I awoke this morning to a strange sensation. Once I realized Sekh wasn’t in my embrace, I lifted the covers and saw that she was tending to my morning erection. Splashed against the blanket were the signs of a wet dream. 

“Master… Mmnn, good morning,” she said with a stuffed mouth. I patted her head and rubbed her ears, saying it back while enjoying her tongue.  Since I was smaller in length and girth, Sekh could comfortably fit all of me in her mouth. It worked out nicely because I wasn’t choking her, so I could relish the pleasure without feeling anything less than pure bliss. I closed my eyes and grunted when the pressure in my penis foreshadowed an orgasm.  

“You’re tensing up, Master… Go ahead, let it out inside my mouth.” Sekh wrapped her lips around the tip only and kissed.  

“Sekh!” I cried her name and came in her mouth, shooting four or five thick ropes and falling to my back. She still sucked even after I had nothing left to shoot. After licking it from the base to the tip, she crawled up to my face and kissed my neck. With a sultry voice, she whispered something seductive in my ears. 

“Master. Did you enjoy it?” 

“I did,” I replied. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, then rolled around until I was on top. She had her hands palm up, and I occupied her fingers with mine as we stared at each other.  

“I’m not sore, Master. I…want to do it,” Sekh said adorably. I leaned down to kiss her lips, and she locked her legs around my waist. Her fur was irresistibly alluring.  

I wasn’t going to keep her waiting because I wanted to feel more of her succulent warmth. 

I took her on the bed once, then we stood up, and I lifted her by the legs and pressed her against the wall while her arms wrapped around me.  

That lasted until her grip grew weak from my pounding. When I let her down, she walked to the dresser, put her hands on it, and I grabbed her glistening thighs and thrust into her. All the while, she lovingly called me Master. It relieved my heart to know that her moans were elicited from a core of pure pleasure and not a source of disinformation.  

I was responsible for her sweet cries.  

Tilde saw it all, and the horny annoyance pleasured herself, her tiny fingers rubbing and flicking her pussy and clit. When she came, her voice was even somewhat sweet and pleasant. Her wings quivered and fluttered, lifting her a few inches in the air before gently easing back upon the dresser. 

I came inside Sekh one last time when I laid on the bed. She rode me like a bucking horse, slamming her hips down and moaning each time I filled her vaginal canal with my slippery cock. I grabbed her bouncing breasts, greedily sucking them while crying out when my semen rushed to escape my penis.   

“Sekh, be honest. Was it better this time than the last?” I asked when she pressed her chest to mine. I was still inside her, and she was licking my cheeks and mouth to show affection. Sekh waited a moment, then nodded, and I was just thankful it was more enjoyable for the both of us. “I’m glad,” I whispered, sealing her lips with mine. 

As we washed up in the bath, Tilde mentioned chimera could not reproduce, which was a boon, I guess.  

I’d be an awful parent, and who would want to have children with me? It’s for the best.  

---

“Why are your faces so red?” I asked Irisa and her mother during breakfast. It had been ten minutes since we sat down, but their plates remained untouched.  

“Umm… We…heard it, dear,” Ichiha said. She met my eyes but looked down. The tips of her and her daughter’s horns were blushing. I asked what they meant, but I didn’t get a clear response.  

“They overheard you two fucking! Hahaha!!!” Tilde thought it was so hysterical she slapped her knee and nearly cried from the laughter. 

“Umm... I don’t mind such relationships under my roof, but please exercise caution,” Ichiha whispered. “Other people live here, so please be respectful of their privacy. And you’re responsible for making sure your bedding is clean.” 

“We didn’t want to say anything yesterday,” Irisa said. “But we... We heard everything. It...was pretty loud...” 

“I see. I’m...sorry about that,” I whispered, not exactly knowing what to feel. Tilde was still laughing her ass off, and Sekh looked a bit embarrassed. She had her hands in her lap, her sweet, light gray skin blushing with the color of cherries. She looked cute. 

Those sheets from my first time are still drenched in Sekh’s juices and my semen. I gotta clean those. 

The rest of the breakfast was kinda forced, but it wasn’t like any arguments emerged from our early morning romp. Minutes later, the mother and daughter pair waved us goodbye and told us to be careful as we headed to the dungeon.  

Why do you always say that? I don’t get it. 

The guild was the first stop since we needed to make some money. Tilde picked out the quests for cores and flew them to Sekh and me when we were in line. I overheard nasty rumors about Noelia, Holy Lord Gloria’s 1-Star Soul Warrior.  

