Upgrades Chapter 70 (Patreon)

Lyra and Tina were clearly getting along like a house on fire in the best and worst ways with them both being Pallums who had the drive to push past their racial inferiority compared to the other mortal races.

Tamamo and Alise likewise got along... Even more like a house on fire as they both had fire conjuration magic that they were quick to talk about.

And Gojouno Kaguya, likewise got along with me really well as beneath her pristine noble lady demeanor, she was crass, uncaring of social grace, and blunter than an anvil being dropped onto someone's head.

"So, can I see how you tame the Mermaids and Kelpie?" Kaguya asked curiously and I raised an eyebrow at her rather... Abrupt question and seeing my expression she answered honestly.

"I truly do hate running through the dungeon for hours on end to reach a true challenge. So if I could, I would like to see if I have the talent to tame a Kelpie like yours or some other monster I can use as a mount." 

Giving a slight hum of thought, I looked over at the other ship towards Astraea who was lying on the deck of the smaller ship on a beach chair. And I called out to her. "Lady Astraea, Kaguya wants to learn how to tame is it alright if I teach her?" 

The Astraea Familia was filled with people who were obsessed with the concept of 'justice' and although they had their own versions of what justice was. That didn't change the fact that I knew the goddess only kept good honest people within her Familia.

So with how we had entered shallower waters and the monsters were giving us a small break, I didn't mind teaching Kaguya how to tame monsters as it certainly didn't cost me anything. And she did help me in taming and capturing the mermaids to begin with.

Astraea sat up and walked over to the edge of her ship and elegantly placed her hands on the railing as she looked to me and asked. "Jake, and what method do you use to tame monsters?" 

My lips twitched at her words and after a moment I answered honestly. "It depends on the monster. Some only understand violence and that is the way they need to be dominated to instill my will into them. But the mermaids and other more passive creatures just need to be dominated via some discomfort and being pushed around a bit." 

Astraea gave a slight hum before she exhaled and said gently. "Very well. I am aware that monsters are a blight, so do what you must to make them dead or at the very least useful." 

With that, the goddess of justice gave me a long look before she nodded with a small smile crossing her face before she looked down and held a wider smile as Lyra was bugging Tina about her growth spear that had a couple dozen types of monsters fused into it at this point.

Kaguya gave a small throaty chuckle as she nudged my shoulder with mine as she said. "Well come on now. Show me how its done."

I nodded and the Far Eastern beauty followed me into the top cabin of the ship without any hesitation whether it be out of some quickly born trust we had from fighting together or merely her own sense of strength giving her that confidence.

Either way, we came up to the bound Mermaids and I began to speak. "So taming monsters... To tame a monster is to break their wills, and the very will of the dungeon itself when they are dungeon-born monsters with a magic crystal."

I held out a hand to the mermaids who had darkened eyes closer to humans instead of glowing red pits of eyes like dungeon monsters had and said. "As you can see, these are surface-born monsters. So these surface born, although being more intelligent also have a  stronger central will as they have more of their own ego instead of being driven into a murderous rage by the dungeon." 

Both of the mermaids looked rather similar with only very minor differences as each had dark blue skin and their busts were only small handfuls with their womanly parts down below being just above the start of the long fish-like lower body that allowed them to swing so well in the water.

"So with a stronger ego, they are less likely to mentally break due to torture or heavy-handed violence, especially in the case of these mermaids which are extremely passive." I spoke as I came up to the mermaid and then taking hold of one of the mermaids I picked her up and moved her into a chair with Kaguya standing behind me with her arms wrapped around her ample chest as she watched me.

Taking a breath I continued more quietly and in a deeper voice. "A monster like an infant dragon, even a surface one. You need to beat the tar out of it to make it understand you are the boss of it. You are their master... But a communal monster who is super passive like this mermaid? It requires a more subtle touch." 

The mermaid whimpered as I firmly grabbed it by the hair and I pulled its head back so it was forced to look up towards me as I loomed over it. And with its upper chest pushed out towards me I used the instincts given to me from my enhanced taming and upgrades skill I got from my Level Up to thread my other hand through hair and begin binding it up into a single rope of hair.

"Doing a monster's hair... Will tame it?" Kaguya asked amused as hell but I just chuckled at the disbelief in her voice as I answered calmly.

"Oh for mermaids yes. But for Mermen for example hell no. This isn't me tying up her hair, no this is me binding one of her sensory organs as mermaids can sense water currents through their hair. For Mermen... Yeah, its back to beating them with a stick while they are covered in a heavy net to make them submit." 

Giving the mermaid's sensitive hair a couple of firm but not cruel tugs, the mermaid whimpered. And then as I pulled her head to the side to expose her neck I drew a hand across the human-like neck. With her head lulling back with a shudder as my hand went over her gills.

And that overwhelming sensation was enough as my will clicked within her monstrous mind and a slight blue glow entered her eyes marking her as being tamed by myself.

Kaguya leaned closer to the mermaid seeing the blue light within the monster's eyes and gave a slight hum and spoke casually. "Well, this is interesting. Can we move on to the Kelpies? That is the monster I want to tame for myself with how unbelievably useful it would be within the dungeon." 

I nodded and then took her over to the scale-covered horse that could run through and over the water like it was running on solid ground and I began speaking about the Kelpi. How you could tame it via riding it firmly until it submitted via squeezing it's ribs until it couldn't breathe with your thighs while riding it, or likewise just beating it until it submitted.

"So what would you say is the oddest way you have tamed a monster Jake?" Kaguya asked me curiously as I got onto the pinned-down Kelpi and did as I said I would and was working to strangle the ego and will out of the horse to make it submit.

But at her question, I smiled weakly and for a moment... Wondered if I should reveal my shame before I shrugged and said with an embarrassed chuckle. "I force-fed a Jackbird some stupidly spicy food while pretending to eat the same food with zero expression to show how much stronger I was than it."

And Kaguya's peals of laughter rang out even as I felt the first Kelpie's will be subsumed and it fell into my fusion ranch space so I could later fuse it into other stuff while I mused on what I should fuse the new one's and last remaining mermaid I had from my previous catch into.

"Yeah yeah... Laugh it up Kaguya, anyway, let's head out. I am willing to help you capture a Kelpie if your goddess is willing to share your guy's small boat with such a monster."

And to my words, Kaguya's laughter died out with a pinched expression crossing her face as their boat... It was obviously new, due to them hurriedly coming to Melen to get away from Orario's bullshit, and said boat wasn't quite big enough for them to keep the Kelpie safely.

Kaguya patted my arm with her dancing in front of me to walk backward across the deck of my ship with her putting her arms behind her back which made her chest push out further as she pouted and drawled out my name. "Jakeeee... Come on, can I leave my Kelpie on your ship till we make land?" 

To which I just grinned and seeing Astraea, I called out to the goddess to tattle. "Lady Astraea! Kaguya wants to have her own huge Kelpie on your guy's ship!"

And my words rang true with Astraea wrenching upwards from her lazily laying down position to throw a glare at the now pouting face of Kaguya who looked at me in utter betrayal as she muttered. "What kind of man refuses a woman, a would-be princess their own stead!"

With zero shame I gave her side a poke making her squirm as I retorted. "Kaguya, I spent the last couple of hours with you. I have fought with you, taught you how to molest a mermaid into becoming a person's slave, I even taught you how to strangle a fish horse into becoming a trusted mount... I know you aren't a lady or a princess in any way."