One2One - Goblin Lover 13 - Exploit (Patreon)

Luara waited by the window and looked out in search for approaching players. 'I can die in this body. All it means is I return to my own. It's like cheating. That Shaman has become a crazy caster... It would take a really high level player to do something like this.' She opened and closed her hands. Luara had almost complete control over Gia's body and stats and abilities; which were a lot.

'Suddenly I'm among the higher level players and they have to expend resources just to stop me. It downright imbalanced.'  Luara grinned, seeing a carriage screech to a halt outside. She returned to the hall and descended the steps into the main entryway. There were no more boxes of supplies or Elven agents around. All of them had been cleared out and in place, Goblin soldiers were hiding in ambush.

Maddie and Wendie called from outside. “Come out! We know you're in there!”

Luara scoffed. “Clever.” She stepped outside with her staff in hand to confront the Detective and the redhead agent. They sneered at her as she left the manor.
“Why the long face? It's only a game.”

“Is it?” Maddie called out.
“What about your plans outside the game?”

Luara gritted her teeth, thinking back to her original plans. It also reminded her of the scolding she received from Nial. They were building upon the guilt she felt for trying something like that.
“What's it to you?”

“It's one thing to be running around ruining a 'game' for others. It's an entirely other matter when your actions have a direct impact on players outside of it.” Wendie stated, leveling her crossbow against the dark haired Elf. Not Gai, but the one inhabiting her body.

“The hell are you talking about?” Luara shrugged. She argued.
“Who's this hurting aside from myself, potentially. Also, that's literally none of your business.”

The two agents exchanged a glance. Maddie spoke up. She had her sword sheathed, but her hand was on it, ready.
“There's no point denying it. We know about the Cult.”

“I got no idea what you're talking about.” Luara claimed genuinely.
“I'm literally just doing this for fun.” She pointed her staff at the two women and sent a blast of energy towards them. It was like a bazooka. Both dove out of the way but not before Wendie shot at Luara. The bolt, surprisingly, stuck in her shoulder after slipping through the small slots connecting her armor's plates. Luara pulled it out.
“That's got 'penetration?' So busted.” She joked.

“You're the LAST one who's allowed to claim that!” the Agent's voice came from behind her.

“Shadow-Step.” Luara commented as her back was stabbed . She turned and swiped the woman away. Another bolt stuck into her. Luara gritted her teeth angrily.
“Seriously? How is this body going to be so weak!?”

Maddie smirked. “All our characters are formed to take advantage of exploits. You have no idea what Gia even does. Even if you pick up a high-level character, if you don't know the combo's you're going to be worse than a newbie.” She teleported behind Gia once more and stepped between the notches of her armor. She continued to mock Luara.
“I mean... Seriously? You thought 'Oh, staff blasting. That's pretty strong!' What an idiot!” She laughed. Every time Luara turned and tried to attack it was another bolt. They dodged her blasts easily, like they were nothing and every five or so seconds the Agent was teleporting behind her.

“Wow... You really got me.” Luara rolled her eyes and stepped back into the manor. She walked back and kept herself aware of attacks until she felt a creaking of floor boards. She giggled internally and lifted her staff to aim through the door. She blasted at the Detective again. She dodged and like clockwork the Agent appeared behind her. One more stab was enough to disable Gia's body.

“It's over. Give it b-” The floor broke out from beneath Maddie's feet.

“Good luck!” Luara shouted as she fell through.

Wendie cautiously stepped in with a few other players in armor. “Time for you to give up?”

“Not a chance. Might as well kill me. Maybe she'll respawn?” Luara teased.

“Maybe... Maybe you're actually trapped in there until you die?”

She blinked. “W-what?”

Wendie winked. “Hit the nail on the head? Seems like we keep you, instead, huh?”

“Bitch! You're aren't going to get the opportunity!” Goblins poured from doors and through prepared holes and crevices to attack the players.

-

Maddie tumbled down, down, then slid and skidded to a stop on actual solid ground. “Sewer?” She felt the cold, damp stonework and heard the running of water.
“Ignis.” The area around her lit up. She jumped when she saw a statue in front of her. A smooth stone face with plump, parted lips dripping water. Meant to look like salive. The pupils were not visible but it had a dopey look about it. The feet were faintly pigeon toed.
“Like some kind of... Bimbo statue? Ugh...” She felt her head.
'I feel dizzy... From the fall?' She looked at the statue.
'Or is it from simply being near this thing...'

“Hello?” A voice rang in her ear.

“Frita? We still have a connection? I'm in the sewer. I have a statue in front of me.”

“We believe the statues are a part of this thing. They buff the Goblins and debuff anyone else. We are currently investigating.”

Maddie continued walking and looking around. She felt like she heard scampering around her, but she did not even make out a shadow around her as she walked to find and exit.
“The girl that took out Gia is playing dumb. That's out of character. Shouldn't they proudly take credit?”