To summarize them, she was a gigantic bitch. Someone who abused everyone around her, including the servants given to her by Gloria. 

They refused to travel with her. 

The cyclops was given to her in their place. The blue skin beneath that robe was rumored to have gruesome scars and ugly burns. It was all hearsay, of course, but I knew the world had villains that actual monsters feared.  

After the guild, we stopped to get bread for Sekh to eat because she still had to do that. She wanted to refuse, but I went and paid the Cowfolk baker for two slices. It was kinda cute seeing Sekh sulk. As we walked out of the northern gate, Tilde spoke more about Bellerophon. Chimeras were more than capable of leveling skills through use like everyone else, but Bellerophon had used its surmountable resources to spread false rumors stating that we had to devour to increase our skill levels. It worked to sow fear and chaos amongst chimeras, so it was no small wonder they became a common enemy all over the world.  

Regardless, I was pumped up to spend the entire day grinding and chowing on monsters. And we did spend a day, but there was hardly any chowing. Rumors of a ‘psycho High Elf’ with a gun had spread, and people were wearing ear protection while giving me venomous glances. It was hard to be alone, so we often fought with others just a room or two away. 

By the time we left, our levels were the same, and I was down to my last 15 bullets. I only had enough for one more magazine. Luckily, I searched for more 9mm rounds and realized the store I stole from had restocked. Before getting home, we made a quick stop, and Tilde worked her magic while I stole another 4 boxes of ammo. The sole Catfolk employee was utter exhausted, so it was child’s play to snag them. I doubt she knew I was in there based on the bags under her eyes. 

After eating dinner and bathing, I experimented with Mira’s form. She was a regular human with green eyes and black hair. My transfiguration limit upgraded to 11%, but it wasn’t enough to channel her whole torso.  

Still, it was fun because I could replace my crotch with hers. Sekh’s tongue was magical. I was able to experience what she felt whenever she came. A part of me wanted to transfigure her head onto my hand and lick myself, but I refrained from doing so because just thinking about it made me a little bit uncomfortable. I didn’t know why, though. I guess I wanted to do it, but I wanted to wait until I was more comfortable and familiar with sex. 

And the next day, we just cut our losses and went home earlier than planned because we had a miserable experience. Even the monsters were growing more comfortable around gunfire. At least I got to play with [Fireball] a little bit more. A partly charged flaming orb exploded on contact and scattered fire, but one that was packed with mana and 5 bullets? 

Those foul goblins only saw the warm glow of death before the flaming sphere wiped out the entire group. Sekh rushed ahead during the screaming, taking advantage of the fiery panic to kill the one goblin very faintly hanging onto its life with the mace I had made for her. It was still going strong, though the spider legs attached to the head were starting to rot and decompose. 

Still, a chunk of stone would still hurt like hell if it smacked you. 

---

“Lyudmila? What’s up?” Irisa asked one day after we returned early. She must’ve been at Smithy’s Corner because soot covered her apron and green cheeks. 

“Master’s pissy because leveling is slow,” answered Tilde. 

“High Elves do level slower. In exchange, you live longer lives,” Irisa replied.  

Tilde had mentioned something like that. Holy and Dark Lords leveled slower after becoming one, but it was different. Sekh was just Lv. 2, yet she used a title requiring the user to be over Lv. 99. The system governing this world had trouble understanding that, so it defaulted to putting her on the slowest leveling system. I didn’t understand it, but I trusted Tilde’s words. At least Sekh gained more SP to compensate, so I couldn't complain. 

“Ugh…” I groaned. Sekh tapped my shoulders and told me everything was going to be fine.  

Irisa went to her room to take a bath and came out in something casual with a pair of pouches on her hips. “If you don’t have anything to do, come with me to grab some stuff for dinner. You’ve been going to the mines for days. You gotta live a little!” 

I wanted to refuse, but an annoying fairy felt the opposite. “Just go,” Tilde said. “You’re sulking way too much. Go get some fresh air.” I was too annoyed to say anything back, but maybe the fairy was right. Sekh and I followed Irisa downstairs. Her mother was scrubbing the counter clean with a rag soaked with a liquid that smelled of pinecones. 

Earlier, I had washed my clothes in that same liquid. Perhaps it was Susize’s emotions, but the smell made me long for the warm embrace of a leafy forest. 

“Oh, Sekh. If you don’t mind, could I get a little bit of help?” Sekh turned from Ichiha to me, and I nodded. 

“What do I need to do?” she asked after kissing and telling me to be safe. Thinking about it, that was the first time we had done something publicly. Irisa covered her mouth with both hands and blushed.  

