by the Endurance stat.

Swordsman: Increased parameters when wielding swords. Effectiveness is determined by Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, and Sense.

Bludgeon Expert: Increased parameters when using blunt weapons. Effectiveness is determined by Strength and Endurance.

Berserker: Increased parameters proportional to the user’s rage.

Skills:

Gamer Body: The user’s body is that of a video game.

Massage: Skilled hands make targets tension and exhaustion melt away. Effectiveness is determined by Dexterity and Strength stat.

Kissing: An intimate act between lovers that, if done well, can bring pleasure to the target. Effectiveness is determined by the Dexterity and Sense stat.

Sex: Greatly enhances parameters when engaging in sexual intercourse. Effectiveness is determined by Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, and Sense stats.

Dishwashing: Stains and dried on food are easier to remove. Effectiveness is determined by Strength stat.​

Footwork: The basis for all martial talents. Effectiveness is determined by Dexterity.

“I didn’t level up,” I continued, looking down at the scrap of paper. It was more of an observation than a complaint because I knew I hadn’t leveled up.

“I thought you weren’t trying to?” Hestia pointed out, getting a nod out of me as I continued to pore over the progress I made during the week. I gained development abilities and skills and nearly doubled my total stat points. If my stats were a normal falna, then I pulled a Bell and broke into bullshit territory. 

“I wasn’t,” I confirmed with a nod. “Under Leveled is giving me a boost and I don’t know how leveling up will affect my stats. I could make myself weaker on accident.” Which would be the ultimate irony, wouldn’t it? A lot of my strength came from vague boosts in ‘parameters’ from various skills and I didn’t know if my stats would reset like a normal falna with an invisible base underneath them. 

Say all together, I had a 50% boost in stats. If I leveled up, and my stats were reduced to zero --  would the invisible base be included? I wanted to say yes, but I didn’t know for certain. And just how big of an increase was the level up? Would my stats be doubled? Tripled? Or maybe it would be a marginal boost? No one knew for sure beyond vague estimates. Or, was it possible that my stats wouldn’t be reduced to zero, but stay as they are because I didn’t have a normal falna?

I didn’t know and the only way to find out was to level up. Right now, I felt good about my chances. Leveling up was so vague in its power up that it was a risk. Which is why I killed enough minotaurus on the lower floors to bring up until I could easily level up if I needed to. 

Because I had a game plan for the War Game. I just needed to choose wisely and stick to that game plan. 

“You got another title, so you can pick two extra perks,” Hestia muttered, cuddling against me, pressing into my back. She seemed to like being the big spoon now, no matter how ridiculous it might look. And after an entire week without her touch, I more than welcomed it. “You sure worked hard Jericho,” she told me, her voice quiet as she lazily explored my improved body. 

Back when I created the body, I went with what looked good. Now, my build was more geared to what was beneficial to how I fought. If anything, my build was more intimidating now than it was before -- each muscle was corded, straining against tanned flesh, losing some mass but more than making up for it with definition. At the very least, Tiona seemed to love it. 

“I picked up Astute Student with Ais,” I told her, my gaze lingering on the paper. A knot of tension was in between my shoulder blades, a pressure on my shoulders. Out of my three trainers, Ais was the only one that actually taught me anything. Which was shocking. Tiona and Ryuu beat the ever-loving hell out of me, getting me used to fighting stronger opponents while Ais fought me more on my level, letting me develop a style to attack and defend with. 

“What does it do?” Hestia asked, her breath tickling the back of my neck. Her tone was gentle and quiet, indulging in a rare moment of peace. Both of us pointedly ignored what came next. 

“It gives me increased experience gains when someone is teaching me in a subject,” I answered, my voice just as quiet. Slowly, I turned my attention to the half dozen choices that I had available to me. There was a lot, and I had some tough choices ahead of me. 

You have reached 100 in Strength! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Cleave: It takes more than a flimsy shield to block your attacks.

Explosive strike: Power Strike can create shockwaves, causing AOE damage.

Featherweight weapon: Weapons below 25 pounds feel as if they have no weight.

You have reached 100 in Endurance! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Toughness: 5% damage resistance

Iron bones: Your bones are as breakable as iron

Super Immune: Great resistance to Disease and Toxins.

