The Gamer Chapter 1348 – Swift Hunt (Patreon)

John and Eliana moved with the coordination only real-life Raid buddies could have. The herd of seven pigs, three of which appeared fully grown, was crowding around a patch of dirt they were digging up, likely to unearth some wild vegetables. Although they had noticed the hunters, the pigs had not yet moved. The trio kept their distance. Pigs were smart enough to realize staying in a human’s turf was a bad idea. Knowing that the odd stick they were holding was about to end their life from more than 50 metres away, that was a different story.

Once the stick went boom, they would scatter. For that reason, the brunette blood mage followed her man quietly, Hailey another two metres behind them. When the Gamer stopped in a position that gave as clear a shot as possible through the trees, Eliana immediately positioned herself to his left. They raised their rifles in near perfect unison. “I take the right side; Eliana, take the middle; Hailey, the left,” he instructed in a quiet tone.

“I fucking love putting holes into shit,” Eliana giggled quietly.

“Give dem hogs hell,” Hailey drawled, staring down the barrel of her own, significantly older rifle. All of them were using a calibre higher than would be appropriate for any kind of other hunt.

“Three… two… one…” The sound of the first salvo caused every last bird in the area to rise up in a cacophony of displeased cries. Two pigs fell over dead; a third tried to limp away on an obliterated thigh muscle. The squealing was hard on the ears. Eliana clicked her tongue; all of them reloaded. While she put her target out of its misery as swiftly as she could, John and Hailey tried to hit a second target.

Projectile attacks were one thing John had a ludicrous amount of practice in. He shot a second, then a third time, both bullets nailing the dashing hogs. The third shot was a wound to the back. John hastened over and did as Eliana had before, sending a bullet through the animal’s head before it could get back up. No hunts should ever be cruel.

Of the seven pigs they had spotted, two got away. The youngest ones, which was somewhat good because it was unlikely they would survive to adulthood without the rest of their pack. Fully grown pigs had no natural predators in this neck of the woods. Adolescent ones may still get picked off by coyotes, bears, wild dogs, or whatever else roamed the wilderness. “Good shot,” Hailey complimented John. “You too, Eliana.”

“I fucking suck,” she grumbled in response.

“Ey, ya got as many as I did.” The country gal had not taken a second shot, likely for a lack of proper opportunity. “And you got the hog. I can smell that from here.”

John made the mistake of taking a deep breath to test that theory. Immediately he was hit by the stench that only a testosterone-filled pig could exude. It was a musk of unparalleled intensity, overpowering completely the smell of blood that should have been in the air. There was just the pig. He took several steps backwards. “So, want to drag one of the sows back or…?”

“Was the plan, but I changed my mind. Gotta lead with the money if I tell Paw-paw what you’re all about, purrdy man.” She gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. A gesture that excited and confused him. John still had not gotten an answer whether she was aiming to join the harem now or if that kiss had just been a stormy manifestation of intense gratitude. It was doubtful she would know until tomorrow. Lord knew that humans were prone to doing things in the moment that they later reconsidered.

“Don’t make it sound like I’m buying you,” John pleaded, half-jokingly, while he unloaded his gun. No need to run around with a ready rifle when there was nothing to shoot. “I have much more persuasive ways to make you mine.”

That was the most overt John had gotten since they had met and he carefully watched her reaction. Hailey checked her own gun while smiling. “And what would that be, John?” she drawled challengingly.

John slung his gun over his shoulder, waited until Hailey had done the same and then walked up to her. Where other women would have backed up once he towered over her, Hailey stood her ground and gave him a crooked smile. Her eyes were barely visible past the rim of her hat. The Gamer lifted it from her head, to really look at her.

An excitedly trembling breath escaped her. John very well knew that he was attractive to base instincts. He was tall, well-built, she had seen him be capable with his hands, with tools, and destructive with magic. The sometimes outright stated implication of the existence of his harem was that he had the necessary aptitude to please that number of women. He lacked not for confidence nor reasons for that confidence to exist. All of that must have been enticing to a young woman who was, in matters of skill and intellect, surrounded by lesser.

“I’m a ruler in a world much bigger than you can even imagine,” the Gamer said, quietly and intensely, letting his pride radiate from him in a magical, almost physical way. “I don’t need to shower you with gifts, albeit I could. Instead, I can offer you every opportunity to prove yourself. There is no need anymore to use your skills to merely subsist. Doubtlessly you would be a great asset to whoever you decide to sell your craftsmanship to. Independent or contracted, you would become famous and sought after. You would rise on your own merit. One of mine gets to prove her merit on a stage so much larger than individual enterprise allows.”

“But I’d still have to prove myself, hm?” Hailey’s drawl was quieted to a husky whisper. It almost did more to excite him than her straddling him. Almost.

“Would you have it any other way?” A rhetorical question. The green eyes of the enigma engineer were unwavering. This was not a woman who wanted a life of being pampered. A flower this beautiful deserved to be left to her devices, not locked away for its beauty alone. “You will have the workshop of your dreams and trust me when I say that Scarlett and I have projects and designs that far exceed what you are being tested with. Outside your work, you will live in a palace right under the feet of Lady Liberty.”

“You’re makin’ that one up.” Hailey laughed and stopped when his smile betrayed the truth of his words. “For real?”

John turned her trucker hat in his hands. His thumb brushed over the Oklahoma flag stitched into the front. Some of the yarn was frayed. “I’m not as much of a patriot as you are, but I do like what the USA gave the world. Felt like I should echo that in the Abyss,” he explained. “You’ll also have me and my other loves to look forward to.”

