Azrie

Do you ever want something serious and you end up with something intense? Yeah, me too...

"Hmm... Perhaps we have a promise here? To the end we go — In this eternal journey; the bottom awaits us." — Jack to his horse. Last advent of the Skybound-era.

Her lips curled for a bit. 

“Promise me… We will live.” Her whisper was soft, but I understood. 

“We will…” She was still on the ground, trembling. 

“Hey, Leah…” This time her voice was gentle. 

“What?” She was being awkward again...

“Do you mind girls?” What kind of question is that?!

“Eh?” Why is she standing up and coming slowly towards me? 

“I love you… Munch!” She kissed my cheek, out of reflex I touched it ⁠— it was warm… I was… 

“Eh, how cute, you are blushing!” 

“I am not!” How did it come down to this?! “I simply… I simply… never had contact with a girl before…” Outside my sister, the statement was true, but that wasn't the point! How did it even happen?!

I felt a gentle caress at the back of my head and touching my ears, it felt weird and tingly. The persistent brushing made it feel nice as she lightly stroked the tips of my ears and softly ran her hand across it. It was pleasant.

“Hey, tell me… Why  don’t you have a tail?” She asked out of nowhere. Stopping the ear massage, her hand glided towards my lower back and lovingly touched it, this time with a lot more intent. I was starting to feel uncomfortable, why was this happening? 

“I… am not from the kin race,” I said with insecurity, for myself and for the situation...

Was dungeon core even a race? I mean, I think? It technically was, but I was unsure if I should talk about it until I was entirely sure. Her humming interrupted my thoughts. Bringing me back to reality.

“Hmhm, is that so? You look like a kin to me~” Her hands wrapped around my neck, and she started whispering to my ear. “Well, we can find out things later…” 

“Wha…” I was totally bright red, why was she like this?! I wasn’t used to so much attention! 

“Ah, sorry… too much?" She paused for a second. "I simply can’t get enough, Leah!” She rubbed herself against me. “Leah! Leah! Leah!” She affectionately chanted my name over and over as she rubbed against me. Was I some kind of post?!

“I…” What am I supposed to even say here? “Waa⁠— !” 

She had pushed me into the ground, My body dully hit the ground, my back was pained from the sudden impact. I had to at least dodge once... As I laid there she clumb over me. 

“Hmhm, tell me…” She was quiet and soft with her voice, she started to trace her fingers along my chest and chin. Gently guiding my head towards hers ⁠⁠— this was wrong. I had to make an objection... I wasn't okay with this! Her face got closer and closer.

“I⁠— Hmpgh!” Her lips made contact, a smell of cherry was permeating my nostrils ⁠— she smelled good, her tongue with care, slowly but surely entwined, twisting with passion and affection… I managed to open my eyes and saw the cutest girl I had ever seen in my life, deeply blushing, her almond eyelashes and silky hair... THIS WAS WRONG! I made my biggest attempt to separate her from me, but I lacked strength. Pushing was fruitless...

“Muaa…” She breathed as a silvery thread of saliva separated from our lips. “I love y⁠— “ She paused as her eyes widened, she was frozen. 

“I…” Tf was I going to say?! 

“I…” She was speechless as she grabbed her lips with a deep crimson red face. She turned around and stopped facing me. Silence filled the room. What had happened? Why did she suddenly stop? Not like I cared, but it simply made no sense...

A minute of awkwardness went by, neither of us seemed to actually understand what happened. 

“Hey…” I didn’t answer… “I… let us pretend it never happened…” I could feel the regret in her voice, but the deed was already done… “It’s just… it’s… if you hadn’t grabbed my tail this wouldn’t be happening! I hate to admit it, but… I am just akin to a normal wolf… I think you know what that means…”

“Eh?” What was she rambling on about, now?

“Don’t make me say it…” She looked at me, but again I was just as confused. After a small sigh. “I have a heat cycle… Idiot… Also… with kins… gender doesn’t really matter… Even if… it’s impossible…” She hid her bright red face and started to fidget...

 I… I… How… How am I supposed… to know that…

A few more seconds of awkwardness passed as I thought to myself. 

“I have decided…” I monotonously voiced out. 

“Hmm?” 