Life Giver II: Current Health immediately doubled and health increases an additional 5%.

Second wind: Stamina returned once exhausted.

You have reached 150 in Endurance! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Cut resistance: Your skin is resistance to cut (penetration damage notwithstanding)

You have reached 100 in Dexterity! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Dexterous: Bonus 5% exp awarded to all dexterity related actions.

Boneless: Your ligaments have too much in common with rubber bands and contortionists look at you with envy. 

Dexterous II: Bonus 10% exp awarded to all dexterity related actions.

You have reached 50 in Intelligence! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Great Memory: You can recall most things with a passing glance.

Mana sensitive: (Restricted)

You have reached 100 in Sense! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Bloodhound: Your nose is sharp enough to be used for tracking. 

Expanded vision: You can see the far peripheral of your vision as well as the center of your gaze.

You have reached 150 in Sense! Please select the perk you wish to be awarded:

Instinct: The sixth sense that warns the user of some dangers.

I had a lot of choices. Worse, some of them were really good, and others seemed very vague but powerful. My eyes lingered on Mana Touched, thinking about it for a long moment. “I could become a mage,” I informed Hestia, who didn’t even react to my announcement. I’m guessing she expected some bullshit from me, especially after a week of nonstop training. 

“Do you get a spell?” She asked, her fingers lazily tracing the defined muscles that covered my shoulders. 

“No. It just says that I become mana touched,” I answered, mulling it over for a long moment. It was the new option in Intelligence, but I didn’t like how it said Restricted. Did that mean I couldn’t use it? “I think I’ll pick Great Memory. I’m not sure what it does and I don’t want to waste a perk point.”

I was a juggernaut build. The harder to hurt and the harder I could hit, the better. Which, naturally, made it a simple decision to pick a few Perks. Cut Resistant and Explosive Strike were obvious picks. Then I picked Iron Bones -- between it, my armor and harder to cut skin, I would never have to worry about anything getting cut off. 

Next was Instinct. Then Expanded Vision, still leaving Bloodhound behind for now. My picks for Dexterity were a bit of a letdown, but I picked boneless, simply because it was a better immediate option. Which left me with my choice of two extra perks because of my titles. Life Giver II jumped out at me -- it would help me last longer on the field and that was everything, so I picked it, leaving me with one more choice. 

“Toughness,” Hestia spoke up, giving her opinion. “With it, you’ll almost have twenty-five damage resistance.” I considered it for a moment, my gaze lingering on Featherweight weapon and Cleave, but I pressed Toughness instead. It gave me more staying power, and all things considered, it synergized extremely well with my other perks. 

I didn’t want to jinx anything, but looking at my build, I had an idea what my ephiate was going to be. Jericho the Juggernaut because I had a tough time picturing me taking much damage when I wore heavy armor. 

“All done?” She asked, getting a nod from me before she pulled back. I stood up, rising to my full height and instantly I noticed the effects of Expanded Vision. I looked down at Hestia, but what was once on the fringe of my vision felt like I was staring right at it. That was going to take some getting used to. I’m glad I decided to cut my training a few hours short in case I got a perk like this. 

“It’s almost time,” Hestia said with some trepidation. 

“Eight hours,” I agreed, not even needing to look at my clock to know it. I was acutely aware of every minute that passed, counting down the seconds. I came up from the Dungeon only a short while ago. The river on the eighteenth floor was better than nothing, but my clothes were a lost cause. My boots were gone, the seams giving out, while my pants became shorts. Dirt, dust, and blood coated me. “Are you nervous?” 

Hestia shook her head, and I didn’t need a lie detector to know that wasn’t the truth. “I’m not,” she said, trying to convince me. Glancing at me, only to glance away a moment later at my knowing look, she amended with, “okay, maybe a little. But…,” she continued, reaching out to grab my hand, uncaring of the dirt and dust that coated it, “I believe you’re going to win. Do you have a plan?”

“I do,” I confirmed with a nod. 

“Then stick to it and you’ll win. I...want you to do whatever you have to do,” Hestia stated, squeezing on my hand to give me permission to do what I had asked over a week ago. Slowly, her gaze shifted over to Lili. 

