“Don’t look at me like that, I had to help you. It was only for your own sake, you won’t notice a thing.”

 

She was still hugging me close but it was later at night, and we were both now in bed. I wanted to claw her face off, and smash her head open. She did something, something I don’t know to me. 

 

“I understand if you hate me now, but I had to protect my junior. So much struggle and pain over the years of us who follow a failed god has made us learn to adapt, and to be able to survive. Now you won’t suffer if you are captured or if you are ever in a horrible situation.”

 

‘The hell did she do to my mind!? Am I incapable of feeling pain now or something? She even thinks she did me a favor?!’

 

“Your so cute and naive, in this world there exist bad men. Men who just want to take advantage of girls like you, so I had to do my best to get you ready for the world. But I knew it wouldn’t be enough, you are ambitious aren’t ya? That's why you wear the armor right? You want to be an adventure, and see the world probably.”

 

‘Bad men? Who does she think I am, some kid from the stix? I raped more women in my life than most men spoke to! I should be the one teaching her who is dangerous!’

 

I wanted to mouth off back at her but I kept silent, years of experience on the street taught me one thing. If someone is bigger, stronger and meaner than you and is more than willing to beat your head in, you better keep your mouth shut around them.

 

“Don’t worry about aging anymore, your body is just like mine. One of the few benefits followers of aphrodite get are immortal youth and eternal fertility, but to some it can be a curse… Anyway, no matter what happens, don't worry you will be fine to some extent.”

 

‘Immortal? I am immortal now? I guess it can be useful, but it’s not like I ever planned even for next year. Not like it’s gonna change my life much I guess.’

 

Seeing me calm down a bit and stop looking at her with so much intense hatred, she smiled. Pulling me in close she kissed my forehead and we both went to sleep in the bed together. I tried to free myself but it was like being bound by solid iron chains, her limbs bound me unable to even budge so I just accepted it and went to sleep as is.

 

“Good morning sweetie.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Silly girl, forget about me? Don’t worry I didn’t let any bad men touch you when you slept, see you're fine.”

 

She was holding my two hands keeping them in her hands, her strength was beyond nuts. Only now did I truly realize what a monster she was when her one hand was enough to force my entire body to move the way she wanted.

 

“Before we part, I think you should get the puppet skill. That big metal armor is a pain to move around in, right?”

 

Pointing at the rusty hunk of junk on the floor she laughed a little looking at it. It pissed me off seeing her mock my best possession, it was literally impossible to replace for me at the moment. 

 

“What’s so funny.”

 

“Oh nothing, just soon you won’t like it either. Anyway take this map I got when you slept, and go to this nearby island to get some points. You need the puppet skill to fight in that armor so rely on your little buddies to get the points. It’s not far from here and you don’t need a boat, just run across the sand bar.”

“Thanks.”

‘I will beat your head in when I get control of the armor! Just you wait stupid whore, revenge will be mine!’

 

*************************************************************************************************

 

“So that's the plan, let’s go.”

 

Standing in the room wearing my armor we were all in the room they went at it last night, honestly they looked drained. I just kept the plan short and simple for them to grasp, we need more power let’s go get it. Apparently that woman also left a fake story of me rocking her all night long unlike them, so they all had admiration facing me.

 

“Boss how did you endure her so long?”
“Fool, that the boss, what woman could he not handle?!”

“Yea boss probably made her unable to walk after he was done!”

 

Before leaving we purchased normal clothes finally using what money we stole from the farm girl and got backpacks with supplies for a few days. Walking forward while holding the map, a vein appeared on my forehead listening to them ramble. A frustrated grunt was all I could muster to make them shut up, while I kept stomping my way forward.

 

“We are going to four islands that are nearby today, they are all connected by sand bars. Get ready we got to run across several sand bars, no matter what, don't get into the water! You hear me twins!? ”

 

“Why single us out?!”

“Yea boss what we do wrong?”

 

Everyone gave them glances of disbelief, these two were always unable to grasp their own actions. One of them drank sea water thinking it was fresh water and another had a vibrating arm and a bow as a weapon?! 

 

‘What kind of idiot vibrates their arm as they shoot a bow? Does he even realize what he is doing?!’

 

Trying to not think about the idiot duo, I forced my body to run as fast as I could across the sand bar. I got stuck at times, even sinking like in quick sand from the sheer weight of the armor. Thankfully they always pulled me out before it got serious, otherwise I would have to abandon the armor.

 

‘Finally here, nothing seems different.’

 

It was the same exact tropical jungle as the last island, with the same exact crap. Coconut trees, bushes, and nobody else but us.

 

“This really the right place, right boss?”

“Yea, nothin here”

“Let’s go.”
Ignoring them I walked to the front of the group holding the map, clearly drawn in the center of the island is the targeted magic circle. Only I seemed to believe in the map, but something in my gut was telling me that the woman wasn’t lying about this information.

 

‘She has something else in mind, something more sinister I can tell. But I still need the puppet skill to survive, so I have no choice.’

 

Walking without a care about the jungle, the gang killed a few weird green monkey’s again without issue, and marched to the center of the island. Finding the targeted magic circle, with some differences from the starter island.

 

‘Seems smaller, eh whatever. If it works, that's fine for me.’

 

Putting the glass orb thing into the slot for it, we shoved as many as we could into it. A bright light shone from the magic circle on the ground, and I felt it. My body was changing, but not the way I wanted. My bust got a tiny bit bigger with a different feeling to my butt, and my hair got a few more longer strands too.

 

“The hell.”

 

“What’s wrong boss?”

 

“Nothing, you guys do the same. Get the point crap.”

 

I couldn’t visibly check it now, but I felt it. My body changed, while an instant fear spread into me. 

 

‘If my body changed, so did my mind! But how do I check for changes in my mind?’

 

I had no way to resolve it, it wasn’t something obvious like my body. I could feel myself partially in the armor suit and notice some changes, while changes of the mind were impossible to notice. Dread filled me knowing I had no way to prevent these changes, nothing I did to the glass orb would rewrite what she did to it. Even looking into it was useless, I was somehow blocked from seeing the mental changes.

 

‘At the least I got my puppet skill, and don’t need anymore points.’

 

Looking at the one skill point I got, and the price of five needed for the puppet skill I never felt more scammed. Like we wasted the entire day coming here for nothing at all. Tricking all us to go all the way here just for a measly one point each.

 

“Hey, how many points you get!”

 

“Huh, why you ask boss? I got ten of course”

“Ten for me as well.”

“Yea same as me boss, didn’t you also get ten?”

“Yeah…”

I was left confused trying to determine where all my nine points even went? I found it quickly, the price for her so-called cheaper body modification and mind modification I had to always pay out were taking nine tenths of everything I earned! Desperately I kept trying to make it cancel but it wouldn’t let me unless I got her permission too.

 

‘That damn bitch! Piece of shit whore! I will tear her body apart limb from limb!’

 

“Hey boss we going to the three nearby islands you mentioned?”

“Yea I want more points to get even more vibration modes for my arm!”

 

“Yeah….  Let’s go.”

 

‘Just you fucking wait, I won’t back down!’