“We’re a great club of fucking, fucked-up hotties.” Eliana grabbed Hailey’s right arm and grinned aggressively at the country gal. “We’re weird beyond any skull-shaking reason. Ever wanted to make out with two nuclear bombshells at the same time you rode a giant fucking cock?” Hailey gulped audibly. If she hadn’t had that fantasy before, it was pretty obvious she did now. “Better, get your face pushed in the cunt of some other slut while you get pounded like a cocksleeve from behind?” The redness dusting Hailey’s cheeks intensified. “Fuck, if he isn’t around, we can always have fun with each other.”

“My harem isn’t a world revolving around me,” John added. “It’s a shared space in which we all strive for purpose, happiness, and a bright future together. It’s a family. I think you have everything to join it.”

“Me too,” Eliana purred.

John knew that he could have claimed her lips again right then and there. Alas, he felt he was getting more out backing up and letting her stew in what he had said. “Consider the offer – any part of it.” With that, he put the hat back on her head and took a step back. Following his lead, Eliana released Hailey’s arm.

The distance let John spot the subtle way the country gal was rubbing her thighs together. Assertiveness was definitely getting to her. To be fair, women generally liked it when men were assertive – provided the men in question were people they had a baseline attraction to. Otherwise, it was deemed as creepy. The difference, often difficult to know in advance, was the bane of many a less sociable or physically endearing male. John was incredibly thankful he had managed to become a hunk in every sense of the word.

Wordlessly, he led the way back to the farm. It was unlikely they would find any other pigs around the property, not after the gunshots. Spending more time with Hailey was attractive, but he wanted to leave on a high note. Better to leave her longing for more than happy to finally have alone time.

While he walked, Eliana and Hailey chatted behind him. It started with the engineer clearing her throat, clearly trying to ignore her physical needs. “We never got to what you do for fun, Eliana.”

“Be a cumdump, watch awful sitcoms, paint even worse fucking art,” Eliana summarized her life in three points. There was lots John would have added, to sing her praises, but he was happy to let those two interact on their own. He had said his pieces for the day.

“In other words, ya paint gorgeous things, huh?” Hailey called out the self-deprecating submissive.

“Pshh,” Eliana made her disagreement audible, “it’s all fucking terrible.”

“I’d like to be the judge of that. Sure, bumpkin like me doesn’t get to see a lot of art, but I know what’s beautiful when I see it.” Hailey rolled her shoulders. “Ya get a real appreciation for art when you’re forced to make due with what works all the time.”

“…I can show you some of my brain vomit when you come over again, I guess,” Eliana relented swiftly. Much as she denied, she did like showing off the fruits of her labour. John had long fostered a sense of pride for her work in the pretty little psycho.

The crunching of the sticks was gradually replaced with the softer crispy breaking of dried grass under their steps. “Why did you pick up art anyhoo? If ya do not mind the question,” Hailey continued the conversation.

“I was fucking bored and wanted to do something at least kind of useful. Previously, I only did the cumdump and sitcom shit. Being a cocksleeve in the corner all month and nothing else is soul poison. Also, some shit about artists being brain-fucked, broken people.”

“I’d agree on weird. I think you’re put together well enough.”

“How the fuck can you say that after what my dumbass did to you earlier?” Eliana’s voice raised in volume as she asked that question.

“If someone begs me for forgiveness and I believe them, I gran’it. No time for grudges out here. Do me the favour and never repeat anythin’ like that again tho – Was terrifyin’.”

John smiled to himself, while they passed the fence. After that, Eliana fell silent, only responding with small ‘yes’s and other such confirmations to Hailey. ‘God, that woman has guts,’ he thought and looked in the general direction of the house. Hailey’s earlier ‘assault’ must have gone unnoticed by her parents. Had they known their daughter had kissed him, he would have expected them to wait on the porch, possibly with a firearm over Cid’s lap. They didn’t call it ‘shotgun wedding’ for no reason.

Nothing of the like, however. They made their way past the house. When they were almost by Hailey’s car, John stopped. “We’ll be walking home.” His tone made clear that this was a statement, not a suggestion.

Still, Hailey’s hospitality demanded she ask, “Ya sure about that? Not like you’d owe me the gas.”

“It’ll be a nice stroll,” John insisted and walked up to her. He gave her a quick hug, as intimate a goodbye as he wanted at this stage. “We’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Pro’ly,” Hailey swallowed most of that word. “Thanks for the help and… everythin’.”

“My pleasure,” John assured and turned around. Better to firmly walk away than be kept by the back and forth that marked so many goodbyes. Behind him, Eliana took a moment to give her a hug of her own. He heard that something was whispered, but not what exactly. Once Eliana caught up to him and they were out of earshot, he asked about that. “What did you tell her?”

“I don’t want to tell you, but I will fucking fold if you press me,” Eliana responded, unblemished as ever.

The Gamer hummed, as the old war between curiosity and the wish to be surprised found a new battleground. Back and forth, the front shifted, as he presented argument, counterargument, and raw emotion to the different aspects of himself. The two sides finally made an armistice. “At least give me a hint.”

“Something about the way she dresses.” Eliana tried to keep it vague.

John raised an eyebrow. It was easy to surmise what was said from that hint alone, but it was impossible to have certainty. The armistice turned into a peace. “Sounds interesting,” he just responded.

And they walked back home.