Lili didn't wake up that day. She didn't wake up the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. Her eyes didn't snap open at a dramatic moment when I was pacing the room, Hestia grabbing her hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. She didn't wake up at the very last moment before we started to give up hope. Her eyes remained closed, her breathing even, and her injuries healed. There wasn't a medical reason for her coma...but…

"Soma," I spoke, looking down at Lili for the first time in days.

"Are you cursing the god or the wine?" Hestia asked, still beside Lili's bed as the girl quietly slumbered away. I knew that Hestia hasn't stayed in this room the entire time, but it seemed she spent every free moment here. I could see the effect it was having on her. The dark bags underneath her eyes, the haggard expression of someone that had emptied their reservoir of tears. 

I gave the question a moment of thought before I answered. “Both,” I said, looking at Lili, feeling numb. Helpless. We gave her high potions. We gave her an elixir. Nothing worked because the reason why she was asleep wasn’t that she was injured. “If he hadn’t given her that wine, then…”

Then Lili would have never given in to it. Even if she crawled her way home, bleeding and dying, she had still given in to Soma. And, knowing her as well as I did and how much she hated Soma wine, I knew that destroyed her. The fact that she gave in to it, that she couldn’t rise above it...it was like she gave up on life. Now she was alive, but sleeping her life away. And I…

I had absolutely no idea what to do. Just like I didn’t know what to do back when I was a kid and my mom was dying from liver failure. 

“We’ll figure something out,” I told her, willing myself to believe it just so Hestia could believe me. “We haven’t tried magic yet...and, who knows, Lili might wake up when she hears that I kicked Zanis’ teeth in.” I wasn’t sure how well of a job I managed to do because Hestia didn’t respond. She simply gazed at Lili’s face, waiting for her eyes to open, just to talk to her. Just so that she would know that she was there. 

I let out a small sigh, my gaze turning back to Lili. At the very least, she looked to be at peace. I could feel that same feeling that I hated swell in my chest as I looked at her. Guilt, helplessness, and anger -- it was out of my control, and I hated it. I hated it more than words could ever hope to convey. 

“I could wake her up with my arcanum,” Hestia interrupted me, sounding like she was speaking more to herself than to me. She wasn’t wrong. I don’t think there were a lot of problems that couldn’t be solved with some divine intervention. 

“But then you would be forced back into heaven. And do you think Lili would forgive herself when she wakes up, knowing that it would be thousands of years before you could come down again?” I asked, knowing that Lili would hate herself for Hestia’s sacrifice. Even if it wasn’t her life, we would never see her again and that was close enough. “I know this must be killing you, but you can’t give up hope. We will find a better way to wake her up. I promise.” 

At that, Hestia looked up at me. Apparently she hadn’t quite managed to empty her reservoir of tears just yet judging from the ones that gathered in the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away with a hand, forcing herself to smile. She closed her eyes for a moment before she nodded, “you’re right. We’ll make sure that she wakes up,” Hestia agreed, and I guess I believed those words more than I thought. 

Lili would wake up. No matter what, I would make it happen. Until then, I would focus on the Soma familia.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. “Syr made lunch,” Ryuu informed through the door, earning a small blink from me as I realized how clearly I could hear her voice. Huh. Suddenly having enhanced senses didn’t feel like I thought it would. Maybe it was because it wasn’t overwhelming, or anything like that?

I could hear things clearer, I smelled something drifting up from the kitchen and I could see in more detail...but it wasn’t beating me over the head to the point that I felt the need to clamp on my ears or shut my eyes. It was rather user-friendly, all things considered. 

“We’ll be right down,” I said, speaking for the both of us. It would do Hestia good to get out of the room, no matter how much she wanted to stay by Lili’s bedside on the off chance she did wake up. Hestia looked down at Lili’s still sleeping form with some reluctance but nodded all the same. With that, we followed her down the steps to see that the Hostess was still empty. Even higher leveled adventurers hadn’t entered because they didn’t want to get dragged into the mess. Especially when Zanis had doubled down on surrounding the Hostess with his familia. 

And, naturally, as we reached the bottom of the stairs that the door was thrown open hard enough that it bounced off the back wall. As one, everyone sprung into action -- Tiona settled in a stance, grabbing a stool to be used as a weapon, wind coiled around a butter knife that Ais wielded while I placed Hestia behind me. All of us ready to fight. 