“Oh my…” Ichiha teased us a little as she handed a broom to Sekh and asked her to sweep the floor. 

So out the door we went, my golden hair still uncaged by dastardly hair bows or bands. It flowed freely like liquid honey pouring from the skies. We walked to the market some twenty minutes away, and Irisa happily hummed.  

“That fairy of yours sure is something,” my companion suddenly said. 

“She’s one of a kind.” 

“Has she always been that way?” 

“For as long as we’ve known each other.”  

“How did you and Sekh meet?” 

“She saved me. We’ve been inseparable since then.” 

“I can see you’re close… You two act like you’re married. That kiss from before was absolutely adorable.” 

“Not married.” 

“Could’ve fooled me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a girl moan like her. It was…really passionate…and erotic...” The tips of her black horns glowed bright red for a second. “How did you become their master? You’re a slave owner, yet you treat her as if she’s equal to you.” 

“We do not have that relationship because I do not see her as a slave. She became one because the situation demanded it at the time.” 

“Why not free her?” 

“It isn’t that easy.” 

“Why not? Just go to a slaver and have them break it.” 

“...” I remained quiet. 

“Hmm… You keep giving these brusque responses. It doesn’t hurt to talk a little bit more, you know?” I looked at Irisa. She whistled and turned her head, but I only sighed as we turned a corner.  

“I’m talking, aren’t I? Never had a chance to really speak that much… If I’m honest, I don’t know how to do it that often. There, is that better?” 

“Eh, we can work on it. Hey, mom and I agreed to let you pick the vegetable dish. Whaddya feel like eating?”  

Well, that’s a first.  

“It doesn’t matter.” 

“Come on! Here, what’s your favorite veggie? I like corn and cabbage, but potatoes are unbeatable. Especially if you rub roasted garlic and melted butter over it. One day, I’ll make some for you,” Irisa declared.  

“…” Irisa took my silence as a challenge.  

“Fine, then ask me something. Anything. We really only talk at breakfast and dinner.” 

“That mace you gave to Sekh... Who was it for?” I suddenly asked, stunning the Oni into being quiet. Irisa stopped walking and looked down, a sullen expression on her face that reminded me of Shuuta. 

“Aha, you could have asked anything, and you picked the hardest topic… Well… I made it for my dad. Follow me, we gotta make a detour.” Irisa began speaking of a tale from the past, but the pain refused to leave her heart. 

Her father, Kokan, was a guild instructor. Considered one of the best, Kokan was asked to move to Ria to teach because it was growing fast. Ichiha was a merchant who wanted the chance to open a new store, and Irisa was excited to start selling her own wares and eventually make a name for herself.  

For the most part, things went as well as they could have until an incident occurred. One day, Kokan had used his influence and authority to make a move on a young Catfolk in his class. Irisa said the noble’s guard heard her screaming and rushed in, only to find him with his pants down around his ankles.  

“That one incident changed our lives forever. You see that shop?” Irisa said when we came to the city square. It was packed with carriages, wagons, and people all shuffling about into the various stores, but one place was more popular than the rest. It was also the same store where I had stolen my gun and ammo. 

“It used to be ours until Erin’s mother wanted the shop as restitution for causing her daughter so much heartache. Word spread around, and most of our connections abandoned us. For the longest, I couldn’t even walk around without someone cursing my name. It was the same for mom. We were pelted with tomatoes, potatoes, and other things until they realized we had no part in what dad did. We were forbidden to leave until things were settled, but we needed a place to live.” She went on to say that the banks refused to loan them any money to buy another store. And the only place willing to sell increased the price four times over. 

“We rarely have any extra money,” Irisa continued. “I hate him so much. Even if he did pay for me to apprentice under that blacksmith and my membership to Smithy's Corner, he’s an awful person. He isn’t in prison, but he’s just a stupid drunk. He’s not the same man who rocked me to sleep when I was little.” 

A search for Kokan revealed he was just about thirty feet behind me. Satellite mode revealed he was staring at us, but I didn’t sense any hostility. He was Lv. 66. I wouldn’t win a fight, but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to turn out that way. 

Besides, he has a lot of skills. But they aren’t all for combat... Seems like he’s a scholar, but something’s wrong. If he did that to a little girl, he would be in prison. Why is he walking free? If he was declared guilty by the court, he should have a title related to his crime—Tilde told me that— but he doesn’t have any. If it was me, I wouldn’t have let him go. It feels like something foul is at play, but it doesn’t involve me, so I don’t care. 