“We will never talk about this again.” She nodded in an instant, albeit it’s what she had just told me a minute or so ago… Although she seemed to be pensive about something ⁠— grasping her chin and looking far away into nothingness. 

“You know, I’ve been thinking for a bit now…” She paused. “Why do you even need a master board in the first place?” Looks like we truly were going to pretend it never happened. A sudden change of mood — just what I needed.

“Ah… well… I mostly ignored system notifications given the circumstances..” I couldn’t really say it in another way. 

“Eh…” Her eyes lost color as she looked at me. “Are you stupid?” 

“No?” Why that look! It makes me feel bad…

“Why would you ignore the system! It’s literally our only hope to survive here!” I…

“I know…”

“At least... Did you ever see your overall base stat average?” She asked with genuine curiosity. 

“Hmm, last I checked it was in the twenties…” No idea if it was good or bad, probably bad...

“That… how are you even alive?” 

“I don’t know…” I knew it was bad! 

“I guess, we can get lucky… There is no such thing as Hp, after all, one wrong misstep and even the strongest can fall…” She looked distant as she clenched her hand. “But, at the same time, it allows us to live if we make the right choices…”

“Yeah…” I figured, if it wasn’t for such a unique trait I would’ve died long ago… Now that I think about it. 

“Rin, what’s your average base?” I at least had to grasp something...

“Mine? 150… Mostly in agility and strength.” Eh… “Although there is no true way to know what stats are distributed.” 

“... Then… how?” This... I... I am confused...

“Well, the system mostly bases hidden stats as your average, and if you unlock a title that affects them, then the stat will “reveal” itself. Which can cause some rather weird and inconsistent numbers…” That’s stupid… 

“Although, I wonder what race are you, to be so… to have such a low stat average shouldn’t be possible… Most races start at 100, and then maybe if you get lucky you might be born with different numbers…” Eh…

“Don’t they progress?”

“No?” She tilted her head…

Then I recalled… Enables progression… Surviving has made me stronger… even if it was a bit… I wanted to know more about this system! I wanted to survive… I had to keep stepping on glass... just like it said that time...

“Although, that’s as much as I know about it, other details can be seen using a master board…” Fuck… “Well, perhaps we can fi⁠— 

Tap.

          Tap.

                         Tap…

Rin paused for a second, sighing and clenching her fist.

“He is back… My master is back… Leah, please… Hit me, damage me!” Eh… “If you don’t do it, then… It will get worse.” She was a slave… I had forgotten...

The door from the hall creaked, I stood there frozen. Did she want me to hit her, to punish her? I was supposed to avoid that! And yet I have to do it…

“Ah… I don’t blame you… Sorry that you have to witness this…. It’s better for both of us...” She was apologetic with cast down eyes. Giving me a bitter smile and started tensing her hand ⁠— pointy nails facing like a dagger at her arm; pressing them against her unblemished skin.

It turned slightly black as she forcefully traced her fingers through her entire arm. She whimpered but did not say a word as she bit her lip.

“Rin…” What could I do here… Nothing... 

“It’s fine… I am done…” She sighed as I saw pure red blood running like a streak throughout her arm. Dripping the red liquid on the floor. She approached me with a smile and adjusted my cloak, covering my head once again. Wha...

Click.

The door opened and I heard a tumble. 

“Agh… I told you I am sorry...” Rin looked at me with beady eyes on the ground, as I looked down on her. "Master!" She declared with false joy, and puppy eyes as she looked behind me. 

“Oh, looks like you got plenty of Revenge. Rie go get healed, we can’t have you meeting customers like that…” The man said from behind me. Rin monotonously stood up and looked back at me, making a weak smile and winking. I guess… It was all for me… 

“Well, Collector. I am glad you didn’t go overboard and were fairly considerate of me.”

“Eh…” What is he talking about? 

“It would’ve been bad if she had any of her features damaged. Even potions can’t fully heal things instantly after all.” That explains a lot, but features? Does he mean appearance? I... “Now, onto your reward. Come with me please.” He exited the room and back to the normal shop. I followed behind.

Azrie

I hope I didn't go overboard... I just felt like it was necessary... yeah... So the takeaway — we kind of know how the system works now, and we got a bit of world exposition in a sense. Overall I am happy with the chapter, although I can't tell if good or not.