A man stood in the doorway, a grin on his face that managed to be both apologetic and eatshit at the same time. His eyes were dark orange, his hair blonde with a hint of curl to it that was mostly hidden underneath a leather hat with a feather in it. He wore what looked like traveling clothes -- brown leather boots and gloves, a dark blue tunic thing that went down to the center of his thighs and a pair of khaki pants that were tucked into his boots. 

“Sorry about my dramatic entrance,” he said, not sounding very sorry at all. He kept a hand on his hat, stepping inside, his gaze boring into me. “I thought it would be funny,” he admitted, his smiling growing a fraction. 

“Hermes?!” Hestia shouted with some surprise, stepping out from behind me. “You’re back in town?”

Hermes, the messenger god, smiled in response, giving a theatrical bow at the waist. Revealing behind him a blue-haired woman wearing glasses, her face stern and serious. Behind her was the Soma familia, their expressions nervous before one of them broke off. Probably to tell Soma. After she stepped inside, she closed the door behind her, the Soma familia flinching as one when she looked at them. 

“I heard about the War Game, so I just had to make my way back as fast as I could! Never thought you had it in you,” Hermes said, closing the distance, his gaze roaming from Hestia to land on me. “And this must be your child! He looks like the kind of guy that would challenge an entire familia alone,” his tone made it impossible to tell if that was a compliment or an insult. Judging by the look in his eyes, that was what he intended. 

“Hermes,” he introduced himself, holding out a hand when he came close enough. “And that lovely angel is Asfi!” He introduced the girl, who seemed to look thoroughly disinterested in being here. “She’s the one that is helping Heph-” That was all he managed to get out before Hestia lashed out, burying a fist into his gut hard. She folded the man, forcing him to take a knee as he struggled to not throw up. 

Asfi looked faintly alarmed for a split second, then it quickly faded to amusement. “W-Why…?!” Hermes asked, clutching his gut. Hestia glanced over her shoulder at me, like realizing that I suspected something, but she was too committed to keeping the secret. She slapped a hand over Hermes’ mouth, leaning in and whispering something in his ear. 

Syr just smiled at the sight, humming contently to herself as she set down several plates filled with sandwiches. Ryuu’s head cocked to the side, her lips twitching upwards since she could hear what Hestia said. Which was impressive considering I just got my hearing upgraded. 

“I’m...so doubling...your debt...oh, why can you hit so hard? It feels like you hit me with a brick,” Hermes muttered more to himself than to Hestia. My attention zeroed in on a single word. 

“Debt?” I asked, my voice calm as I braced myself for what I was about to hear. Asfi glanced at me while Hestia was throttling Hermes. “Are we in debt?” I asked, directing the question to Hestia. She went very, very, very, very still, as if she had been turned into a statue. A small tense moment passed, and that really was answer enough. 

“Twenty-five million valis,” Asfi answered, her tone frigid. Which was fitting because it felt like my blood turned to ice in my veins. That was...a lot of money. A whole lot of money. That was more than twice the insane amount of money that Zanis had asked. And what was it even for- the stuff to hide my falna. That little bottle cost twenty-five million?! “It was a specialty, one of a kind item,” she explained as if she could justify that kind of price tag. 

I took in a deep breath and nodded. I hated it. It galled at me. It felt like the hole I was in suddenly opened up and I fell even deeper. But, even still, I had bigger issues to deal with. “We’ll pay you as soon as I’m able,” I said, a plan lurking in the back of my mind. 

Hermes pushed Hestia’s hands away from his mouth, “oh?” He said, his smirk sharp enough to cut. It certainly didn’t sound like he was here to start busting knees for not having his money. 

“We have about half a million,” I informed, bracing myself for the words I was about to say. “I’ll put all of it on me winning the War Game. We can pay you back and then some when I win,” I said, making his grin grow. I hated gambling, but only because I didn’t like taking risks with money. And with that suddenly hanging over my head, I needed a hail mary. 

“Jericho…” Hestia started, her tone apologetic.

Hermes just smiled away, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Sounds more than fair to me,” he said, pushing himself back to his feet. Though he still placed a hand on his stomach. “But that wasn’t why I came here! You can pay me back whenever,” he waved off the topic, making Hestia relax right up until he slapped a hand down on her shoulder. “I’m here for you!”