Irisa scrunched her face and wiped her growing tears, but that didn’t stop. She ran away, and I followed because... 

Well, I didn’t know the reason. I ended up chasing her until she came to the entrance of the market.  

“So, you do care? Hahaha! You wouldn’t have followed me if you didn’t.” Irisa laughed. She wiped her eyes while smiling and looked at me, the smell of fresh produce wafting around us. 

“…” 

“How can you run in those clothes? You’ve gotta be sweating bullets under there. So, whaddya want to eat?” 

I stared at the girl who held the strength and determination to not cry, but I knew that was a false front on the verge of collapse. “Cabbage… If you’re letting me pick, then cabbage.” I’d never had it before, so now was the time to change that.  

“Come on! I’ll show you how to pick the best one!”  

Irisa grabbed my hand and walked, nearly jerking me along for the ride. We perused the stalls, starting at the vivid carrots and especially verdant broccoli. It was like a fruit and vegetable wonderland. Thick slabs of sausage and fat, succulent meat hung from hooks, but as a High Elf, I had to avoid being too into it.  

It’s sad. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything fresh in my life before coming here. And… Am I having fun? This feeling... It hurts my heart a little bit. 

Fifteen minutes later, I had a bag of food in my hands. Irisa just handed it to me while she paid, and she didn’t ask for it back. 

“Hey, Lyudmila?” The setting sun cast a crimson glow upon Ria, making the sky seem wounded. It foreshadowed something changing—a new development within my heart. Was I going to follow through with it? 

“Hmm?” 

“We’re friends, right? We’ve been living together for a while.” 

“Are we? You tried to rip me off when we first met. And it’s been less than a week." 

“Mom really berated me for that after we went to bed. That was a stupid, stupid thing. I’m really, really, really sorry for that.” 

We kept walking, one of the three streaming rivers to our left. The number of people we saw walking decreased as people turned off onto side streets and entered their homes. “Once the clothes sell, I’m taking the money and leaving with Sekh and Tilde. I can’t stay here longer than necessary.” 

“Oh… That makes sense. You have friends and family waiting for you. We’re working hard to find a buyer, but it’s still a struggle. But we can be friends until then, right?” 

I remained quiet. 

Irisa was waiting for my reply even after her mother welcomed us back. She was on edge while we prepared the table and ate dinner. When I closed the door to my room, she still held an expectant look in her eye while speaking to her mom. 

“Mom? I think I messed up again.” 

---

It was a bright, sunny day. Surrounding me were those familiar ruins Sekh and I had found ourselves in when leaving her dungeon.  

Only she wasn’t with me. She was watching the store with Tilde because Ichiha had a meeting with a potential buyer for Susize’s panties. How does she trust us? We’re still strangers… Freeloaders, even… 

“Okay! Mila, thanks for coming out here with me!” Irisa said, breaking me from my thoughts. She was all smiles as she tapped her armor. Forged by the oni herself, it was a set of chainmail reinforced by the hide of a porkypine, a type of pig-like enemy that had quills covering its body. Irisa said their sausage was delicious when smoked over apple wood chips.  

• Porkypine Chainmail (1/3) 

• Physical Reflect (Lv. 1) 

Huh? If I can get that on a shield for Sekh… We haven’t encountered any porkypines, though.  

“It’s not like I could say no,” I told her.  

“Because I didn’t give you a chance.” Irisa retrieved a wooden club from her back. It had a thick nail stabbed through it. “It’s for the best, you know. You’re spending too much time in the dungeon, but you’re just Lv. 4. It’s been two weeks since we’ve met.” 

Two weeks? Has it really been that long? It feels like I've settled into a cycle. I don’t know if I like that. 

Leveling should have been a cause for happiness, but Sekh only received 4 SP. Luck was involved, and it refused to bless her. 

We were here for a simple reason. Irisa wanted to see me fight, and she needed a bunch of boar-type cores and hides for something she was working on. First, to share the experience, I had to invite her to a party. I didn’t know how, so she taught me, and in just a few mental presses, I saw Irisa’s information under Sekh’s. For the hell of it, I tried to focus on her, but nothing happened, so I just used [Analysis] to check out her information. She knew a couple of physical skills, with most being passive to help her in blacksmithing. And she had about two dozen titles related to crafting with only about ten or so slayer titles. 

Regardless, she was stronger than me by a long shot. 

The monsters around here weren’t tough. Irisa and I walked until coming to a Lv.2 sleeping boar. Without even thinking, I used [Fireball] via my 9mm and sent the beast scampering in confusion until my next two shots put it out of its misery. 