“That is their MO, yes?” Frita agreed.

“So... What if she really is just doing this for 'fun' like she claimed?”

There was a laugh. “She said that?”

“This isn't a laughing matter, Frita.”

“Sorry, I know I know. You should get away from the statues, get out of the sewer and come back to my camp. It feels like something is starting so we should all regroup.”

“Got it, I'll...” She closed her eyes. She could hear footsteps coming from both ends of the sewer.
“Have to call you back.”

From either side of the long walkway Maddie saw Goblins approaching on their 'mounts' “What?” She grunted. The things they were riding were women, bound and blinded and running on cursed feet.
“Casualties... I'll have to be careful. They might be trapped outside the game as well. It's impossible to know.” She waited for one of the Knights to strike with his capturing device. The moment he did she exploited her dodging maneuver and her targeting maneuver to place herself behind him and attack in the same moment. The Knight was felled from his 'horse.'

“Still just a Goblin...” She made short work of the other.
“They're high level... But level doesn't matter if you have a plan and an exploit.” She wiped her blade and used it to cut each of the two girls free. She removed their blindfold.

“H-huh?” The two of them looked shocked as they stared at Maddie.

“You're free. Do you have anything useful you could tell me?” Maddie asked. They offered a confused look.
“Hello?” Before she knew what was going on the two mounts grabbed at her and hugged her tightly. She thought they were just being grateful, however they also started pulling on her armor and pawing at her weapons and biting.
“Ow! Hey!” She waited for one of them to bite her again, then dodged and teleported. The only downside, she had to attack. She cringed as her sword stuck into the back of the mount. Luckily the leather saddle stopped it.
“Dammit! Stop!” She continued to retreat from them as they closed in on her together.
“Why!?”

“Riders will be- be angry!” The Elf said nervously.

“Not the lash! I'm a good mount!” She lunged. Maddie had to just keep backing up.

'Dammit! They're brainwashed. Is it fine for me to kill them? What'll happen? I'm not sure on this one...' She could not teleoport without also launching an attack. Usually not an issue.
'Just give me a Goblin to fight!' As she wished for that she felt an attack from behind. She teleported behind one of the felled riders and stabbed in in the back.

“Take that!” The other Goblin glared at her apprehensively.
“Still alive?” She waved her sword at him.
“Try me!”

He spoke some words in a feral language to the mounts. With a nod from the two girls he lunged at her. She teleported behind him, only to feel herself restrained and bitten and tacked to the ground by the two Mounts.
“No!” She screamed Before she could do anything else, a Blinder was placed over her eyes.

[Follower's Blinder: Your body follows instructions before your mind has a chance to process them. The instructor is considered to be the owner of the item, not the wearer. The wearer will understand all instructions, even ones spoken in a language not known to the wearer.]

“Sh-shit! Is it a curse? It unequipped my previous item, so it must be.” She got up and held her sword tightly, despite the fact that she could not see.
'I don't need aim... If he's dumb enough to attack me I'll move automatically.' She gripped intensely and grinned as she felt an attack headed for her. Before she could even move automatically, she heard the order.

“Hold still!” She stopped and felt the small hand smack her rear hard enough t o leave a mark. She yelped.
“No more dodging.”

“It's that easy?” She grimaced, feeling reigns being unceremoniously pulled over her head and tightened. They involved a collar and straps that attached to the blinder, as well.

[Loyal Reins: The wearer loses decisiveness and becomes a born 'follower' of the Owner.] Maddie huffed. 'Followers are usually NPC's. They can't act against their Domitor, so what the hell does that mean for me?' She heard:

“I-I'm free?” As the Goblin opened the blinder over her eyes. She glared down at him, then turned her head to see the girl that he had quickly taken the reins and the blinder from.

“Is it a curse transfer? How's that work?” Maddie grunted, thinking out loud.

The girl looked like she was about to run, but she was still standing on awkward hooves with a saddle stuck to her back. She was bent forward uncomfortably. As if it was no problem at all he jumped on her back and dug his heels into her side.
“Ow! Okay okay...” She lowered her head submissively, returning her hands behind her back to be bound to the saddle. The Goblin to Maddie's Reins and pulled on them.

“Get it together! You aren't cursed so fight back, idiot!” She criticized as the other goblin was pulled up and slung over the other mount. They began moving.

“What can I do? All my levels are gone...”

“Huh?” She inspected the girl and indead, there were many, many levels locked away in brackets. Coincidentally the Goblin was about as powerful as what was lost by the forlorn woman.
“So you couldn't get away if you wanted to. You're bound to that guy?”

She nodded. “Yeah... At least I can think now. Well... Maybe that's not a good idea. This is pretty humiliating.”

“You're telling me...” Maddie grunted.