“Eh?” Hestia started with a fright, and I could practically see the question mark hanging over her head as she blinked at Hermes questioningly. “What do you need me for?” she asked, making Hermes smile broadly. 

“Hephustus needs you for the super secret special deluxe item you ordered-” I could tell Hermes was still grinning even as Hestia slammed her hands over his mouth. She whipped her head around, an explanation on the tip of her tongue, only to falter when she saw that I was smiling at her. 

I suspected that she was getting something made for me, but I guess this just confirmed it. It was only a question of what it was at this point. My sword needed to be replaced for good, but I maintained its edge well enough that I could still get some use out of it. Though...that did bring up another issue…

“How much is that going to cost us?” I asked, my gaze going over to Asfi. She was one of the few people that had Mystery, a development ability that allowed her to create items that were worthy of being called ‘miracles.’ Blacksmiths could make armor that was lighter than normal, or unbreakable, but with Mystery, Asfi could make armor that let the wearer fly or turn invisible. 

Even better, she had Mixing and Metalworking, I think, so everything she created would be that much better. She went with a crafting build, and given that she was a level 4, I couldn’t say it wasn’t working out for her. 

“A favor,” Hermes answered before Asfi could. “If you survive the War Game, then you seem like the kind of guy that’s nice to have in your pocket. Just in case.” He said, and I had to fight to keep my expression neutral. 

“I’d rather pay money,” I admitted. “You seem like the kind of guy that owing a favor to is more trouble than it's worth.” At that, Syr laughed in the background.

“You are a troublesome guy,” Hestia agreed with a nod. Hermes seemed nonplussed by the rebuke, simply grinning away. It was like he was laughing at a joke that only he could hear. Given who he was, that was probably the case. 

“Ahhh...that hurts my feelings…” Hermes whined before giving a dismissive shrug, apparently not that broken up about it. “But Hephestus says she needs you. We’ll make sure that she gets there and back okay,” he said, turning his attention back to me. Hestia let out a soft sigh, looking back at me. 

“I wanted to surprise you…” She started, going in for a hug that I was all too happy to return. I rubbed her back for a moment, hoping that I didn’t get her dirty with stray dust smudges. 

“Can I ask what it is?” I asked, savoring the touch because I knew that I wouldn’t feel it again until after the War Game. It was so close...it felt like ages, but only a few more days and the time would come. And I could only hope that I was ready. 

Hestia seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. “It’s armor,” she answered simply and that was a relief. I would have armor going into the fight. My Endurance stat was climbing higher, so were my damage resistance and health bar, but I needed every advantage I could get. 

Nodding, I returned a final squeeze before Hestia let go with no small amount of reluctance. All the while, Hermes watched with an enigmatic smile on his face-

“Oh, so the rumors are true? Ohhh, I bet Apollo is so mad…” Hermes said, ruining both his mysterious air and the moment. Hestia whipped around, glaring balefully at the messager god, who just laughed as he made a hasty retreat. Asfi let out a long-suffering sigh before she turned to me. 

“We will take care of your goddess,” she promised, likely sensing my unease at letting them escort Hestia. It wasn’t even because Hermes was a sketchy guy, but if they decided to keep her, then I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.  

“You will,” Ryuu agreed, her tone unusually serious. Asfi glanced at her as I did the same to see that her arms were crossed, her expression a quiet promise of violence even as it remained serene in appearance. Asfi’s eyes narrowed a fraction at that, a suspicion lurking in the back of her mind. Ryuu was a level 4, as was Asfi, but that didn’t make them equals. And my money was on Ryuu in that fight.

Asfi nodded in acceptance before turning around, while Hermes pulled open the door. “I’ll see you later Jericho! I’ll collect on that favor after you win!” He yelled out, practically announcing that something had gone down in the building and he was supporting me. I didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing. 

“Go ahead with the plan!” Hestia announced, making me frown in confusion for a moment. Before I could ask what she meant by  that, the door closed with a slam. The last thing that I saw was Hestia giving me a reassuring smile and a wave goodbye. 