Better avoid using Reina’s gun. Even if I must waste ammo. 

“MILA?!” Irisa exclaimed. Frozen by fear, I was only thawed out when Irisa gushed over me using magic. She asked if I had a skill called [Mystic Gunner], which allowed me to imbue my bullets with magic. After she talked about it, it sounded like it was a far weaker version of [Chimeric Armatization] because it didn’t affect monster skills. I just nodded because that was the quickest way to change the subject. 

“Woah, so you know magic? I tried to learn it, but it was too hard,” Irisa said while retrieving the core. I had turned off [Auto-Loot] beforehand because it would have caused trouble. I just said I knew [Fireball], and that was it. She then asked if I had [Mental Chant] or [Instant Chant], and again, I lied and just nodded. Once her questions were answered, we moved on, and I got to see Irisa in action. 

She said she wasn’t a trained fighter, but her raw strength as an Oni was almost fearful. She deftly wielded the club with her powerful muscles. When I immobilized the boars by shooting their legs, she jumped at the chance to pierce their skulls with her nailed weapon. The display of violence was gratuitous, yet it never progressed to something overly disgusting. It was simply a level of fighting that this world required to survive. You couldn’t kill without death, and death was hardly ever gentle. Cutting, stabbing, shooting, piercing, slicing, poking, prodding, burning, freezing, shocking, drowning, crushing… 

Dying was ugly. 

Irisa said my name as she looked up. The gloves she wore were covered in guts and organs.   

“Yeah?” 

“It’s been a while, so I figured I’d ask again. We’re friends, right?” This was a sensitive topic, and my gradual silence reflected the truth in my heart.  

I couldn’t accept someone at random. I just couldn’t. Sekh and Tilde were an exception based on the truth about my existence. Irisa and her mother weren’t. They were strangers. That was it. I was only living with them out of necessity.  

“I figured it’s too soon… Eh, let’s go.” She sounded upset, but I couldn’t trust her. Even if she treated me like a friend, she wasn’t one to me, and the reasons were obvious. 

Would she accept my Chimerism? Would she believe I was summoned by a Holy Lord? What about the winds of infinite void that killed me? The betrayal? Sekh as the Dark Lord of Tyranny? Tilde as the Conduit for [Hermes Trismegistus]? My need to eat those I kill to steal their strength?  

What about replacing my head with a spider’s? Could she look at me and honestly not be afraid? Even while my eight eyes all stared at her as venom leaked from my fangs? 

No. The answer was simple. This friendship would never work because I was a monster. She was not. It was that simple.   

“Sekh…and Tilde,” I spoke their names as Irisa turned around. “I can only trust them.” 

“But—” Irisa exclaimed. My quiet voice and sharp glare forced her mouth closed. 

“There is no one else I can trust. Stop asking this ridiculous question. I’m only staying with you and your mom until I get my money. That’s it. We won’t be friends. We won’t ever be friends.” She dropped her arms by her side, and all the excitement and energy she had vanished after my statement. I walked ahead of her and waited, finding her inconsequential whining to be annoying.  

---

Hours later, the atmosphere was tense and thick when we returned to the shop. After eating dinner and cleaning up, I was just about to go to my room with Sekh and Tilde when Irisa asked a startling question. 

“Lyudmila? Can you take off your glove for a second? I wanna see—” 

“No.” 

“Eh? Come on. You’re always wearing those things,” Irisa whined.  

“Because—Hey! Stop it! Don’t touch me!” I felt a single finger touch my arm, and I leapt away, slamming into the wall and knocking down a small book from the nearby shelf. 

“Lyudmila?! I’m—I’m sorry.” Irisa reached out a hand. I glared, refusing to grab it when she suddenly yanked my hand. She had a grip on my glove, and it was about to be pulled off.  

I continued to pull away, but it was a struggle against her clutch. Sekh was frozen for a quick second. The same was said for Ichiha. It seemed like time only began to move again when I pulled Reina’s gun from my mana and held it to my temple. 

“Get your fucking hands away from me, or I’ll blow my goddamn brains out all over this kitchen!”  

Sekh immediately pushed my arm down and helped me up. Irisa trembled and jumped backwards, looking at her hands like they were covered in blood. Ichiha went to move her lips, but by then, the only two I could trust had followed me down the stairs.  

As we sped through a darkened Ria, Irisa’s crying voice managed to reach my pointy ears.  

“I’M SORRY!!! COME BACK, PLEASE!!!!!”