“Hermes is a sketchy guy, but you can trust him. With these kinds of things,” Syr offered up a reassurance, though that add-on kinda lessened its effectiveness. I nodded, turning to them, trying to ignore the what-ifs tugging at the fringes of my thoughts. "He'll have her back before the War Game starts," she continued, sounding like she would go get her herself if Hermes didn’t bring her back by then. 

“But,” Syr continued, smiling pleasantly at me. “First, you need a bath,” she decided, taking one look at me. Which prompted me to look down at myself. She wasn’t wrong -- even if I didn’t smell, I was covered in sweat, blood, dust, and dirt from the through ass-kickings delivered to me at the hands of Ais, Tiona, and Ryuu. "It's downstairs, I'll show you the way." 

Before I could even think to argue, Syr walked to the back half of the Hostess before she opened a door I was always curious about, but figured it was just storage. Instead, I saw a set of stairs that led downward. After grabbing a plate and stuffing the sandwich down my throat, I followed Syr down the steps. 

It would be a lie to say that some part of me didn't expect a sex dungeon. That part of me would have been wrong as a bath was revealed. A large tube that took up half of the room, white tiled floors, painted walls, a place to wash off before getting into the tub. Steam drifted upwards, telling me that this ambush was pre-planned since the tub, which was more of a small pool, was filled to the rim. 

"I didn't know this was down here," I pointed out, taking the place in. Then my gaze settled on Syr, who smiled knowingly at me as her hands undid her apron, letting it fall to the floor. My eyebrows shot up as she began undoing buttons. 

"You have Hestia's permission," she informed, shrugging off her tight-fitting green uniform. As it pooled at her feet, it revealed high stockings clamped by a white garter belt, her sizable bust hidden behind a matching white bra. She still wore her heels as she stepped out of the ring of clothing. 

I swallowed thickly, "and how do I know that?" I asked because even the slightest possibility that I could screw things up with Hestia was too great of a risk. She might have given permission a week ago, but that was when she was here with me and that was also a week ago. I didn't know if these things had expectation dates but the only way to find out was no way to find out. 

Syr's smile grew as she reached back to unclasp her bra, shuffling it off as she revealed her pale breasts capped with rosy nipples. "She told me to tell you that I should bathe you like you did her," she explained, making a reference to something that Hestia had to tell her about for her to know. "It was the plan that both of us would help you wash off. So you can relax for a bit before the War Game." 

That, I could see happening. Which is why I didn't push her hands away when she went to the button of my pants. 

"Believe me now?" She asked, pulling down my zipper before pushing my pants down to reveal myself in my entirety. A dainty hand went to my cock, wrapping around it as she slowly stroked while looking up at me. "I'm just here to help you relax with a nice hot bath…so take a seat so I can wash you off…"

I obeyed, thinking that she was likely telling the truth. Hestia had been rather annoyed with Hermes...I guess this is what she meant when she said to go ahead as she was dragged through the door. The stool was specifically made for me, it felt like as I took a seat in front of a mirror. Syr stood behind me, smiling a sweet smile as she undressed, as nude as I was. 

“I know you’ve been busy, but you could at least take care of yourself,” Syr said as she began to pour warm water over me. In countless rivers, dust and dirt began to run down in dark brown rivers. “Ryuu told me that if she didn’t make you eat, then you wouldn’t eat at all,” she continued, making idle conversation as she grabbed a brush and began to rub me down. 

I enjoyed the sensation of her hands, feeling some of the tension ease out of me. It was impossible to distract me fully from what would start in a handful of hours, but Syr was making a good attempt. 

“Thanks for what you sent down,” I said, realizing that I hadn’t thanked her in person yet, watching her reflection. She seemed pleased, humming to herself as she grabbed a bar of soap and began to lather me up. I didn’t need to eat, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to. And it was good for appearances, even if Ais, Ryuu, and Tiona probably noticed that I didn’t need to eat or drink. They were too observant not to. 

“My pleasure…,” she trailed off before she dumped a bucket of water over me. Water flooded over my head, washing all the suddes down and...yeah, I needed a bath. The water was a murky brown below as it made its way into a drain. Then my attention was seized when Syr pressed her breasts into my back as her hands began to roam the front half of me. “You’ve become even more impressive. You probably look scarier out of your armor than in it at this point.”

I let out a huff as Syr’s hands began to drift downward, impatient. Or, rather, given that we made plans to hook up only for nothing to happen, she was tired of waiting. 

“I don’t think the Soma familia will be that intimidated,” I shot back, my cock hardening in anticipation of feeling her hands on it. Only for Syr to pull at me, choosing to tease around it and leaving it wanting. Ah...I’m sorry Hestia. That was cruel of me. 

“Then you could show them this…,” Syr said, gliding around me to stand in front of me, relieving my cock as she caressed it with both hands. “At the very least, you’ll make them feel inadequate. Hmmm...it’s bigger than I thought. Lady Hestia is made of surprisingly stern stuff, isn’t she?” Syr asked, looking up at me with a sly smile as she slowly stroked my cock. 

Her gaze dipped low, her breathing getting heavier with every second. My hands went to her waist, only to feel them surged forward a moment later. Syr turned around, so she was facing the mirror. Our eyes met in the reflection, holding the gaze as Syr impaled herself onto my cock, her jaw-dropping as a moan tore from her throat. Yet, her gaze never wavered as she adjusted herself. 

I probably shouldn’t be, but I was surprised at how tight she was. Given that she seemed to be the most sexually aware of the girls that I’ve flirted with, I had just assumed she was fairly sexually active. Not a slut or anything like that, but Syr was the kind of girl that knew what she liked and made sure that she got it. Then again, I was big enough that I probably wouldn’t notice if she was loose by other standards. 

“You’re so big,” she breathed, bracing herself by planting her hands on my knees as her legs seemed to give out from underneath her. Even as she whispered those three words reverently, Syr sank even deeper onto my cock until her round ass almost touched my hips. “I can’t even take it all…”

“Everything you’d thought it’d be?” I asked, starting to get up but Syr shook her head. At first, I thought she meant that she was disappointed with my dick. Which would have been a first. Instead, I realized she wanted me to sit down. 

“It’s time for you to relax,” Syr said as her hips rose slightly. “You’ve been pushing yourself so hard...it’s time to just sit back and let me do the work.” Well...who could say no to that? Leaning back, I watched as Syr thrust her hips, finding her own rhythm rather quickly. Her walls clamped down on me at random intervals, the light slapping of flesh echoing in the bathhouse. 

That slight smile that tugged at her lips only grew as time went on, her rhythm growing faster. Her breasts swayed with every thrust, beads of sweat forming on her milky white flesh. It was easy to tell that she was, at the very least, experienced. Far more so than Hestia, Eina or Tiona. It was as if her warm walls were massaging my length with an expert hand to quickly earn a reward. 

The sight of her was a vision, even though a reflection. Suddenly, her grin became a wide smile as she let out a moan worthy of a pornstar. Her pace picked up, her thrusts becoming harsher and more desperate, “oh yes! That’s so good! Right there, right there, you’re fucking me so good!” She shouted, earning a curious look from me. 

Mostly because, well, if you’re going to fake it, could you at least make it a bit more believable? And, you know, have me be the one moving when you’re throwing out that kind of dirty talk?

"Ryuu!" Syr moaned a name other than mine, which confused the hell out of me for a moment. "Save me!" Whoa, wait, hold the fuck up- before I could think any further on it, the door upstairs was practically kicked down. I froze in place, yet the sounds of sex didn't stop because Syr continued to fuck herself on my dick, even as Ryuu came to a sudden stop in the middle of the room. Her expression was blank as Syr continued, "save me from his huge dick! It's too much for me all alone."

"You couldn't have given me a warning?" I asked, my heart coming down from my throat as Syr ground her ass against my hips as an apology. My eyes narrowed at the cutesie act. Seriously, I just saw my entire life flash before my eyes. Nothing scared a man like a false rape allegation. Especially when there wasn't a convenient god to tell if I was telling the truth. 

"It's so big Ryuu," Syr breathed as she continued to ride me, her breasts swaying with every motion. Ryuu just blinked slowly, as if she couldn't quite comprehend what she was seeing. Which was fair, all things considered. "I can't handle it. He's ruining my tight little pussy. I need you to save me from his perfect cock because I'm falling in love with it! He could ask me to do all sorts of shameful things and I'd do them if it meant he'd shove his fat dick in me." All the while she spoke, she shifted her position -- her feet resting on my knees, her back pressed against mine, before she opened her legs up to give Ryuu a view of where we were connected. 

That was another warning you should give someone. A surprise threesome wasn’t the worst surprise I’ve experienced, but it's one of those things best discussed with the other people involved. Especially when two of the participants didn't know it was going to be a threesome. 

"What do you want me to do?" Syr breathed the question as she continued to slam her hips against mine, one of her hands dipping between her legs to either play with her clit or to give Ryuu a better view. The elf was frozen like a statue, her lips parted in shock as she simply watched what was happening. It took me a moment to realize that the question was directed at me. “I bet you want to march me up those steps so everyone can see you ruin my pussy!” 

Well, they could probably hear you already, I thought. Still, I knew when to play along. But, seriously, you have to warn a guy about stuff like this. 

“Might press you up against a window so everyone can see what I’m doing to you,” I told her, my gaze glued on Ryuu, who still seemed stuck. It was hard to tell, but her gaze was glued on Syr’s stuffed pussy. A blush warmed her cheeks at the dirty talk while Syr clenched down on me. She liked the idea more than she should. “Might get some customers if we promise dinner and a show. Would you like that Syr? Everyone watching you, dick in hand, wishing that it was their dick messing you up?”

Syr moaned in response, her walls clamping down on me. Before Tiona, who was at the very least a little responsible for my jump in Endurance, I would say it hurt. Only that was before a level 6 clamped down so hard that I had to worry that my dick was going to be crushed. 

“Do you hear that Ryuu?” Syr asked, her hips moving in a desperate frenzy. “He’s going to parade me through the streets if you don’t save me!” Pretty sure that’s not what I said, but whatever. “I’m going to cum on his dick, Ryuu. I’m going to cum so hard that my mind is going to break and this dick is the only thing I’m going to be able to think about. Will you save me Ryuu?”

Ryuu didn’t move, watching us with intensity. Even still, Syr smiled as I felt her walls beginning to massage my length, trying to coax an orgasm out of me. I didn’t bother trying to hold myself back, letting it brew in my balls until the pressure became too much, my cock throbbing in anticipation. “Did you see that, Ryuu? He’s going to cum in me. He’s going to fill up my womb and get me pregnant. He’s going to breed me!” 

Shit, Syr…though, even as she said the words, she pinched my thigh. It seems that she was saying it more for Ryuu, who watched like she was hypnotized. My cock throbbed again, and maybe I had a voyeur thing as well because Ryuu standing there, like she couldn’t do anything but stare at me, kinda did something for me. 

Syr came hard, and despite some difficulty, I pulled out as well, cum shooting upwards to cover her stomach, some landing on her breasts. All the while, she ground her lower lips against the pillar of flesh, drawing out her orgasm. My gaze was on Ryuu, watching her flinch when I came, her face burning red. 

“Do you see that, Ryuu? He’s still so hard! I need your help…!” Syr moaned, shivering as one of my hands went up to toy with one of her nipples. Ryuu swallowed thickly, the sound impossibly loud and I wasn’t sure if it was because of my improved hearing or not. Then she did the surprising thing. 

She turned on her heel and ran out of the room so fast it was like the devil himself was nipping at her heels. Syr sputtered while a laugh was startled out of me -- funnily enough, that wasn’t what I was expecting. With the mood we had going, I was next to certain that Ryuu was going to join in. 

“Wait, Ryuu-!” Syr said, pushing herself off me, looking slightly frantic. I guess it was a surprise for her as well. “Jericho, stay here, I’ll go get Ryuu. She was supposed to join us!” Syr shouted as she grabbed a towel and ran up the stairs. I watched her go, still chuckling to myself as I finished washing myself off with a bucket. 

A grin was still on my lips, hearing the commotion upstairs as it sounded like Syr was chasing Ryuu around, but she could never hope to trap the level 4. I walked over to the tub, stepping in to feel scalding hot water. A welcomed change from the cold river I bathed in for the past week. It was surprisingly deep, going about midway up to my stomach, but it was large enough that when I laid back I could sink up to my chin. 

“Seven hours left.”